Which seven rituals could you employ to deliver peak performance in your business and your network?

Paul Taylor, a former Royal Navy aircrew officer, exercise physiologist, and the director of The Mind-Body-Brain Performance Institute, revealed all to franchisees at the 2019 Quest Apartment Hotels conference.

The Quest conference was themed ‘Your vision, your destiny’. And destiny is in your hands, Taylor suggested to the franchise delegates.

He unveiled the seven daily habits that can make a difference to performance.

7 daily rituals for peak performance

1. Exercise

There’s no going past it, exercise has a huge impact on our bodies. Exercise is good for the heart, it improves neural plasticity which can rewire the brain so it’s also very important for mental health. An early morning exercise routine will set you up for the day, Taylor suggests.

2. Cold showers

Build some character and get comfortable with being uncomfortable – this is about grit, says Taylor. But it also has a physical impact and significantly reduces sickness while boosting performance. Add a 30 second cold shower to your morning routine, he suggests.

3. Breathing

It’s all about the breath. You’ll know this if you practice yoga or meditation. Imagine a square box – breath in, hold your breath, exhale, hold your breath in equal measures.

Taylor has another breathing technique – ideal in stressful situations. Tactical breathing: take one breath, hold for a count of four, breathe out for a count of eight. Why wouldn’t you? It works for the Special Forces.

4. Mental sculpting

As humans we mirror what we see and our emotional energy affects everyone around us. Taylor’s technique to get our best game face on is to delve into our own polarised behaviours (our best and worst characters) and identify how each of them would deal with a challenge. 

He suggests finding someone with admirable qualities that we would like to emulate. And now we have a choice. Which attitude will we take to work, and which character will we bring home?

“Refuse to invest your energy in things you cannot control. Everyday you get to choose which version of you is control,” says Taylor.

There will be moments where we will need to call on our best character to respond to a challenge. So discover the trigger. How can you quickly visualise your awesome self?

5. Digital detox

We’ve all heard about the impact of the blue light from our digital screens so allow yourself a 30 minute digital detox before bed. And keep your mobile out of the bedroom. If your phone is beside your bed you’re hyper-vigilant, says Taylor.

Let your brain decompress, it’s absolutely critical. Poor sleep drives anxiety and depression and this becomes a cyclical pattern.

6. Create a gratitude ritual

Taylor shares his own process for being thankful.

“In the shower, I’m grateful for running water. I walk through my house that I own. I open the fridge which is full of food and cook with gas that’s on tap all the time. I drive my car that I own to do my job that millions don’t have.”

We take things for granted when we have plenty, says Taylor.

It’s time to reset to have:

• More positive emotions
• Enhanced wellbeing
• More optimism
• More hope
• More empathetic and forgiving
• Less depression and anxiety
• Less materialistic
• Less envy

7. Overnight fast

Taylor drew on a study from 2018 that indicated if you eat late at night you potentially increase your cancer risk. Eating late is not about hunger, it’s habit, he says. His advice is a 12 hour fast – nil by mouth but water as often as you can overnight. 

Simple changes to habits can make a substantial difference, Taylor believes but it’s up to each individual to take action.

“The bad news is no-one is coming, This is all about you and the choices you make every single day.”

Continue as you are, or choose a new way, he says.

“An awesome tomorrow starts today. If you have a better day, repeat. If you don’t, tweak the experiment and see what happens.”