See how easy it is to boost performance at work by putting health first
E87: Practical strategies for unlocking “Effortless” performance
Two hundredths of one second.
That’s all that separated Adam Peaty from a third consecutive gold medal in the 100 m Breaststroke final at the Paris Olympics.
For a swimmer who has truly dominated this discipline, he endured a dip after Tokyo, breaking up with his girlfriend and turning to alcohol. But somehow, he found his way back to top-level competitive swimming.
As any athlete will tell you, health is critical to achieving the highest levels of sporting performance. Shortly after winning silver, Peaty tested positive for COVID.
Could he have got the gold medal? Who knows?
Perhaps his sub-par health added just two hundredths of a second to his performance.
Swimming IS Adam Peaty’s work. But the same goes for your work, too.
What is “Effortless” performance at work?
The performance I’m talking about isn’t about the worshipping of “productivity” that seems all too common nowadays.
No. That’s the kind of productivity that’s simply a euphemism for doing more in less time, whatever the consequences - especially the detrimental consequences to your health - might be.
Anyone care for a big dollop of stress?
The performance I’m thinking of is subtly different.
Yes, you do become more productive.
But it’s productivity that is accompanied with equanimity - being calm and curious in the not knowing. It’s like those moments when you set yourself a challenge, and you feel energised not only by the buzz of completing it, but from the state of flow you’re in as you get there.
Performance at work when you put health first feels joyful.
You come out of a conversation feeling energised, rather than drained.
You feel a sense of connectedness to the people around you, especially if you lead them.
Work feels more pleasurable - something you want to get out of bed for in the morning.
Work starts to feel “Effortless”.
It’s ok if you’re sceptical right now
I know many of you will be rubbing a sceptical finger across your forehead wondering, ‘How this is possible?’.
When I was a junior corporate lawyer, I had some really bad episodes, like when I fell asleep as I leaned my head back against the wall of the partner’s room I had just joined for a conference call with a client!
It was easy to blame a lack of sleep and working too hard. That’s what everyone’s excuse was.
But just because it was common didn’t mean that it was normal or true.
I never seemed to have enough energy during the day. But I only realised the scale of it when I took a health-first approach.
I woke up with energy, a spring in my step, stopped falling asleep at odd moments during the day (especially during client conference calls!). Above all, I could think clearly without a fogginess wrapping itself around my brain.
When we put health first
The result?
our mitochondria can create clean energy for our brains and bodies
our blood sugar levels look like a lazy river ride at a theme park, rather than a thrilling roller coaster so we feel energised, avoiding post-meal lulls in concentration
our gut health improves, which in turn improves our mood, our skin health, our immune response
our nervous systems are less dysfunctional and become more regulated - we are more present, we lose our tempers less, we have more patience
our brains don’t hijack us, robbing us of the wisdom that resides in our two other brains - our heart and our gut 👇
And when you show up like that, all the courses you’ve paid lots of money to up-skill yourself - on public speaking, or being an effective leader, and so on can really deliver for you.
When you take a health-first approach, you gain the space and capacity to apply your knowledge and skills in the moment when it really counts.
Put simply, your performance isn’t being held back by a headache, or a lack of energy, or a crappy mood.
As one of my clients said: “Health is the foundation for living life well”
Practical strategies for putting health first
1. You already know what’s good for you - and what’s not
Most of my clients know what they need to do to create good health. It’s usually not quality knowledge that’s lacking; it’s implementation.
2. Adopt an experimental, curious mindset
Failure can set you back, adding worry, self-criticism, and an endless stream of ‘What if?’s. 👇
That’s why I encourage my clients to experiment. Experiments are about learning, not about getting something right.
Experiment, and be curious! You might be surprised at what unfolds.
3. Health is a journey, not a destination
Changes can take time. Yet successful people tend to be impatient for answers or change to happen instantly.
Resolving my autoimmune condition, psoriasis, taught me that creating a foundation for health is a long-term commitment, not a quick fix.
4. Where to start?
I often wonder with all the information we have at our fingertips, how it is possible to create a plan for putting health first and unlocking high performance.
So I want to leave you with one idea about where to start that gives you the biggest bang for your buck.
Food.
Why food?
Food is the foundation for everything else. Your gut health. Your brain health. Your nutrient status, including deficiencies.
You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet.
You need the right fuel and energy to exercise.
It’s difficult to meditate if the food you’re eating puts you in a bad mood.
Food can help sleep.
It can be a source of inflammation, so eating the right foods can help you avoid increasing your toxic burden, for example, from pesticides or industrial seed oils.
It can help facilitate your body’s natural pathways of detoxification.
If you’re a regular reader of Effortless Thursdays, you might have come across what I’m going to share before.
It’s the approach to eating real food, and you can find it here.
Treat it like an experiment. Think about the principles: “Eat liberally. Eat in moderation. Avoid.”.
Incorporate them over time, and take note of what you notice!
👉 Over to you!
What’s one thing you want to try from this edition?
Perhaps it’s thinking differently, or doing something, or behaving in a different way, or believing something new?
Share what comes up in the comments below!
ps If you’re an entrepreneur, a lawyer or another high-flying professional - who’s looking to live and lead in a way that feels effortless, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.
That’s it for this week!
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To your health and success!
Eric
Thank you for sharing this Eric! This feels like the gentle and compassionate reminder that I needed to hear today to re-focus on what I put into my body and support my long-term health :)
"Adopt an experimental, curious mindset" --> words to live by