Peak performance isn’t just for athletes.
As coaches, we need to help clients get past a diverse range of emotional, physical, mental and even spiritual challenges.
This demands deep focus, concentration, and flexible thinking.
After thousands of hours working with coaches, speaking at events and leading coaching programs and masterminds…
I’ve come to rely on a number of personal, peak performance habits that help me coach at a very high level – even on those long days when I spend hours and hours on stage or with clients.
Here are 4 of my favorite peak performance habits that will keep you sharp, confident and creative no matter how challenging your circumstances.
Habit #1: Create a Morning Ritual
I’ve been turning to a morning ritual – I call it my Morning Bliss – to kickstart my day for a while now and it’s a massive needle-mover for me.
My personal morning ritual is a mix and match of practices that include meditation, reading an uplifting book or listening to a great podcast, and getting in a short workout to get some movement and energy going.
I switch this ritual up ever so often to keep things fresh.
You can go ahead and create your own morning ritual to start your day with an energetic and emotional boost.
Just make sure your ritual includes:
- Some sort of physical movement
- A book, video or podcast that helps you get into a positive mindset
- Meditation or sitting still for a few minutes to center yourself and create focus.
You may not notice much of a change when you first start practicing your ritual but stick with it.
In a couple of weeks, you’ll find you can manage longer periods of coaching or working on your business minus exhaustion, distraction and frustration.
Habit #2: Give Yourself Long Breaks
A day or two isn’t enough.
If you’re serious about your work as a coach, you need to get serious about giving yourself time away from coaching.
So, I’m going to give you permission to do that.
Go on holiday with your partner. Go on a “bucket list” trip with your friends. Travel solo.
It doesn’t matter where you go as long as you leave your work and your everyday life behind.
When you coach for months – or years – without taking a break from your business and your clients, you’ll end up burned out, and drained of creative energy.
This is a certainty.
If you’re not sure if you need a break, here are 3 symptoms that show you it’s time:
- You constantly feel frustrated and annoyed
- You feel bored when you work on your coaching business
- You’re always tired and lethargic
If any or all of these symptoms are showing up in your life right now, stop everything and book that holiday.
Regular, long breaks are the most powerful and effective – not to mention fun – way to inject new enthusiasm, creativity and dedication into your coaching.
You get to relax and enjoy yourself and your clients get to work with a coach who creates results.
Everybody wins.
Habit #3: Reconnect with Your Vision
What I mean by “vision” is the vision you have for yourself and your coaching business. If you don’t have a vision yet, now’s the time to create one.
Take a few minutes to reflect on why you became a coach.
Here are a few questions to get you started. Ask yourself:
What is it that you want to achieve?
What is the legacy and the impact you want to have?
How do you want your clients to feel after working with you?
Your vision doesn’t have to be about ending world hunger or creating world peace. It can be as simple as “I want to help people feel good.”
The most important thing is that your vision needs to move you and motivate you to keep growing and expanding your skills as a coach.
Your vision must also be big enough to give you a sense of purpose and to inspire excitement and enthusiasm.
A great vision will help you look past everyday frustrations so you can focus on the big picture.
To make the most of your vision, write it down or create an image collage and put this up where you can see it every day.
Doing this will reconnect you to your true purpose as a coach and help you continue to give your best in everything you do.
Habit #4: Take Care of Your Body
Some coaches I know go for long periods during their workday without food, water or even bathroom breaks.
They say they’re too busy serving their clients.
This is a massive mistake and it will greatly diminish your performance as a coach.
Your body is your temple. Treat it as such.
When you don’t take care of your body, you’ll ultimately end up burned out or worse – fighting a serious condition such as adrenal fatigue.
When your body and your health are not operating at the highest level, your thinking gets fuzzy.
You’ll find yourself fumbling for answers or feeling like you’re up against a brick wall when your clients come to you for help or advice.
This is the worst thing you can do for your clients and your reputation as a coach.
So always make your health a number one priority.
These are 4 of my personal peak performance habits that helped me consistently improve and expand on my coaching skills. These habits have helped me bring my best to the table each time I step up as a coach.
When you cultivate these habits and integrate them into your life, peak performance will become second nature to you.
You’ll create transformational results for your clients and seal your reputation as an extraordinary coach.