Unlock Peak Performance with this HACK: Calibration!!

Let's be real, we've all been there – that sales call where the energy was totally off, the presentation that bombed. Outcomes we didn’t understand and didn’t see coming. The days when you're so wound up the littlest thing sets you off, or so burned out you can barely string together a sentence. The highs and lows, the swings in energy and mental sharpness, how could you possibly perform when at one of these extremes? Extremes kill your performance.

Every week I listen back to my podcast, Original Savage Podcast, before I drop the episode. I mine through all the intricacies of the conversation looking for bits of gold to edit into clips. This week my guest, Andrew Banner – he's an online golf coach killing it in his space – dropped this gem: "We're always trying to bring the ball flight back to equilibrium." The word equilibrium hit me like a ton of bricks, it is such a simple yet impactful key to reaching your potential, both personally and professionally. Think of it as finding your unique baseline for peak performance.

Equilibrium? I thought this article was called Calibration??

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we have to understand what we are calibrating. We must understand equilibrium. What is equilibrium? Think of your equilibrium as your launchpad, your personal baseline. It's the foundation for peak performance, unique to you. Imagine a group of athletes. They all take their starting positions before a race, right, and they may look the same but each athlete internally feels something different. Is their mind calm or are they going over affirmations? How is their weight distributed? Right foot back or left foot back? Those positions are their individual baselines, their equilibrium. Now, the gun fires, and it is time to perform.

Don’t be confused equilibrium isn't a stagnant pond. It's a dynamic lake, constantly influenced by inputs. These inputs are everything from your morning coffee buzz to the upcoming client call, from leading a team meeting to calming down a freaking-out customer.

Calibration is the art of reading these inputs and adjusting your equilibrium to the perfect spot for peak performance. There are two sides to calibration: Optimization and Adaptation.

Optimization: This is where you fine-tune your personal equilibrium. It's about identifying what makes you tick – the perfect balance of energy, focus, and communication style. It's the track athlete shifting from 80% weight on the front foot to 75%. Here, your equilibrium is the foundation, and optimization is the process of tweaking it for the win. Like a finely tuned machine, small adjustments can yield big results on your performance. For Optimization think: refinement, precision, customization.

Adaptation: This is about reading the environment and adjusting your equilibrium accordingly. Instead of being the specialized sprinter tweaking weight distribution it is the decathlete shifting their starting position for each event. Are you solo brainstorming or leading a presentation? Intense negotiation or calming an irate customer? Here, the situation is the input, your equilibrium is the variable. Adapting your equilibrium puts you in the best position to dominate, regardless of the situation.

By mastering both optimization and adaptation, you'll become a Calibration Olympian. You'll know exactly where your 'zone' is, how to refine that baseline, and how to pivot your equilibrium to match any challenge that comes your way. Now that's true peak performance!

So how do we Master Calibration?

Optimization Master:

Takes some self-awareness and a willingness to experiment:

• Ask Questions, Get to Know Yourself:?What's your baseline energy level? When do you feel most in flow? What's your hyped-up mode? What about burnout mode? How do you react to different types of environments and personalities? Stop fighting who you are, OWN IT!
• Track Your Patterns:?I am all about the data! It doesn't have to be fancy. Start a journal noting your energy levels throughout the day, jot down the type of task you were tackling, and rate your performance (1-10). Within a week, you'll see some clear patterns – your prime time, the tasks that drain you, and the ones that feel like you're firing on all cylinders.
• Embrace the Progress, Not Perfection:?This isn't about being a robot, it's about knowing what makes you perform your best. Don't get discouraged, get curious! Notice your peak times and capitalize on them. Even little shifts make a huge impact.
• Learn and Grow: Bad days happen to everyone. Use those times to learn what throws you off, not beat yourself up. Tomorrow is an opportunity to calibrate, adjust, and get back to crushing it.

Adaptation Master:

Mental agility is your superpower!! Adaptation takes understanding the inputs and being situationally aware:

• Understand the Inputs: Learning to break down and understand the real-world inputs that affect your equilibrium and performance: energy levels, personal life, task type, audience size, the weather and seasons. ?
• Control the Controllables:?Don't fixate on what you can't change (that annoying coworker who interrupts everything, the presentation tech that inevitably crashes). Focus on your equilibrium – can you inject humor to cut the tension, or take a deep breath to maintain your calm? Control your response, own your performance.
• Channel Your Inner Superhero:?Picture those pre-game rituals athletes have. Find your own mental cues – a power phrase, a deep breath routine, even a quick visualization of crushing the task at hand. These rituals help you quickly pivot your equilibrium to match the situation's demands. Try different techniques for different task.
• Be the Thermostat, Not the Thermometer:?Don't just react to the environment, take control of it! Ask questions to shift a negative conversation, adjust your posture to command the room, or intentionally dial up your energy to get a sluggish meeting moving. You set the tone.

Think of your equilibrium like the foundation of a house. Optimization is making that foundation solid – finding the perfect mix of materials, construction techniques, and regular maintenance. Adaptation is customizing the house based on the neighborhood – a vibrant paint job for a lively community, or calming colors for a busy street.

The Power of Feedback: Your Calibration Shortcut

Remember this all started while reviewing my podcast episode with Andrew Banner. He uses video analysis to help his golf students. There's a reason for that! Sometimes, we can't see ourselves clearly, especially in the heat of the moment. That's where feedback comes in. Think of it as your personal "calibration coach" to speed up the process.

Here's why feedback is essential for mastering calibration:

• Blind Spots Be Gone:?We all have blind spots in how we come across. Feedback can help point out that your energy drops mid-presentation, or that you tend to interrupt clients. These insights are invaluable for optimizing your baseline.
• The Reality Check:?Sometimes we think we're adapting brilliantly, but miss the mark. Did that attempt to lighten the mood in a tense meeting actually fall flat? Honest feedback tells you if your equilibrium shifts are landing the way you intend.
• Accelerated Growth:?Trying to calibrate solely based on your own feelings is like driving with a foggy windshield. Feedback cuts through the haze and shows you the road ahead.

Where to Get Feedback

• Trusted Allies:?Find colleagues, mentors, or friends who'll give it to you straight (but kindly!). Ask them to observe you during a presentation, negotiation, or even a brainstorming session.
• Hit Record:?Like Andrew, review important meetings or calls. It's tough at first, but you'll spot patterns you never noticed in real-time. There is a reason professional athletes spend so much time “watching film.”
• Embrace the Critics:?Constructive feedback, even from a tough client, can be fuel for calibration. Analyze what went wrong, and use it to refine your approach for next time.

Remember, feedback isn't about judgment, it's about growth. Be open, be curious, and use the insights to unlock your true peak performance.

Calibration is the not-so-secret sauce of those people who seem to effortlessly excel in all areas. Like anything, building this skill takes practice. I recommend starting small with the simple things. Ask Questions, Get to Know Yourself. Track Your Patterns. Understand the Inputs. Get Feedback.

Peak performance isn't about superhuman effort, it's about knowing yourself and working smarter. Unleash your potential by mastering calibration and start dominating at work and in life!

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