What High Performers Do Differently & How to Train Yourself to Become One
High performers aren’t unicorns—they’re good at navigating the messy middle. Whether in work, sports, creativity, or leadership, they don’t just wake up one day at the top. They build resilience, sharpen their instincts, and get comfortable with discomfort. Research from performance psychologists, business leaders, and neuroscientists shows that what sets them apart isn’t talent alone—the mindsets, habits, and skills they cultivate along the way. Here’s what they do differently—and how you can train yourself to level up, even when things feel unclear and unpredictable.
In this article, you can find:
See Challenges as Plot Twists, Not Roadblocks: The best don’t crumble when things go sideways—they reframe setbacks as stepping stones. They adopt a growth mindset, seeing every failure as a lesson and every challenge as an upgrade. Just ask Julie Zhuo, who went from imposter syndrome to design leader by leaning into mentorship, persistence, and much learning on the fly.
Manage Energy, Not Just Your Calendar: High performers don’t just time-block their days—they energy-hack them. They align deep work with peak focus hours, take strategic breaks (yes, breaks make you more productive), and move their bodies to keep their minds sharp. Think less “grind mode” and more “flow state.”
Take Action Before You Feel Ready: Waiting for perfect conditions? That’s a one-way ticket to procrastination. High performers have a bias for action—they start before they’re fully prepared, iterate in real-time, and use tricks like the 5-second rule to shut down overthinking. Progress over perfection, always.
Prioritize Deep Work & Protect Your Focus: Want to get more done? Guard your attention like a dragon hoards gold. High performers create distraction-free zones, say “no” to low-value tasks, and time-block deep work during peak mental hours. If it’s not moving the needle, it’s not worth the brain drain.
Tune Out the Noise & Stay Cool Under Pressure: When the world is chaotic, high performers stay steady. They train themselves to turn stress into fuel, develop a high adversity quotient (AQ), and practice mental resilience through visualization and deliberate discomfort. TL;DR: They don’t let the small stuff break their stride.
1. See Challenges as Plot Twists, Not Roadblocks
High performers don’t panic when things go sideways—they adapt, reframe, and keep going. As a leader, I don’t just navigate challenges myself—I help my teams do the same. Instead of seeing obstacles as roadblocks, I push people to approach them with curiosity, extract the lesson, and adjust their strategy. Because let’s be honest: failure isn’t the finale; it’s just a messy middle before the next breakthrough.
Take one of my team members—a first-time manager leading a group of seasoned pros. Imposter syndrome hit hard. They hesitated, second-guessed, and held back their voice. Through ongoing coaching, we reframed self-doubt as a signal for growth leaned into mentorship, and experimented with different leadership styles. Fast forward: they built confidence, made sharper decisions, and earned the team’s trust. Now? They’re mentoring others facing the same challenge.
I lead by helping people turn hesitation into action, risks into smart bets, and uncertainty into confidence. Because in the messy middle, the fundamental transformation happens.
🧠Rewire Your Thinking
✅ Explore Books on Resilience – Reading about resilience and the growth mindset can help shift your perspective on challenges. Start with books like Mindset by Carol Dweck for practical strategies on perseverance and adaptability.
✅ Keep a “Lessons Learned” Journal – After setbacks, write down key takeaways to turn challenges into learning experiences. Reflecting on patterns helps reinforce resilience and guides continuous self-improvement over time.
2. Manage Energy, Not Just Your Calendar
Productivity isn’t about cramming more into the day—it’s about working smarter, not just longer. As a leader, I don’t just help my teams track hours; I help them manage their energy. Because, let’s be honest, pushing through brain fog to check off a to-do list? That’s not high performance—it’s just exhaustion in disguise.
One of the biggest game-changers I emphasize is working with, not against, your Biological Prime Time (BPT)—the part of the day when your brain is firing on all cylinders. Instead of forcing deep-focus work when energy is low, I encourage teams to track when they’re naturally sharpest and structure their day accordingly. Night owls? Save the deep work for later. Morning people? Tackle the heavy lifting before noon.
I also help teams categorize tasks based on energy demands—high-focus work (like strategy, problem-solving, and creativity) belongs in peak hours. At the same time, low-energy slots are perfect for admin work, emails, and meetings that don’t require your A-game. The result? Less burnout, better efficiency, and sustained performance without feeling like you’re running on fumes.
🧠Rewire Your Thinking
✅ Utilize your peak energy hours – Download a BPT worksheet to identify your peak hours. Align focused work sessions with your natural energy peaks, maximizing productivity and cognitive performance. Identifying when you are most alert and creative allows you to tackle complex tasks more efficiently.
✅ The 5-5-5 Energy Reset Worksheet – Whenever you feel sluggish, follow the 5-5-5 .5 Deep Breaths – Close your eyes and take five slow, deep breaths to reset your mind. 5-Minute Movement Break – Walk around, stretch, or do light yoga to re-energize your body. 5 Sensory Check-In – Tune into one thing you can see, hear, touch, taste, and smell to the ground.
