Brian Johnson argues that peak performance comes from one practice: doing the next most important thing right now. He cites Byron Katie, David Reynolds, and Mark Devine to show how narrowing the gap between what you're capable of and what you actually do leads to the life you want.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome Back to another heroic plus one. Not too long ago we chatted about MLB All Star Sean Casey, the mayor going 0 for 12 one season when he was batting nearly.400. As you may recall, his coach told him that he didn't care about those numbers. What his coach cared about was whether or not he was dominating his protocol. In that context, I asked you if you were going through a rough patch, perhaps feeling like you were going 0 for 12 in your energy or your work or your love. Then I gave you a couple of hugs as I playfully told you that I love you and I don't ultimately care about the current state of those things. Then I said that what I do care about is whether or not you are working your protocol. I asked do you know who you are at your best in your energy, your work and your love? Are you recommitting to being that best version of yourself every morning? Do you know what virtues that best version of you embodies? And are you recommitting to showing up with those virtues every morning? And do you know what specific things you do when you're most on fire? Are you recommitting to those things every morning and then actually doing those things every day? Now, all that's nice and hopefully helpful, even if it's not all that warm and fuzzy. But let's simplify it even more ultimately. Although it's very helpful to know who you are and how you show up when you're at your best and your energy, work and love. Which of course is why we architected the Heroic app to help you do exactly that, we can simplify the game of life even more. Let's invite some more great thinkers to the party to tell us what they think. First, the great spiritual teacher Byron Katie tells us that there's always only one thing we need to do. If it's doing the dishes, do the dishes. If it's doing the laundry, do the laundry. If it's taking a deep breath or going on a walk, or sending that email or making that phone call, or apologizing to that loved one or turning the electronics off to get a good night of sleep or whatever might be the next most important thing for you, do that next most important thing, however mundane or scary you may think it is. Repeat over and over and over again, ideally with a smile, loving what is as you show up as your best self. Then we have David Reynolds. He's a Zen therapist who wrote the great little book Constructive Living. What's he tell us? The same thing the question he gives us is as powerful as. As it is simple. Here it is now. What needs to be done? Life feel overwhelming. Perfect now what needs to be done? Still feel a little wobbly. Perfect now what needs to be done? Navy SEAL sage Mark Devine echoes this wisdom as well. The metaphor he uses comes from the battlefield of war. When chaos shines its dark light on our world, he tells us then we need to simplify the battlefield and create front sight focus. In other words, what's the next most important thing you need to do? Do that. Repeat over and over and over again. Peak performance coaches say the same thing. They tell us that elite performers maintain a task focus in the midst of extreme pressure. They don't think about everything that could go wrong or right. They think about what needs to get done right now over and over and over again. So yeah, even without thinking about who you are at your best, energy, work, and love, you can always win the ultimate game of life by doing one simple thing. Whatever this moment demands of you. And by the way, we can simplify all that wisdom even further. How about we distill all the great wisdom across all the great wisdom traditions into one simple word? Yep. Tattooed it on my right arm. Arete, close the gap between who you're capable of being and who you're actually being. Not someday today, and not some moment right now. Plus one. Plus one. Plus one. All day, every day, especially today. Bonus points. Do it with a smile.
