The old model of working is, let’s work harder and get more done. The old model of producing is, she or he who works the longest, leads the field. Well, that model comes from the Industrial Age when we were factory workers. So, if we worked
longer in the factory, we would produce more widgets. Well, we live in a completely different world right now, and it’s not how long you work. Here’s the most
important thing, the quality of your genius that you bring to your hours. And so the first method that superstars use… I’ve worked with billionaires. I’ve worked with NBA, NFL, NHL superstars, and here’s what I’ve taught them.
The model is called, The Twin Cycles of Elite Performance, rather than it being all
about working longer, work much more intelligently. To be specific, don’t work like a marathoner, work like a sprinter. And The Energy Project has done a lot of great research into this. In other words, the greatest business people, creatives, producers work in sprints of intense focus and energy. And then they pull back and they recover. And then they come back and work in another intense burst of their greatest work, all in and then they recover. A doctor came to one of my live events and he said, “I’ve worked with Usain Bolt and Usain Bolt told me, he said, I rest 50% of the time to allow the training to take effect.” And so great athletes understand you go out onto the court, you do your best. You bring on your gifts, you play full out and then you recover. So, the model that I
teach is called The Twin Cycles of Elite Performance. You’ve got your high, excellent cycle, that is when you go all in and then you pull back and you’ve got your deep recovery cycle. That’s when you refuel, regenerate and replenish. And here’s the key, why do you do this? It’s because if all you do is expand your talents all day long, then you actually deplete them. I’m going to repeat that again, because it’s so important. If all you’re doing is working or if all you’re doing is showtime and you don’t recover, you actually deplete your assets of genius. And one of the keys to legendary is longevity. Okay. So, just think about working under cycles, periods of time. It could be during your days where you’re full on fire and then taking the time to recover by going for a walk, or drinking some tea, or listening to some music, then doing another few hours in terms of a burst of intense and beautiful work, where you’re bringing on all your focus, all your talent and pulling back and recovering.
And then even when it comes to your week, take at least one or two days off, no technology, no work, just with your family, or just mountain biking, long times walking in the woods, writing in a journal. You might think, and your ego might suggest to you and your friends might say, “You’re wasting time, you’re missing out. Get in the game.” Well, be a leader, don’t follow the majority. Remember great audacity without intelligent recovery, leads to the depletion of your genius. I’ll put it to you this way, making the time to pull back and recover in that deep recovery cycle, deep refueling cycle, actually is
how you grow.