The Self-Care Mindset

CHAPTER 6Rethinking Peak Performance

“Peak performance isn't about doing more, working harder and faster; it's about working better by pausing to make better decisions that are aligned with what we care about.”

Do you feel beat up and worn out by the end of the day? You are not alone. We are living in a culture where performance is seen as going hard at it, full on, undivided attention, 100 percent commitment, and nothing else matters. Some people dread the pressure; others thrive on the adrenalin rush. It’s like the boxer going into the ring to fight, except we do it every day. We get into the ring, put our heads down, and fight. We just have to stand till the end of the day, we just have to go another round, and another round and another round, then we will win. It's the image of resilience and performance that we replayed in our heads during the pandemic too, isn't it? We just have to keep going, keep standing, to get through.

Except there's something we tend to forget when we watch a boxing match. We focus so much on the fight, how fast the steps are and how strong the punches are, that we forget what really gets the boxer through the fight. The boxers go to the corner for a one‐minute Power‐Pausing every three minutes, to reset, recover, refocus, and reclaim their intention, attention, focus, and energy. Without the Power‐Pausing, the fighters would not get through the fight, at least not at their best.

So can we all agree we need to rethink performance? Reality is that ...