Max Out

Research has shown that we have a window of about 3 hours in the morning to do our best work. Whether creative pursuits, writing that paper, or getting yourself to do the things you don`t want to do, this is the time when you have the most mental capacities of willpower, energy, and focus available to you.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, the way you think, feel and behave will affect the people around you. Here`s how to make sure you`re uplifting rather than tearing down the people you love most.

Coach Tom Foxley is the Founder of Mindset Rx`d and helps athletes perform at their best both physically and mentally. He`s worked with athletes at the highest levels of the CrossFit Games, Jiu Jitsu, boxing, and others, so we had a great time diving deep into building a powerful mindset, dealing with pain, and ending self-sabotage.

Max Out Insights:

Your performance comes down to your story - the beliefs you have about yourself and the world. Limiting beliefs sabotage your ability to succeed when it matters most

If you`re struggling mentally at crunch time, it`s because you haven`t addressed it outside of crunch time. If you want to be great it competition, you need to prepare to be great in practice.

Competing from a place of lack/not being good enough can derail our performance. Instead, switch to a place of gratitude for past performance. Focus on the skills/talents/opportunities that you do have rather than the ones you don`t, and you will see your motivation soar

When you`re lost in the woods (metaphorically or literally), don`t start by asking “Where should I go?” Instead ask first: “Where am I? What`s my point A?” Then: “Where am I going?”

What is your story? I`m not good enough? I never manage to do this? I`m a perfectionist?

Observe your Inner Athlete/your subconscious beliefs: Journaling is a great tool to identify what`s on your mind. If there`s something you don`t want to write, write it down immediately to shine light on the shadows.

We tend to reject chaos because it scares us, but it`s also the only way to grow

Max Out Quotes:

“If we put you in the right state, optimal performance just happens.”

“If we can create harmony amongst the different areas of our lives, our performance just steps up in the areas that you want it to.”

“The way we grow is by moving from order to chaos and thereby increasing our areas of competence.”

“Chaos is just order waiting to be deciphered.”

“When the gratitude for the things you do have outweighs the yearning for the things you don`t have, that`s when you`ll feel good.”

“It`s in the darkness that we find the biggest treasure. To find out what you`re truly capable of, you need to venture into the unknown.”

One of the primary ways we sabotage our success is by going too hard too soon, thereby scaring our brain away from the unknown and back into our comfort zone. Instead of a revolution, personal transformation is a gradual evolution of mind, body and spirit that is predicated on small, daily improvements.

As Abraham Maslow said, "If you deliberately spend your life being less than you could be, I warn you that you`ll be unhappy for the rest of your life."

Aaron Walker is a successful serial entrepreneur and life coach as well as a devoted family man. After bouncing back from lots of adversity earlier in his life, Aaron founded View From The Top to help other people live a life of success and significance. Join us as we discuss what it takes to succeed in business, the most important thing on your deathbed, and why the people around you are the most important thing in the world.

Max Out Insights:

What matters most in life is your relationships with other people

Delayed gratification is absolutely crucial for long-term success

Having people around you that are there to support you and lift you up goes a long way in finding the motivation and strategies to succeed

Max Out Quotes:

“Can`t couldn`t do it, but can did it all.”

“We`re gonna live like no one else today so that later we can live like no one else.”

“We need to say no the majority of everything so that we can yes to the things that matter.”

Self-efficacy describes your belief in your ability to execute the actions that are necessary to achieve your goals. In other words, it`s the confidence you have in being able to take action and move forward in your life.

According to Albert Bandura, one of the history`s most influential psychologists, there are 4 primary ways to increase self-efficacy: Mastery experiences, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and physiology.

This was inspired by a dinner conversation with my best friends. If every choice you make and action you take is a tradeoff between the different areas of your life, how much are you willing to sacrifice for your dream? How much are you willing to monomanaically focus on one thing at the expense of all other areas or your life? No right or wrong here, just more or less awareness and conscious choice.

So, what are your values and priorities? And how much are you willing to sacrifice to get them? Is there a point where you would quit? Getting clear on these questions in advance will make it a lot easier to make the right choice in the moment.

Dave Lukas is a best-selling author and Co-owner and Vice President of Grasp Technologies, an INC 5000 company that has enjoyed a yearly growth of 50+% for the last decade now. Dave also hosts the weekly Misfit Entrepreneur Podcast, where he shares with people how to embrace their inner misfit.

Max Out Insights:

Embracing your misfit is all about using the weird quirks and differences about you to your advantage

Once you ask “How?” rather than saying “it can`t be done”, things become fun

To achieve the best results, you need to understand the people around you

Dave`s favorite personality test, which he changed into a game of animals: DISC

D: Dominant. This is the lion that is impatient and wants to get things done quickly. He`s all about moving forward, not talking about unproductive things on end.

I: Influence. This is the otter that is the life of the party and all about relationships. Very outgoing and more on the fun side of things that the deadline as the lion.

S: Steadiness. Golden Retriever. Always there, consistent, loyal.

C: Complacent: Owl. Think your accountant. Everything is meticulously laid out and detail oriented. You better have your details and be able to back up what you`re saying.

We`re meant to build stuff. Think of your 5-year old self building that sandcastle only to destroy it right afterwards. We don`t need to rule it, just build it.

Max Out Quotes:

“The exploration of your misfit side is one of the greatest things you can do to evolve yourself.”

Self-determination theory (SDT) asserts that for people to be at their best, they need to fulfill three basic and innate drivers: Relatedness, competence, and autonomy. Only when these three needs are met will you be able to max out your potential and truly engage in the process of self-actualization.

Relatedness refers to the quality of relationships in your life. Through the mechanisms of emotional contagion (you begin to feel what the people around you feel) and the mirror neuron system (you begin to act like the people around you act), both your psychology and behavior is highly dependent upon the people in your circle.

Competence refers to your sense of progress towards accomplishing meaningful goals and building worthwhile skills. As Teresa Amabile from Harvard University has shown, what matters most here is frequency over intensity. Rather than chasing the next promotion 2 years down the line, you`re much better off improving your speaking skills for 20min this Friday.

Autonomy is all about choice. How much are you in the driver`s seat of your own life? The more you are in control (or focus on the things inside your control instead of the things that are not), the more motivation and wellbeing you will experience.