Everyone wants Peak Performance. We want to beat the competition, grab the brass ring, and have everyone see us as successful, right? But what happens if our best use of peak performance is to live a happy, confident, and satisfied life?
You see, I think the two go hand in hand. There’s not much point being Willie Robertson or Willie Nelson, if you’re not happy. Whether your goal is to be a better parent, make more money, or just have more friends, these 6 master keys
to peak performance can take you there.
Creative Imagination – Master Key #1
Einstein said “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Walt Disney invested so much time and energy into his creative imagination that his dreams are still being fulfilled today. Entire cities have been built because Walt Disney imagined them.
Our minds can’t tell the difference between a real experience, and one that is vividly imagined. (That’s why you wake up sweating with your heart racing after a bad dream.) Use creative imagination to vividly imagine the skills and successes you desire.
Unshakable Self-Confidence – Master Key #2
We often get nervous about doing something new because we believe we’re not the sort of person who does that new thing. Have you ever said “That’s just the way I am?” I know I’ve said it.
I caught myself saying it when I started playing golf. Then I put these master keys to work, and my game improved rapidly. I honestly have no desire to beat Tiger Woods, but I do enjoy hitting a 4 or 5 on most holes.
Unshakeable self-confidence means you know your value as a person. You can make mistakes and learn from them rather than thinking a mistake makes you stupid.
Strategic Relaxation
Dan Kennedy is a friend and mentor. He’s also a peak performer kind of guy. He says that every creative block is best removed with relaxation.
We’ve all had the advice to walk away from a problem. You take a walk or get busy with something else, and the solution just pops into your head, right? Strategic relaxation means planning time for relaxation in your day. It’s literally having a strategy for when and how you relax.
Goal Getting – Master Key #4
There’s so much emphasis on goal setting and planning that I think we’ve lost sight of goal getting. Sometimes we think that setting the goal is all it takes to achieve the goal.
I’m convinced this is why so many of us have courses and books we’ve purchased without ever reading. Heck, I’ve even seen expensive courses sitting on shelves that were never opened! Somehow, we equate buying the course with having taken action.
Goal getting is a commitment to taking action. Doing something each day that moves you measurably closer to reaching your goal.
The Habit of Happiness – Master Key #5
Dr. Maltz says happiness is “Having your thoughts be pleasant a good share of the time.” I like that.
It means there’s no pressure to be happy all the time. When somebody cuts me off in traffic, or I spill the milk, I can be upset and still end up happy. You just have to keep returning to pleasant thoughts. That’s why it’s a habit.
The Success Type Personality – Master Key #6
Everyone can develop a Success Type Personality. It’s mostly about seeing life as something you do instead of something that happens to you. My best example is dealing with bad traffic. I used to see this as happening to me; as though God somehow wanted to make me late, you know?
I can’t say rush hour never bothers me. What I can say is that I now use that time to listen to music, think things through, and even relax. The time’s going to pass anyway, right? So I choose to use the time for pleasant, useful things.
Admit That Change is Possible – The Lock
We get “set in our ways.” You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – and that’s when we’re in our thirties! And the granddaddy load of crap: “Everybody hates change.”
Really? We change stuff all the time. From underwear to careers, life is all about the choices and changes we make. I think the person who came up with “everybody hates change” must have started with “misery loves company.”
People resist changing themselves because they think it’s hard. Like anything, we can do it the hard way or the easy way. Unfortunately, most of the personal change advice we get is rooted in the hard way. That’s why I’m sharing these Master Keys for Peak Performance. Yes, they still take effort. They’re also far easier to use than you’ve ever imagined.
Watch for more posts explaining each of these keys and how to use them. Share your questions and stories below in the comments section.
