High Performance Habits
How Extraordinary People Become That Way
Book Edition Details
Summary
"High Performance Habits (2017) explores the six habits that can turn an ordinary person into an extraordinarily productive one. Performance coach Brendon Burchard draws on the data and statistics from one of the largest studies of the world’s most productive people ever conducted to explore their habits and find out what makes them tick."
Introduction
What if the difference between living an ordinary life and an extraordinary one isn't about talent, luck, or circumstances, but about the specific habits you choose to cultivate each day? Most people believe high performance is reserved for the naturally gifted, but research reveals a profound truth: anyone can develop the practices that lead to sustained excellence across multiple areas of life. The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't filled by hoping for better circumstances or waiting for motivation to strike. It's bridged by understanding and implementing the precise habits that high performers use to consistently exceed expectations, maintain well-being, and create lasting impact. These aren't complex theories or abstract concepts, but practical, proven strategies that transform how you think, feel, and act in pursuit of your most ambitious goals. The journey to extraordinary begins with a single choice: to embrace the habits that will compound over time into remarkable results.
Build Clarity and Energy: Your Foundation for Excellence
High performance begins with two fundamental pillars that support everything else: crystal-clear vision and boundless energy. Clarity isn't just about setting goals; it's about envisioning your future self with such precision that every decision becomes obvious. Without knowing exactly who you want to become and what you're working toward, even the most talented individuals drift into mediocrity. Consider Kate, a successful executive who seemed to have everything figured out from the outside. She managed thousands of employees, earned a substantial salary, and was admired by colleagues and friends alike. Yet she found herself crying in her home office, telling her coach, "I feel like I'm just going through the motions." Despite her achievements, Kate had lost connection with her deeper purpose and future vision. She was busy but unfulfilled, productive but passionless. The transformation began when Kate started practicing what's called the "Future Four," envisioning herself, her social connections, her skills, and her service to others with intentional clarity. Instead of simply managing her current responsibilities, she began asking herself powerful questions: "Who do I want to become?" "How do I want to interact with others?" "What skills will I need for my next level of success?" This shift from reactive management to proactive visioning reignited her enthusiasm and sense of direction. To develop unstoppable clarity, start each week by writing down your aspirational identity in three words, then schedule specific times to work on skills that align with your primary field of interest. Set challenging goals that stretch you beyond comfort while maintaining focus on what truly matters. Energy amplifies everything else you do. Without physical vitality, mental sharpness, and emotional positivity, even the clearest vision remains unrealized. High performers treat energy management as seriously as time management, understanding that how they feel determines how they perform.
Create Necessity and Maximize Productivity: The Drive to Excel
True high performance emerges when excellence becomes necessary rather than optional. This necessity stems from both internal standards and external obligations that make mediocrity feel impossible. When you deeply connect your identity to doing exceptional work and serving others at the highest level, ordinary effort becomes unacceptable. Isaac, a Marine who was severely injured while saving his fellow soldiers, initially felt his purpose had ended with his physical limitations. He sat in a wheelchair, telling his friends, "I'm useless now. It's over." But his fellow Marines challenged him with a powerful truth: "You don't have any other choice. Because you're going to obsess about your recovery the same way you trained infantry: like a Marine. Because your family is counting on you!" This external pressure, combined with Isaac's internal identity as a warrior, created the necessity that drove his remarkable recovery. The transformation happened when Isaac reconnected with the four forces of necessity: his identity as a Marine, his obsession with serving others, his duty to his family and fellow soldiers, and the urgent deadlines of his rehabilitation goals. Instead of seeing his limitations, he began viewing his recovery as another mission that demanded his absolute best effort. This shift from victim to warrior mindset changed everything about his approach to healing and growth. To create necessity in your own life, regularly ask yourself, "Who needs me on my A game right now?" Connect your daily efforts to your deepest values and the people counting on you. Set real deadlines with genuine consequences, not arbitrary dates that can be easily ignored. Productivity isn't about doing more things; it's about creating more of what matters most. High performers focus obsessively on prolific quality output in their primary field of interest, spending at least sixty percent of their time on work that directly advances their most important goals.
Develop Influence and Demonstrate Courage: Leading Through Challenge
Influence isn't about manipulation or charisma; it's about genuinely helping others think better, grow stronger, and contribute more meaningfully. The most influential people in your life likely shaped how you think about yourself, challenged you to become better, and role-modeled the values they wanted you to embody. This same pattern applies to building your own influence with others. Juan, a CEO struggling with a talented but challenging designer named Daniela, initially approached their conflict from a position of control and defensiveness. He wanted her to "play nicer" and execute his vision without question. This adversarial approach was destroying team morale and company performance. The breakthrough came when Juan learned to see influence as collaboration rather than domination, shifting from trying to diminish Daniela to helping her think bigger and rise higher. The transformation occurred when Juan began applying the Ultimate Influence Model: teaching Daniela how to think about her role and the company's future, challenging her to grow in character and contribution, and role-modeling the collaborative leadership he wanted to see throughout the organization. Instead of blocking her ambitions, he helped elevate them in service of shared goals. This approach not only resolved their conflict but created a powerful partnership that revitalized the entire company. To build genuine influence, start by asking more questions and making more requests; people consistently underestimate others' willingness to help and engage. Focus on giving value before asking for anything in return, and become a champion of others by appreciating their contributions and supporting their growth. Courage isn't the absence of fear; it's taking right action despite uncertainty, criticism, or potential failure. High performers demonstrate courage by expressing their authentic ideas, taking calculated risks, and standing up for themselves and others even when it's uncomfortable.
Summary
The path from ordinary to extraordinary isn't mysterious or reserved for the naturally gifted. It's built through deliberate habits that anyone can develop with commitment and practice. As the research clearly shows, "High performance is not achieved by a specific type of person but rather by people from all walks of life who enact a specific set of practices." These habits—seeking clarity, generating energy, raising necessity, increasing productivity, developing influence, and demonstrating courage—work together to create a compound effect that transforms not just your results but your entire experience of life. The most powerful step you can take right now is to choose one habit that resonates most strongly with your current challenges and commit to practicing it consistently for the next thirty days. Excellence isn't an accident; it's a choice you make every single day through the habits you cultivate and the standards you refuse to compromise.
By Brendon Burchard
