13 Proven Habits of High Performers

I love performing well. I have big goals, a clear vision for my future, and a strong desire to succeed. However, success is a problematic term.

It means something different to everyone. Your definition of succeeding might be completely unsexy for me, and vice versa.

Yet, when I talk about success, two major components are essential to me:

• Freedom (being location independent, working whenever I want, financial freedom, etc.)
• Reaching goals (especially those I’ve set for myself)

I don’t compare myself to anyone else. I don’t see a point in it, so I don’t do it. Life is no competition at all. There is enough abundance for all of us. The sad reality, however, is that not everyone is eager to have it all.

In fact, only very few people have the mindset of a winner and thrive for succeeding in all they do. The majority, on the other hand, wants to keep doing what they’ve always done.

Well, I don’t like being average. And neither should you.

Did you know that the sheer odds of you being born were close to zero?

You are a miracle, literally, and so is everyone else on this planet. But being a miracle yet acting average sounds dumb to me. That’s why I always try to level-up my performance.

For me, high performance means efficiency. It means reaching my goals with ease and taking good care of my health and body. Once a high-performance habit becomes a routine, I look for new ones to implement, and I continuously strive for progress in my daily routines.

I don’t have any time to waste, and neither do you. We all have 24 hours per day, not one second more, and it’s totally up to us how we use those hours. You can use them to win it all or to end up being unsatisfied once again. It’s totally up to you.

Here is what top performers do differently compared to the majority of people:

They win the morning

High performers know how critical the first hours of their days are. They are aware of the power of a proper morning routine and create one that supports their lifestyle. They don’t leave the success of their day to chance but instead take control of it.

“Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.”

— Daniel Handler

Some of the most famous and effective morning routines are rituals like meditation, exercising, journaling, or reading.

These are primarily well-known due to the bestselling book Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, where he describes his Life Savers:

Silence (meditating or breathing exercises)

Affirmations (writing down or speaking out loud powerful mantras)

Visualization (focusing your mind on how you achieve your goals)

Exercise (some sort of movement for the body, even if it’s just two minutes)

Reading (no further explanation needed for this one, I guess)

Scribbling (journaling and writing down your thoughts)

However, you could also go for more exceptional morning rituals, like scraping your tongue or dry brushing your skin — it’s totally up to you. What matters is that in the long run, your mornings make your life easier.

They embrace challenges

People who perform well do so because they are not afraid. They don’t fear challenges but instead embrace them.

Growth only happens through change. Thus, high performing people don’t shrink back from difficulties. They are great problem solvers and take valuable lessons from each challenge they face.

As Duke Ellington put it:

“ A problem is a chance for you to do your best.”

I know so many people who fear challenges and give their best to stay in their habitual circumstances. If that’s you, it’s okay, but you can’t expect any growth there. Growth, whether on a personal or professional level, happens whenever we kick our butts out of our comfort zone and fight our fears.

“Challenge yourself every day to do better and be better. Remember, growth starts with a decision to move beyond your present circumstances.” — Robert Tew

They seek clarity

As Brendon Burchard describes in his book High-Performance Habits, those who perform on a professional level don’t get clarity but instead create it themselves.

What high performers also do is reflect on their lives regularly. They don’t do a reflection once a year when the year is over, but instead, they practice self-reflection on a daily level. They question their habits, their environment, and their social circle to grow and create even more significant results.

Starting and ending each of our days with a self-reflection exercise will help us be more aligned with ourselves and level-up our performance regularly.

“There are few things more powerful than a life lived with passionate clarity. “ — Erwin McManus

They exercise patience

Top performers know that great accomplishments take time. They don’t quit too early but keep going despite failures.

“With love and patience, nothing is impossible.”

— Daisaku Ikeda

Scientific studies even prove how being patient makes us healthier. Being calm instead of stressing out will always give you a strategic advantage. It will help you stay calm and put you in a better position.

Through activities like meditation and self-reflection, top performers train their level of patience regularly.

They practice gratitude

Amy Collette once stated the following:

“Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul.”

One thing I’ve noticed is that high performers tend to seem happier than the majority. Why? Consider yourself. When do you perform at your personal best? The odds are great that it’s whenever you feel you feel confident, strong, and/or full of joy.

