The P in SPARK is for Performance. My performance is something I have always been conscious of. Even when I was ‘asleep’* I was always acutely aware of how I was performing. Particularly in relation to what I perceived as the performance standards of others i.e. family, society, culture etc.
I was constantly judging my levels of performance by others’ standards and focused on doing better and achieving more. I was in ‘good’ health, had a ‘good’ job and a ‘good’ relationship and working at improving so I thought I was doing ‘good’.
But when I committed to being personally accountable and took control of MY life, I realized I wasn’t truly performing at my full potential – I could be better than ‘good’. I knew I had more in me but I just didn’t know how to access it.
As I delved deeper, I had a realization (after much personal development time)! What was holding me back from performing at my true potential was….. FEAR.
What was I afraid of? I was afraid of not being ‘good’ enough.
I was afraid that when I had that next health check, went for that next promotion, or had that difficult conversation I would come up short. I would not be ‘good’ enough.
And the fear was suffocating me.
The fear of not being “good enough” meant I was putting myself constantly under pressure to perform and so physiologically and mentally stressing myself out.
How could anyone perform optimally, let alone consistently in that state?
So the work I really had to do wasn’t to find a way to perform better but to acknowledge and release my fears about not being “good enough”. That meant I also had to acknowledge that my fears were my emotions and I would only experience consistent debilitating fear if I were to consistently believe in the false illusion that someone could hurt me, instead of remembering that I am the only person who determines how I feel.
In letting go of the fear I actually opened myself up to realise my true performance potential.
As defined by HPI, High Performance means succeeding beyond standard norms consistently over the long-term. High Performance is the result of heightened and sustained levels of: clarity, energy, courage, productivity and influence. What the research and data shows is that if you develop mastery in these 5 areas, then you’ll feel more purposeful and fulfilled.
And it has certainly worked for me!
- Achieving Clarity of purpose and goal(s)
- Ensuring I have both the physical and mental Energy to sustain continual high performance
- Courage to step out of my comfort zone and do what needs to be done
- Productivity tools to allow me to make the best use of my time; and the
- Influence capability to establish and maintain great relationships
Working on each of these levers has ensured a consistent level of performance far greater than I ever could previously have imagined and much much closer to my full potential!
This high performance framework has worked so well for me that I became a Certified High Performance Coach. Because I know first hand how good it feels to get past your fears and go after your potential and I am SO passionate about helping others do the same.
Take the High Performance Quiz to find out more and if you have any thoughts or input about this post be sure to like it and please leave your comments below. I’d love to connect with you about Igniting Your SPARK and your own high performance journey.
* Reference 5 steps to Ignite Your SPARK
Ignite Your SPARK – Step #1 Unleash Your Spirit
Ignite Your SPARK – Step #3 Act with Authenticity
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