Self-Mastery: The Foundation of High-Performance

In my most recent book , I showcase many ways leaders and organizations can create the conditions to unlock high performance in their people, but in my next book, I’m delving into what each of us can do as individuals to flourish in our modern world, personally and professionally.? While high performance is a coveted goal for professionals at every level, many strategies promising success neglect the critical truth that genuine, sustainable high performance originates from within. It begins with understanding our thoughts, emotions, and biology, and aligning our actions to leverage these insights. This inner foundation is not just a personal virtue but a professional necessity. Additionally, from a psychological perspective, demonstrating self-discipline enhances trust, respect, and credibility.?

Here are a few ways to get started:

Protect and Train Your Mindset, Focus, and Energy

As I discussed in detail in a recent article , our mindset, focus, and energetic vibration significantly shape the reality we experience and our performance within it. By cultivating a positive, growth mindset and refining our focus through empowering beliefs and language, we enhance our ability to navigate challenges and seize opportunities. Additionally, practicing gratitude, fostering an abundance mindset, and ensuring our associations, content, and environments align with the results we desire are critical to our success.

Proactively Cultivate Resilience

From an evolutionary standpoint, humans are hardwired to progress and adapt. Our ancestors faced battles against the elements, requiring acts of heroism and endurance on the daily, just to survive. However, most of modern humanity revels in unparalleled comfort and convenience, leading to a crisis of fragility. The very comforts that soothe us also insulate us from the rigors of physical and emotional challenges essential for cultivating resilience. To build this resilience, we need to adopt practices like intermittent fasting, hot and cold exposure, high-intensity interval training, digital detoxes, proactively initiating difficult conversations, and seizing new professional opportunities. Regularly immersing ourselves in such experiences enhances our overall well-being and makes life's obstacles more surmountable. While many shy away from discomfort, it is the willingness to confront adversity that sets the exceptional apart from the ordinary. In an era of instant gratification and avoided adversity, survival of the fittest hinges on those adept at facing challenges, delaying gratification, and exercising self-regulation amidst a sea of easily accessible dopamine hits.

Embrace Biohacking

Along these lines, biohacking is a powerful tool because hermetic stress turns on longevity-boosting genes. As Michael Easter discusses in his book, The Comfort Crisis, modern comforts such as sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, and technology's mental toll paradoxically harm our health. To counteract these effects, we must balance modern conveniences with active lifestyles, nutritious, whole foods, adequate sleep, social interaction, and nature connection for holistic well-being. Two of my favorite strategies are intermittent fasting and hot & cold therapy.?

• Intermittent Fasting. While various forms of fasting have been integral to spiritual traditions and wellness practices for millennia, intermittent fasting offers a modern, more manageable adaptation. Cycling between periods of eating and fasting improves metabolic health and promotes fat-burning by optimizing insulin sensitivity. It also stimulates autophagy, the body’s process of clearing out damaged cells and regenerating new ones, thereby supporting longevity and disease prevention. Additionally, intermittent fasting can enhance brain health by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation and promoting the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports cognitive function and resilience to neurological stress. I prefer the 16:8 method (16 hours of fasting with an 8-hour eating window), but there are many variations to suit different preferences and lifestyles.
• Hot and Cold Therapy. Regular sauna use promotes cardiovascular health by improving circulation and lowering blood pressure while aiding detoxification through sweat. Cold exposure stimulates the immune response, reduces inflammation, and enhances mood and mental clarity by triggering endorphin release. Exposure to cold also activates brown fat, which plays a crucial role in thermogenesis, helping the body burn calories and generate heat. Together, these practices can lead to improved physical health, enhanced mental clarity, and greater overall resilience. I've been using a sauna daily for years, and it provides the incredible dual effect of making me feel relaxed and energized simultaneously. I don’t have a cold plunge, but have found that taking cold showers produces a similar effect. For those without access to a sauna or cold plunge, you can leverage the weather. In the summer, turn off your air conditioner and allow yourself to sweat. In the winter, go outside and let yourself shiver. This approach is also effective for those working in offices during the summer, where excessive air conditioning often makes it uncomfortably cold. The resulting shivering can replicate the benefits of cold exposure.

When Shit Gets Real, Lean on Stoicism

Stoicism teaches us to embrace discomfort and use it as fuel for growth. By accepting and leveraging the immutable aspects of a situation, we transform adversity into a source of strength. Just as diamonds are forged under immense heat and pressure, adversity shapes and refines us, revealing our true capabilities. Embracing pain, setbacks, and anger as catalysts for growth allows us to tap into our latent potential. The Stoic approach encourages acceptance of reality, adaptation to circumstances, and channeling these as fuel to achieve our goals, transforming us into our best selves through the alchemy of adversity.

Mastering ourselves is the foundation of high performance in both personal and professional realms. By protecting and training our mindset, cultivating resilience, and embracing Stoic principles, we set the stage for unparalleled success. These practices empower us to navigate challenges with grace, seize opportunities with confidence, and harness adversity as a powerful tool for growth. As we commit to these disciplines, we not only elevate our own performance but also inspire those around us to strive for greatness.?

How has self-mastery helped you perform at higher levels?