There are 6 killer tools my clients frequently use to help them perform at the highest level possible. Today, I’m going to tell you precisely what those things are.
Performance coaching is often too theoretical. You get a lot of good ideas, but not enough “how to”. Yet it’s the actual repetition of action that creates change.
You have to put the reps in.
Most people never get to this stage of action.
Today, I’m going to show you a few ways you can begin getting the reps in now, and start living a life you’re proud of living.
What’s more, this article is completely free from sponsorship in any capacity (although if any of them fancy sponsoring me, I’m sure I could be convinced!)
We’re going to cover…
The absolute best meditation app money can buy (that may be free to you)
The most overlooked tool you already have but never use properly
A way to supercharge your sleep & build your capacity for resilience
A 3 minute tool that tells you the most important things to focus on
How to track your physiological data with ease
A concrete way to track your habits & performance
BS Free Meditation
I’ve tried every meditation app out there. I only recommend one to my clients.
My clients are typically keen on the idea of meditating, but very unkeen on the spiritual nonsense that often gets wrapped up in it.
They want something that teaches them how to be more present and focused. They want to learn how to manage their emotions.
But without the fluff.
The only app that does that is Waking Up by Sam Harris.
There’s also a tonne of extra value within the app that I won’t share here. You’re not just getting a meditation app with this.
It’s on the more expensive side of the meditation apps, but if you can’t afford it, they’ll give it to you for free. Here’s a link.
Cut Through The Haze of Thoughts
A messy mind creates messy results.
Nothing beats the following tool for clarity of mind: a simple journal and pen.
Journaling is an essential tool for learning to observe your thinking, and cutting free from your self-imposed shackles.
Writing about what you’re struggling with opens up possibilities.
You can decode your limiting patterns through jotting down your emotions and thoughts.
Your clarity of communication will improve by writing clearly.
My favourite notepad right now is made by Ciak, and I use a Cross fountain pen. Having nice tools makes the process more enjoyable.
Build Resilience In 10 MinutesPer Day
A lack of resilience will cripple your ability to thrive under pressure.
Resilience is your ability to bounce back from stress. Your body interprets stress physiologically - that is, through your body, not your mind.
It does this by turning on your flight or fight mode of your body: your sympathetic nervous system.
You only build your capacity to deal with the stress if you get out of that mode, yet most of us spend all day in that high intensity state.
You need a way to get into your body’s rest, recuperate, and recover mode: your parasympathetic nervous system.
You do this when you sleep, but if you’re doing anything difficult with your life, you need more than a baseline.
For that, I use Non-Sleep Deep Rest practises with my clients. It’s a form of deep relaxation also known as Yoga Nidra.
It’s like a turbo charged sleep and it only takes 10 minutes for you to get the benefit.
My favourite video is this one from Andrew Huberman.
Learn your patterns
Your body is your absolute priority in high performance. This tool allows me to optimise my clients’ body so they thrive.
On the first day of working with a client, I give them access to a spreadsheet that tracks all the vital elements of the nervous system regulation.
This allows me to spot trends in their practices and see what’s working and what isn’t.
Without this ability to spot trends, you’ll certainly miss what’s working for your high performance strategies and what isn’t.
If you want to build the tracker yourself, I’ve screenshot it and pasted it below.
If you want a copy, ping me a message on Instagram and if I have time and I see your message I’ll drop you a copy.
Easy Performance Stats
Without a way to track your body’s state you’ll be missing so much of your performance improvements.
I’ve found the body starts showing signs of improvement before the mind does when it comes to high performance. It’s also easier to track quantifiably.
I ensure my clients have a wearable piece of tech that records their most vital metrics - sleep quantity and quality, and Heart Rate Variability - with consistency.
Most of the wearables on the market aren’t totally accurate, but they do allow you to spot trends, which is the important piece.
In order of preference, my top 3 are: Garmin watches (I’ve got the Garmin Fenix 6), Whoop straps, and Apple watches.
Does It Make A Difference
This vital tool actually makes the biggest difference to your achievement.
The final tool my clients can’t live without is a simple one, and it comes with a quote attached…
“What gets measured gets managed” - Charlie Munger
One of the first steps we take with entrepreneurs and business owners is to identify their most important tasks to allow them to live a life of freedom.
For example, mine include writing this blog, recording my podcast, and other high leverage, and high compounding tasks.
But you need a way to track if they’re actually happening, and also if your high performance tasks are having the right impact on your real world success.
Rather obviously, it doesn’t matter if you feel great if your business, relationships and health are all falling to shit.
So we identify the essential tasks in their life and track how consistently they’re happening. I built the fancy habit tracker below.
If you ask me nicely on Instagram, I may even send you a copy.
If You’re Seeking More Freedom…
…consider doing the following:
Use a meditation app like Waking Up for more presence
Record your thoughts in a journal
Downregulate with Non-Sleep Deep Rest
Track your body’s patterns
Buy yourself some wearable tech
Create a habit tracker that allows you to track your inputs