While high performers keep striving for progress in their lives, they don’t forget to be thankful for the present moment. As Eckhart Tolle beautifully described, the present moment is the most precious thing there is:

“Time isn’t precious at all, because it is an illusion. What you perceive as precious is not time but the one point that is out of time: the Now. That is precious indeed. The more you are focused on time — past and future — the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”

They meditate regularly

If you’ve already read a few biographies of successful people, you’ll have realized that meditation is one of the very few habits almost all of them have in common.

There is hardly anyone achieving great results without some meditation practice. Some of them meditate for hours, while others meditate whilst walking, and for some, exercise is some sort of meditation.

It doesn’t matter how you do it. What matters is that you give your mind some space — some calm minutes each day.

“Meditate. Breathe consciously. Listen. Pay attention. Treasure every moment. Make the connection.” — Oprah

They open themselves up for feedback

Successful people know that they don’t know everything. They seek mentors and valuable feedback to help them grow into even better versions of themselves. They are open to constructive criticism as long as it helps them learn and grow.

We are all work in progress, and we all can learn from each other. Instead of competing against each other, we should all appreciate our individual strengths and support each other in becoming even better versions of ourselves.

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” — Bill Gates

They reflect on and learn from their mistakes

Receiving feedback is not worth much if you don’t take it seriously. What differentiates high performers from the majority is that they practice a lot of self-reflection to learn from their mistakes.

Mistakes and failures are both fine. They are part of the journey. No matter if in business, personal growth, sports, or whatsoever. There is hardly anyone who made it to the top without failing many times. However, you must learn from these mistakes to avoid them at the next attempt.

“When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: Admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.” — Paul Bear Bryant

They maintain a high energy level

Those who perform well pay attention to keeping their energy level high as much as possible. There is this nice saying:

“Your energy introduces you before you even speak.”

If you want to attract abundance and high energy in your life, you need to act on that level yourself. The universe always matches your exact energy, and you attract what you communicate.

There are many ways of increasing your daily energy level. The most common tend to be exercising and eating healthier, but also drinking enough water and getting some fresh air.

They make their health a priority

Let’s stick with the health issue.

I see so many people trying to build businesses but neglecting their emotional and physical wellbeing. They ignore their health and don’t listen to their bodies’ signals, which are often screaming stop.

Sacrificing your health for mental performance and higher productivity might work out for a short time, but very soon, it will backfire. Our health is our most valuable resource. Really.

We all know how even the smallest pain can kill our productivity and focus. That’s precisely why top performers take so well care of their bodies. They know it’s their #1 priority, and they make time for healthy habits no matter how busy they are.

They value their time

We all have the same 24 hours per day. However, some people use those hours wiser than others. While most of us waste precious time being on our phones, scrolling through social media feeds or watching TV, high performers know that time, after health, is the most important resource in their lives.

They know how to say no to appointments that don’t benefit them and how to use their time more wisely. They don’t waste precious minutes on unnecessary tasks but instead use smart time management techniques and productivity strategies to be more focused and effective.

They plan ahead

As high performers value their time, they don’t miss out on planning their days, weeks, and months. Without proper planning and self-organization, you’ll always end up losing time for tasks that could’ve been finalized much quicker.

“Plan your work and work your plan.”— Napoleon Hill

Planning your days ahead will give you clarity, and it will boost your productive output because you’ll have much more energy to invest in your work right in the morning as the planning is already done.

They surround themselves with successful people

It’s no coincidence that successful people are surrounded by more successful people. We are the average of the people with whom we spend the most time with.

If you hang out with naysayers and pessimists, you’ll turn into one of them. If you start hanging out with people who have big visions, strong skills, and a positive outlook on life — guess what? You’ll soon become one of those.

“Surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel. Energies are contagious.”

— Rachel Wolchin

High performance and great results are no coincidence. Instead, there is a ton of proven, applicable advice on how to level up your daily performance and unleash your full potential.

It doesn’t matter how many and which of the strategies you choose to apply. What matters is consistency. By being consistent, showing up every day, and becoming a tiny little bit better each week, you’ll create a version of yourself that can reach any goal that is out there.

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