Welcome back to our limited blog series, where we embark on a journey towards achieving your performance and wellness potential in every domain of your life. This week we are exploring our first category of the PERFoRM Score™ – Preparation.
Why does Preparation matter?
Top achievers don't leave success to chance. They meticulously prepare by setting clear goals, creating a plan, and cultivating key behaviours and routines that allow them to be their best, on demand, day in and day out.
In the PERFoRM Score™ Assessment, your preparation score measures your ability to set clear goals, plan and use key behaviours and routines (habits) to make performance automatic and repeatable.
Rules for Mastering Preparation
1. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
Start by understanding your ultimate goal and why it is important to you. Having a clear vision of what you want to achieve will provide a foundation to plan around, guide you through important decisions, and provide motivation to keep going when the path becomes difficult.
2. MAKE A PLAN: BIG STEPS, THEN BABY STEPS
Be precise about what you need to do to progress toward your objectives. Identify the specific actions or key steps required to turn your vision into reality. Start with the big steps that lead to your ultimate, overarching goal and then map out the baby steps between that will help you make small, but powerful, and consistent progress.
3. STATE YOUR GOALS CLEARLY
State your goals in such a clear and simple way that anyone, even a 5-year-old, can understand them. Use language that leaves no room for ambiguity and ensures everyone knows precisely what you are striving toward.
4. MAKE EACH GOAL SMART
Follow the SMART criteria for setting goals by making them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. SMART goals provide a clear framework for effective goal-setting and tracking.
5. PRIORITIZE & FOCUS
Determine the most critical tasks and priorities that will have the most significant impact on your performance. Concentrate your energy and time on these high-priority items to maximize your efficiency and progress. The simplest way to do this is by listing 3 things you want to accomplish daily and ensuring that at least one of them will help you make progress toward your biggest goals.
6. MAKE SUCCESS AUTOMATIC
Establish routines and habits that support your goals and make them automatic. For instance, automate bill payments, set up reminders for tasks, or create daily routines that become second nature. The more you can automate positive behaviors, the less willpower and conscious effort you'll need to maintain them. Automation reduces decision fatigue and helps ensure you are consistently working toward your goals.
7. USE FRICTION
Leverage friction to your advantage. Identify and reduce friction points that hinder or prevent you from desired behaviours and habits. For instance, if you want to exercise more, lay out your workout clothes the night before to reduce the friction of getting started. Conversely, increase friction for behaviors and habits you want to avoid, like deleting distracting apps or making unhealthy snacks less accessible.
8. STRUCTURE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Organize your physical and digital surroundings to align with your goals and help you be your best. This might involve decluttering your workspace, setting up reminders, or eliminating distractions. A well-structured environment can boost productivity, increase motivation and reduce the likelihood of procrastination. If you're preparing for a project, set up a dedicated workspace free from distractions. If it's about healthy eating, stock your kitchen with nutritious options and remove tempting unhealthy snacks.
9. MONITOR PROGRESS & STAY ACCOUNTABLE
Consistently monitoring progress toward your goals can provide motivation and ensure you stay on track along the way. Use tools like journals, calendars, or apps to record your achievements and setbacks. Share your goals with someone you trust who will actually hold you accountable for your progress. This could be a friend, coach, or mentor who can provide support, encouragement and most importantly, call you out when you need it as you work toward your objectives.
10. LEARN & ADAPT
Acknowledge that preparation is an ongoing process. Be open to learning from your experiences, stay committed to improvement, and adapt your approach as needed. Pay attention to your actual experience of what works and doesn’t work, and be okay making changes that can help you be more effective on your journey.
Stay in Touch
Thank you for joining us as we explore the PERFoRM Score™ and what it means for you and your performance journey. If you have not yet completed the PERFoRM Score™ assessment, we encourage you to do so here.
Stay tuned for next week's post about Energy Management.
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