The difference between top performers and everyone else is the awareness they have of their Personal Best Practices and the extent to which they actively develop them.
Your Personal Best Practices (PBPs) are the non-negotiable rules of life you live by, the standards you’ve developed that lead you to live the best version of your life.
PBPs are consciously formed and followed rather than subconsciously practiced. There’s a big difference between subconsciously doing something because it’s how your parents raised you and actively choosing to do something because you’ve determined that’s what’s right.
The mindset you have towards your PBPs is one of intentionality and focus. They need consistent implementation both when it’s easy and especially when it’s hard.
Your Personal Best Practices
PBPs require a mental shift wherein you choose every day to adhere to a certain set of rules versus subconsciously living your life a certain way.
When you choose every moment of the day to be kind to others, you are reinforcing the idea that this value is pivotal to your success as an individual.
It means that you acknowledge that there is an alternative, that you could be mean to someone, but instead, you are choosing kindness.
Having the choice and choosing to stick to your PBPs not only ensures you consistently practice your PBPs, but also breeds byproducts such as integrity.
I haven’t always been consciously aware of my PBPs, but in the process of developing who I am and what I want to stand for, I have made the paradigm shift to actively choose to practice a certain set of PBPs.
When you’re consciously aware of and make the choice to adhere to PBPs,
You hold yourself to the same standards every day, becoming more reliable to yourself and others
You create consistency in who you are, no matter who you’re around or what situation you’re in
You can say you stand for something, and people can see it through your actions, which allows them to get an honest picture of who you are
Having Personal Best Practices is key in building your ideal Standard Operating Mode. Here are some examples of my PBPs and how they’ve impacted my life.
#1 Honesty at All Costs
One of the hardest PBPs I have is being honest at all costs.
Honesty is a common trait that is often naturally instilled in people. “Honesty is the best policy” comes from the mouths of parents all around the world when raising their kids.
However, choosing honesty above all else is challenging. Sometimes, it means sacrificing your emotions or the emotions of others to convey the truth. Oftentimes, it means choosing discomfort in exchange for honesty instead of resting in the comfort of a lie.
Actively choosing to be honest changes the perception others have of you. Others may perceive it negatively but ultimately can rest easy knowing they can trust what you say at all times.
Don’t get me wrong, it feels a lot easier to tell a white lie than it is to tell the truth, sometimes. It feels like it avoids more conflict in the short term, but in the long term, it could create more conflict.
Being honest at all costs means,
My word is one you can trust
My word actually means something, when nowadays most people’s words have little to no value
There’s no conflict in my life due to lies and the facade that comes with the upkeep of lies
Everything I say has a purpose
#2 Doing What’s Right Despite the Consequences
I’m a big believer that despite the perceived consequences, you should always do what you deem to be right.
Doing the right thing when it’s easy is one thing, but doing the right thing when it’s hard is completely different.
This takes constant effort to push yourself to do what’s right because no one else will. From big things to small things, doing what you think is right will set you above others.
Your actions speak volumes, and people will notice your integrity in doing what’s right.
People who do the right thing when it’s easier not to are built differently, built better. End of story.
#3 Take Care of the Little Things
Paying attention to the details, doing seemingly pointless tasks, and taking care of the little things make the biggest difference.
Things are always put in their proper place in my apartment. I always pick up a piece of trash I see on the sidewalk or wipe up the condensation from my iced coffee on the table of the local cafe. I floss my teeth and make the font bigger on my computer at work so I don’t strain my eyes.
Everyone’s birthday is on my calendar, and a birthday message will be sent out. I keep track of the ‘favorites’ of the most important people in my life and have a running list of gift ideas for my closest friends and family.
These may seem small and pointless, but all of the care that I put into the seemingly little things compound to having a giant impact on my life.
There’s a caveat, though… I have to have the skills to be able to decipher what ‘small’ things are worth my time and effort. If all my time is caught up in focusing on small things, then I may not be able to make progress.
Nonetheless, I’ve come to observe that it’s rare to come across people who take notice of and value the small things, and I believe that by doing so, I stand out as an individual.
#4 At Least Seven Hours of Sleep Every Night
I will sacrifice nothing to sleep at least 7 hours each night, at consistent hours. My sleep schedule has been one of the top five determinants of my daily success.
Too little sleep = deprived and zombie-like throughout the day.
Too much sleep = lethargic and zombie-like throughout the day.
Getting good, consistent sleep positively impacts your mental and physical well-being. It ensures your body gets the proper rest and your mind is able to absorb the knowledge of the day.
We all know the importance of sleep, but how many people actually take it seriously?
The most hard-working person I know has the crappiest sleep schedule. They often find themselves getting a few hours of sleep, taking a bunch of naps, or sleeping at inconsistent times. This, in turn, contributes to bouts of illness they experience for extended periods of time, which takes them out of the game completely.
In the short term, getting less sleep may seem like you can get more work done. But in the long term, it deeply inhibits your ability to learn and remember and negatively impacts the body's overall physical and mental health.
I took note of what a hard-working person with a crappy sleep schedule looks like and decided to be a hard-working person with a great sleep schedule.
A good sleep schedule positively impacts my current lifestyle and routines, and I know will contribute to my wellbeing in the years to come.
#5 No Coffee Before 10 AM
My No Coffee Before 10 AM rule is really a No Coffee Until at Least Five Hours After Waking Up rule.
I only started this PBP within the year. I decided I didn’t want my body to be dependent on caffeine to fully wake up and properly function each day.
So, I implemented a rule in which I don’t drink coffee for the first five hours after waking up, instead opting for water.
Since implementing this PBP, I’ve noticed,
less yawning in the morning, after I wake up, and in the few hours following
sustained energy throughout the mid-day slump
better digestive system
overall, greater water intake
The only reason I drink coffee at this point is because I enjoy the process of making it and the taste of drinking it. I’m no longer a college student who requires four large coffees a day to sustain life.
Most importantly, I don’t feel tied to something specific in order to get work done. Feeling like you need to make a coffee before you sit down to work wires your brain to thinking you can’t do any work without coffee.
I want my brain to understand that any environment or circumstance is good for getting work done if there's work that needs to be done.
Real Talk
My PBPs are ever-evolving and change as the seasons of my life come and go.
I’ve noticed the vast difference between subconsciously practicing certain habits and intentionally creating Personal Best Practices.
PBPs elevate your life in ways simply being kind or agreeing that ‘honesty is the best policy’ doesn’t.
Having a clear vision of who you want to be and how to get there is one less hurdle to jump in the game of life.
Having Personal Best Practices and evolving them as your life progresses puts you at the top. It makes you stand out and allows you to achieve the life and be the person you want.