The definition
How do we reach the top?
Are we destined to get there?
Do we have what it takes?
A high-performance mindset is the way we think, act, react, and carry ourselves in the competitive world. It's all about how we use our minds to pave the road to success. A mindset that can be used in both our business and personal lives.
A high-performance mindset is something that any of us can create. Age, gender, ethnicity, etc. do not matter when it comes to resetting and addressing the way we look at, frame and ultimately react to life.
There are so many anecdotal examples of people lifting the limits on their minds and although all we often get is a surface view of the outcome, there is much more work that goes into developing that mindset. Something we can all strive to do daily.
What does it mean to you?
After achieving any positive shift in mindset, you’ll undoubtedly ask yourself, why you didn't do it before. Ask anyone of notable success and they’ve all learned how to switch to this alternative ‘glass half full’ outlook. It will have been a major component in how they continue to positively progress.
To get there, much like anything in life, you will have to train your mind to do more. You will have to raise the bar step-by-step, make mistakes, learn from them and move forward with tenacity.
How do you get there?
Like we said above, anybody can teach their brain to unlock a high-performance mindset. To help you understand what it takes to get there, we've created a list of 5 ways to help develop your brain to have this mindset.
Work within the limits of your body
Like most things good, it takes a lot of training, everyday practice and to some extent an ability to control your emotions. After envisaging your goals, you will have to make plans and keep step-by-step track of your progress. A good idea is to have an experienced mentor who can act as a soundboard, a rational-thinking party who will look at things through a slightly different lens to your own.
An expert will help you to achieve your peak and help you to learn your body's limits. Because all our bodies have limits, failure is inevitable at times. You’ll have to learn how to live with that and embrace it as a lesson. You can learn a lot from failures, but accepting them as part of the journey is often one of the most challenging.
As long as you are learning, you’re not failing.
Take a closer look at your habits!
To be successful, you need to address all the habits that don’t align with the outcomes that you want. Firstly, you need to acknowledge them, recognise what they are and the context they sit in. Changing habits requires doing something, not removing something.
One of the main reasons people fail at habitual change is that they try to stop doing things, not start doing different things. Think about it.
Slow down.
Slowing down is a shrewd move. It gives an opportunity to plan your progress step-by-step and achieve one small goal at a time. After reaching these micro-goals and small wins, you’ll gain more confidence to keep pushing forward.
There is no better boost to your confidence than seeing and acknowledging progress.
Focus on achievable goals
Manage your expectations. Don’t set the bar too high on something that can’t get done in the short term. Much like taking things slowly, filter the things you think can be done in the short-term, and then your long term goals will be more realistic.
Be realistic.
Look after your own head
Mental health is essential, not only for a high-performance mindset but for our overall well-being. You can never get to the top of anything without having a clear, focused mind.
Talk to your mentors and your friends. These are the people who will inspire you and encourage your thirst for success. Read books as much as you can, books are a great way to feed your brain with information and ideas. Many great books will help inspire your progression.
Set aside time for clear, focused work.
“If you don't produce, you won't thrive—no matter how skilled or talented you are.”
Cal Newport - Deep Work
If you’re unsure that quote is from one of our favourite books on the topic.
HMN Thoughts
Your mindset is the set of assumptions, methods, or notions that you hold. Your mindset can also be seen as arising out of your world view or philosophy of life. A high-performance mindset is largely about how we frame things. If we want to change it, we need to be able to assess how these things form our thought processes. In doing so it gives us clues as to what we need to change and align with different outcomes.
