🚀 Radical Performance Catalyst #1 - Maximum Performance Emerges from Radical Well-being Channeled With Radical Focus
Mastering well-being shifts our energy from surviving to thriving, unlocking mental clarity for focus, massive energy for performance, and generating the flow and accomplishment we desire.
Our newsletter is back, ready to dive into bite-sized topics that can ignite radical performance, focus, and well-being. We'll be exploring each element of radical well-being, radical focus, and radical performance, all based on the unique and recent updates to the RC Methodology. These upcoming posts will be longer than usual, but they set the stage for the simpler and more actionable posts on the way.
“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.”
St Augustine, Confessions
Maximum Performance Emerges from Radical Well-being Channeled With Radical Focus
Many of us believe, incorrectly, that success will make us happy and mentally healthy, leading us to work non-stop, chasing a dream of success we hope will bring us everlasting joy and peace. However, true happiness, radical performance, and everything we really want actually come from taking care of our basic physical and mental needs (social connection, physical health, stress management, etc) and deploying our limited focus to things we find deeply meaningful. By putting our basic needs first, we not only boost our energy levels but also reduce mental chaos or psychological entropy and gain clarity.
Neglecting the Basics Limits Our Creativity, Mental Clarity, and Energy
Boosting our overall levels of energy and motivation is the most obvious effect of taking care of our basic physiological and psychological needs, but there are other benefits that can be more subtle. When we neglect our basic needs, we end up focusing (consciously or subconsciously) on what we're missing, like seeking to fill a self-esteem gap or social connection gap with external validation or people-pleasing rather than clear-eyed progress toward our own goals. When we take care of ourselves appropriately, we can live in a growth and performance-focused way that helps us see life more clearly, moving from fear and worry to self-acceptance, and understanding, and opening a space for radical performance and radical well-being.
When we do not see life clearly, our subconscious gap-filling motivates us to pursue goals that may not truly be our own. For instance, an unacknowledged gap in self-esteem may drive us to seek promotions and raises as a form of external validation, rather than a deeper desire to build a company to solve a problem we see in society, become a therapist, or build a loving family. We should also not be surprised that when we do reach such externally-driven “goals” we are inevitably let down when we realize those we chose unconsciously were not our own and thus not oriented towards building a meaning-filled and performance-oriented life we enjoy inhabiting.
Taking care of ourselves is essential not only to generate massive energy, but to generate the consistent clarity necessary to see reality, differentiate gap-filling goals from meaningful ones, and take the next step toward radical performance and well-being: generating a deep sense of mission and purpose.
Our Energy Must Be Directed to a Limited Number of Pursuits if We Are to Perform Radically
We all want “high performance” and the accompanying positive emotions and fulfillment that come with it, but if we don’t define what this concept means for ourselves through a chosen purpose or “mission” it’s hard to have a metric to judge our progress and set aligned goals. If we have an endless list of conflicting “priorities” and goals, our energy will be too diffuse to make outstanding progress on any of them, and a solid sense of purpose allows us to weed through this list and select only those that align. If we want to live a nomadic lifestyle while building a world-changing company, volunteering consistently, building a family, and trying to be a champion Ironman and impactful artist, we will soon crush ourselves and make no progress on any of these worthy goals. Doubling down on an individually unique and authentic sense of purpose allows us to choose a limited number of meaningful goals to grow and evolve, and leverage a growth mindset to build the skills we need to get what we want.
Of course, living life with intention embodied in an explicit purpose never guarantees that we will reach all of our goals, but increases the chances that we will reach them by unlocking the massive focus and motivation associated with pursuing goals that are uniquely meaningful for us. This helps us navigate life's ups and downs without either being directionless like leaves in the wind or overly rigid, feeling constant disappointment when some aspects of life escape our control or planning. We must be flexible and resilient, accepting what we can't control while staying focused on the things we can do to reach our goals.
Combining Radical Well-Being and Radical Focus is a Clear Route to Radical Performance
To achieve radical performance we must achieve 1) radical well-being to generate massive energy and 2) radical focus to concentrate and direct this massive energy towards a solid sense of mission or purpose. Achieving this requires moving through three distinct levels:
Level 1 - Radical Well-being: Can you generate consistent energy and motivation, rather than running on endless cycles of burn hard, crash and burn hard?
Level 2 - Radical Focus: Can you channel this energy into a limited number of meaningful pursuits, aligned with your unique intrinsic motivations and embodied in an explicit purpose?
Level 3 - Radical Performance: Can you iterate and maintain a system of habits in your life that create consistent, high levels of energy, creativity, discipline, and mental clarity for years, to face the volatility of life and pivot as your sense of purpose evolves and sharpens?
Each level of the Revolutionary Character (RC) Methodology (embedded in our Unstoppable training) will be explored in upcoming posts here on Substack. In the meantime you may reflect on this week’s post, guided by questions below!
The RC Methodology is built on sound, empirical foundations and a rigorous interpretation of the science of well-being, performance, and self-actualization. Positive Psychology, Cognitive Behavioural, and Solution-focused Coaching, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Flow Science are just of the few domains we bring together.
Reflection
Take a few minutes to reflect on the theory above:
Reflect on a situation where you performed exceptionally well. How did taking care of your physical and mental well-being contribute to that performance?
How do you currently allocate your energy and focus? Are there areas where you feel your energy is being wasted or misdirected?
What is your unique and authentic sense of purpose or mission? How did you discover it, or how are you working to discover it?
What practices or routines help you generate consistent energy and motivation? How can you integrate these more effectively into your daily life?
What aspects of your current lifestyle support radical well-being, focus, and performance? What aspects hinder it?
Achieve Radical Performance and Well-being With Revolutionary Character
Book a 25 minute intro call or check out the course to find out how!
What We Are Up to At RC
We have been busy launching a new website, an updated methodology, a free eBook (Work In Alignment with Your Psychology and Physiology) and are working toward launching a new cohort of our Unstoppable training. Check it all out or reach out to learn more!
Please let me know how you feel about the content; all suggestions, feedback, and questions are welcome!
Have a recharging weekend to maintain that radical well-being!
Jacob