3. Take Action Before You Feel Ready
If you’re waiting for the “perfect” moment to act, you’ll be waiting forever. High performers know that momentum beats hesitation every time. As a leader, I push my teams to ditch overanalysis and take action—because progress doesn’t come from thinking about doing the thing; it comes from actually doing it.
When uncertainty creeps in, I encourage people to ask, “What’s the smallest step I can take right now?” and then take it. There is no need for a grand master plan—just forward movement. The best decisions (and the most significant breakthroughs) happen in motion, not in theory.
I also reinforce an experimental mindset—treating decisions and projects as living, breathing things that evolve. Instead of obsessing over getting it right the first time, I help teams launch quickly, gather real-world feedback, and adjust. Agility wins over perfection every time.
Most importantly, action is the best teacher. Fear of failure? That’s proof you’re stretching beyond your comfort zone. High performers don’t let it stop them—they use every step, win or loss, as fuel for the next move. The ones who succeed fastest aren’t the ones who wait for certainty—they’re the ones who start.
🧠Rewire Your Thinking
✅ Daily Decision Audit – Identify where unnecessary decisions drain your mental energy and streamline daily choices to focus on what truly matters. Audit your routine by noting repetitive or exhausting decisions—like meal planning, outfit selection, or scheduling small tasks. Then, eliminate, automate, or simplify these choices with pre-set routines, allowing you to conserve brainpower for high-impact work.
✅ Prioritize Progress Over Perfection – Perfectionism leads to delays and overthinking, while focusing on progress drives continuous improvement. Aim for 80% completion, iterate as you go, and refine over time—momentum is more valuable than getting every detail right.
✅ Take Action with the 5-Second Rule – When hesitation creeps in, count down from five and move. Inspired by Mel Robbins, this technique bypasses overthinking and helps build a habit of decisive action by using momentum to push past doubt. 📺 Mel Robbins TED Talk
4. Prioritize Deep Work & Protect Your Focus
In a world that rewards busyness over actual impact, high performers know the magic happens in deep work—not in endless meetings or Slack pings. As a leader, I help my teams protect their focus like it’s their most valuable asset (because it is). It’s not about doing more; it’s about making space for the work that moves the needle.
I push my teams to schedule deep work like a non-negotiable meeting, aligning it with their peak energy levels so they can tackle complex problems when their brains are at full power. We also get ruthless about distractions—batching emails, silencing notifications, and using website blockers to stop the doom scroll before it starts.
But the biggest game-changer? Learning to say “no.” High performers don’t just manage time—they protect their attention. I encourage my teams to assess every request through a strategic lens: Does this move us forward, or is it just noise? Because deep work isn’t just about focus—it’s about having the discipline to guard your energy for the work that matters.
🧠Rewire Your Thinking
✅ Block deep work sessions – Set aside dedicated, distraction-free time for complex tasks to improve efficiency and output quality. Treat these sessions as non-negotiable, schedule them during peak energy hours, and eliminate interruptions. Go deeper by 📖 Deep Work by Cal Newport
✅ Develop the Ability to Say “No” – Protect your time by setting clear boundaries and declining non-essential tasks to stay focused on high-impact work. Use simple scripts to politely say no, ensuring your commitments align with your priorities. Get inspired 📺 Derek Sivers - “Hell Yeah or No” (TEDx)
5. Tune Out the Noise & Stay Cool Under Pressure
High performers don’t waste energy on things they can’t control—they focus their energy where it matters. Pressure, criticism, setbacks? Instead of allowing these to derail their focus, they use them as fuel. As a leader, I assist my teams in developing the mental clarity and resilience needed to keep their heads in the game, regardless of what’s happening around them.
Rather than reacting emotionally to stress, competition, or tough feedback, I encourage people to view pressure as a performance enhancer. Tight deadlines? That’s simply momentum in disguise. High-stakes decisions? An opportunity to refine their instincts. Instead of spiraling, they learn to stay grounded and make strategic moves—leveraging techniques like breathwork, visualization, and mindfulness to maintain sharp focus.
Most importantly, I support my teams in navigating setbacks without losing momentum. We cultivate the ability to embrace uncertainty, filter out distractions, and transform obstacles into opportunities. Because real success isn’t about avoiding challenges—it’s about mastering the art of staying steady when everything else is in chaos.
🧠Rewire Your Thinking
✅ Embrace Small Discomforts Daily – Train your mind to handle stress by exposing yourself to controlled discomfort, like cold showers, speaking up in meetings, or tackling challenging tasks. Start small and gradually push your limits to build mental toughness and adaptability. 📖 The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
✅ Use Visualization to Build Confidence – Before facing a challenge, mentally rehearse how you will handle it. Picture yourself overcoming obstacles, staying calm under pressure, and successfully navigating difficult situations to reduce anxiety and enhance problem-solving skills. 📺 Dr. Joe Dispenza – “The Power of Mental Rehearsal”
