“To rise to the top takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice, hard work and commitment. It does not happen overnight, but is a continual journey that is always filled with a deep level of commitment and drive.”
Here are the ten components crucial to achieving peak performance, whether an athlete or business professional.
1. GOAL-ORIENTED THINKING- Every professional has measurable and firmly establish goals, with shorter-term goals to provide the essentials stepping stones to success. The journey is seldom an accident; it is planned well in advance, and the goals are continually revisited and assessed.
2. ASSESSTMENT- No top performer can consistently achieve success without a continuous cycle of assessment.
3. SUPPORT- Top performers don’t try to have every answer themselves, but will often look outside to gather guidance and support.
4. SPECIFICITY- Top producers focus on the important factors that lead them to their goals. They ignore variables that impede progress, act as distraction from their mission, or are out of their control.
5. RESISTANCE TO ADVERSITY- The key is to not panic when everything isn’t going according to plan. It is important to remain solutions based.
6. BALANCE- In the journey toward success there is bound to be peaks and valleys of success and failure. Celebrate the successes and learn from the failures.
7. PATIENCE (and Resilience) - Every top performer understands that the journey to excellence does not happen overnight (remember Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule to mastery).
8. PASSION- Plain and simple, if you don’t have the passion, you won’t experience the excellence.
9. RISK-TAKING - The willingness to take smart and calculated risks is essential for optimal results; a willingness to be exposed in front of one’s peers without a fear of consequence.
10. RECOVERY - As with exercise, one must take sufficient mental and physical breaks.
