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I live and die by my work calendar. If it is on the calendar, it has to get done. When I work with any new client or executive team, I make sure we go over their calendars. Unfortunately, many of them are missing four simple yet powerful tasks. Many of them are working hard but not enjoying the process. By adding these four pivotal tasks, you will become a more extraordinary high performer, get more done and enjoy the journey:
1. Get seven+ hours of sleep every night
The one thing that gives you energy as a high performer is sleep. So, it should be the first thing you put on your calendar. And don’t miss this appointment. Sleeping at least seven hours a night gives you 18 hours to work on whatever you are passionate about. If 18 hours is not enough time, start to hire some help.
Related: 4 Mindset Shifts Essential to Being a High-Performing Entrepreneur
2. Take one hour of “me time” during the work day
You are not meant to just work and not enjoy life. The best way to get into a flow and breed new fresh ideas is to step away from work. Give your brain time to focus on something else other than always solving problems. Each day, you can only concentrate and make a certain amount of decisions until your brain is overwhelmed and needs to recover.
After a big meeting or presentation, you need a second to recover. You spent all of your energy focused and dialed in. Give your brain time to relax by stepping away from all of that. Go for a walk, ride your bike or meditate. Just taking one hour to yourself each day will boost your mood, well-being and productivity. It will give you a quick energy boost to come back even harder.
3. Take five to 15 minutes to review your vision each day
You will not be excited about life, business, health, wealth and whatever else you are trying to achieve every single day. That is normal — you are human. Yes, in all your might and driven ability, you are still human. That is why it is important to revisit why you are doing what you are doing. This shouldn’t be done by just reading your “why,” but by reviewing your vision for where you want your life to go.
It is easy to get caught up in not being where you believe you are supposed to be as a high performer. So, you beat yourself up, even though you are just having an everyday human experience. What makes you a high performer is your ability to stick with your vision without needing an emotional push. Make sure you spend five to fifteen minutes a day just reviewing your vision for your life.
Related: The One Life Hack Every High Performer Masters
4. Do daily check-in calls with accountability partner
When you strip everything away, life comes down to relationships and the connections you build. One critical relationship could be worth millions to you. When I was having a super low moment in life, my relationships with friends are what helped me get through it.
When I could not see the bottlenecks in my business, my friends gave me the insight that I needed. Make time at least three to four times a week to do a check-in with your friends. Now, this check-in is not to talk gossip. The purpose is that it helps you both move forward.
My accountability partner is Jeff Young, also known as Backpack Jeff. He is a top Black entrepreneur — the number one motivational speaker, host and performing poet in the DMV. We have daily calls in the morning where we share how we are both doing, tasks we have to accomplish and hold each other accountable for the tasks we said we would do. We both give each raw, no-B.S. feedback. We don’t take any business or personal feedback as a negative. We both want the other to succeed, so we speak freely and respectfully to help each other out.
As a high performer, is it easy to slip into work mode 24/7. But I challenge you to get sleep, spend one hour doing something you love outside of work, review your vision and do quick, daily check-in calls. As a result, you will be smiling more, enjoying the journey, and you will be an even greater high performer.