7 Ways to Achieve High Performance.

There is one thing that separates the greatest and most successful leaders from the rest. So, discover in this article not just one, but 7 ways to achieve high performance. Therefore, one of them is the ability to deliver.  

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, calls it sustained excellence or consistently high performance. However, it is the mark of a Level 5 leader, as he points out in an article in the Harvard Business Review.

But sustaining excellence is not always easy. We all have days when everything seems to be flowing. We are able to work creatively, collaborate efficiently, make decisions quickly and achieve the results we desire. Nothing that has ever happened seems better than days like these.

Almost invariably, these days highly productive, are also, accompanied by days in which we procrastinate, fail to find the right direction and get stuck in unproductive tasks. These days tend to leave us unmotivated and uninspired.

The difference between the greatest and most inspiring leaders, the most successful businesspeople, the most efficient managers, the most productive employees, and everyone else is that they tend to have more great days than the average person.

They deliver consistent high performance no matter what they are doing. Therefore, how can we reach the 7 ways to achieve high performance, and maintain that level of consistency? I believe we can prepare ourselves to be more productive by adopting a holistic approach.

Get Good Physical Preparation to Increase Your Productivity.

So let's start with your physical well-being. Ever tried to deliver something large when you're tired, dehydrated, or hungry? It can be said that this will not work. You simply cannot be productive and efficient if you are not well.

It may seem counterintuitive to schedule time to exercise, eat, or rest when you have a big deadline looming, but it's not.

Therefore, the better your level of rest and fitness, the more productive you will be. Therefore, look for a balanced diet, vitamins and minerals, foods that increase energy and brain capacity naturally.

However, it is also important to maintain good hydration by drinking plenty of water.

A Well Balanced Life.

Having a long work routine will not help you perform at a high level. Look at Richard Branson.

He is the founder of the Virgin Group, a successful guy, but he says: “My family means the world to me, much more than business.” So, in other words, it's important to have balance, and spending time with family and friends is part of that.

If you neglect your personal life, it can implode and you won't be focused if you're thinking about the problems at home.

An outside interest is another part of the balance. So whether it's exercise, a sport, a hobby, listening to music, reading or anything else. Well, doing activities that are not related to work will relax you and free your mind.

You'd be surprised how often this turns into creative solutions to your business problems.

Training your Mind.

Think of your mind as a tool that can be improved, but rest assured, no artificial intelligence will be needed. To train your mind on productivity, try:

• Practice meditation to calm the mind.
• Avoid negative self-talk, which results in a similar state of mind.
• Using affirmation to focus on what you will achieve.
• All of this improves focus and makes you more effective and efficient.
• Create the Habit of Productivity.

You can also train yourself to be productive. Take freelancers, for example. From the outside, it may seem like they have a lifestyle that doesn't require much real work. But, ask the most successful self-employed professionals: what is your productivity habit?

So, you will find that they structure their time very intelligently and productively. However, they set aside time for writing, designing, or coding, time for coming up with ideas or tweaks, and time for research, email, social media, and meetings.

So, when the time comes to do a certain activity, they do it whether they feel like it or not. Therefore, over time, this creates the habit of producing on demand, and in other words, productivity becomes a habit.

Success Needs Planning.

If you have a plan, it is easier to succeed. As we've seen before, some of the most successful people begin their success by writing a short to-do list and working their way through it methodically.

Some of them even write the night before so they can hit the ground running in the morning. This takes care of short-term tasks. However, within the 7 ways to achieve high performance, this is just as important.

For the medium and long term, set goals that you can achieve weekly, monthly and annually. Review and check them regularly to know you are achieving each of these goals.

This type of structured approach allows you to perform well more consistently.

High Performance Needs Motivation.

In Star Wars, Yoda said, “Do it. Or not. There is no attempt.” This applies equally to motivation. So if you're just trying to motivate yourself, you're not fully committed to the idea.

So on the other hand, if you decide that you are motivated, you will be committed and things will start to happen. Well, it's a matter of mindset and putting the structures in place to support that mindset.

Keep doing this, and you will maintain a consistent level of motivation, followed by a consistent high level of performance.

Don't Want to Accommodate.

Do you know something that the most productive and successful people have in common? They found something, which wasn't good enough and changed it, like James Dyson and the vacuum cleaner. So if you accept that something is good enough, it will never be great, says Jim Collins in the book, Businesses Built to Grow.

However, Seth Godin says much the same, he encourages traders to be purple cows and stand out from the herd. So, if you want to be more productive and successful, don't settle for status.

Always question yourself and see how you can make improvements. Well, these are the 7 ways to achieve high performance.