In my work with high performing athletes, leaders, and entrepreneurs, these are just some of the questions and frustrating declarations I hear as they search for answers or better said, for the 3 easy steps to the perfect solution. I think everyone experiences and wrestles with these kind of questions whether they are trying to win a medal in the Olympics, becoming a better leader at work, doing your best at school, and/or serving as a positive influence at home. I have found that there are at least 3 essential pieces to solving the mystery of peak performance. Before I share these components, let me set the proper context with 2 foundational thoughts.

First, in order to perform at your best, you have to view performance as a puzzle to be solved. In other words, you need a growth mindset filled with possibility thinking. When I first begin working with an athlete who wants to raise their game to the next level, I sometimes discover that a fixed mindset is capping their growth and limiting their potential. They use phrases that begin with “I can’t” or choose words like “always” and “never” followed by a negative action statement. I remember working with a professional baseball player whose initial explanation to me for his hitting slump was, “Oh, I always have a bad April!” I responded to him and said, “I understand that you may have had entire months that were bad in the past, but do we have to continually write off the whole starting month of the season??”

I knew he was using this as a coping mechanism, because the season is filled with 6-7 months and 162 games, and he was hopeful it would turn around at some point during the season. The key for his turnaround, however, and for you is a growth mindset that looks at performance as a puzzle to be solved rather than an anchor to be worn around your neck weighing you down from reaching your full potential. Problems can seem insurmountable. Puzzles have a solution. When you work on a jigsaw puzzle, you look at the solution on the box and feel confident that the pieces to solve the puzzle are contained in the box. Likewise, you have to look at performance and achieving your goals as a puzzle that can be solved with the pieces you have within and around you.

Second, you have to get to a new level of thinking in order to arrive at a higher level of performance. I have people ask me all the time to give them the “3-5 easy steps to the summit” like they can just change their behavior or habits and instantly discover long term success. Yes, there are principles and techniques that lead to peak performance, but long term success is about heart and mind transformation that leads to behavior and habit modification.

Having set the context, let’s look at 3 critical pieces to solving the puzzle of peak performance:

• Preparation – You have to prepare in order to perform. Most people understand the concept of preparation but miss the nuance of how to prepare well. They spend all of their time and energy worrying about the competition instead of focusing on themselves. Yes, it is smart to know who you are competing against and identify their tendencies and strengths. The best athletes and teams definitely spend some time doing these activities. The majority of their time, however, is invested in rehearsing what they do best. They don’t worry about what the competition does or might do. They prepare themselves to perform through “spaced repetition” mastering their strengths in the process and gain confidence through a laser focus on their strengths.
• Presence – Elite athletes and leaders who rise above everyone else are present…not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. By being fully present, they bring their best to the moment at hand. They are united – not divided – in thought and action. And by being present, they provide a presence that is calming, reassuring, and strengthening to the people around them. They listen well, speak definitively, and decide effectively, and their presence is ultimately seen in the results they achieve.
• Perseverance – Games, like life, are not perfect. There will be moments where unexpected circumstances happen, and distractions prevent us from performing at our best. Perseverance is one of the key attributes of high performers that allows them to overcome challenges. But what does perseverance look like beyond just a lofty word and a characteristic that we wish we could summon in any situation? With a focus on solving the puzzle in the midst of an obstacle, peak performers break down the challenge into what we call “micro-moments.” They ask themselves, “What can I do in this next moment that will advance the ball toward my goal?” They don’t try to solve everything at once, and they don’t try win the game in one shot if they are down by 20. They press on step by step and moment by moment trusting the process to achieve the outcome they desire.

As you think about the roles you play and the goals you have set for yourself in any area of life, I encourage you to utilize these 3 pieces to solve the puzzle of peak performance.