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The Hidden Traps of Peak Personal Performance


"What if everything you’ve been chasing is actually pulling you further away from what you want most?"


A question my coach once posed to me, which made me radically reflect on all the assumptions and beliefs around my habits and behaviours that I thought were helping me only to discover that some, actually were hurting me.


The pursuit of peak performance can be seductive, promising freedom, fulfillment, and a life at the top of your game.


Less spoken about are the traps and subtle pitfalls that even the smartest, most ambitious professionals will fall into along the way.


Here are some of the traps I didn't see coming, how they impacted me and what I did to overcome and adjust to them:



Stefano Palumbo coaching photo
You must enjoy how you do what you do to sustain personal performance

1. The Perfectionism Paradox


As high performers, we strive to over deliver, no matter the circumstance or challenge. We innately believe that the better our end product or service, the better the reaction or reward.


Striving for perfection always pushed me to reach higher standards and strive for excellence but slowed my work down tremendously.


Projects, courses and programs all delayed by months and in some cases altogether, making me less effective and inefficient. This then impacted my self-esteem because I started questioning my abilities etc


The Shift: Hold perfection lightly. Use it to strive to higher standards without the attachment of 'being perfect or 100% ready'. Redefine what perfection means and you'll begin to leverage the advantages of this mindset.


2. The Overwork Obsession


At the beginning of my career, I worked as much as I possibly could. Late nights (mornings), weekends, holidays etc


If I wasn't doing something, I was wasting time - that was my philosophy.


I could do that in my earlier twenties and get away with it. After 5-6 years however, I realised that the results weren't correlating with the effort so I adjusted.


Quality vs quantity. What are the biggest drivers? What are my strengths and how can I apply them more. Who is better than me and can help?


These were some of the questions I began asking.


Performing becomes addictive, especially as we become more expert and specialised. Take a step back and look at your work from an outsider's perspective (recommended reading Rookie Smarts by Liz Wiseman) and see what is actually contributing to your success and what just feels it is.


Longer and harder don't always equate to more return / better.


The Shift: Focus on results vs hours. Ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I can do today that will create the biggest result?”


Prioritise deep work over endless tasks.


3. The Identity Trap


I built an identity around being “the most innovative,” “being unstoppable,” or “I can do it all.” This made me work myself into the ground, burnout and stay stuck in different businesses I was ready to leave.


The Shift: Separate who you are from what you do. Your worth isn’t tied to your achievements. Explore new challenges and roles that align with the person you want to become, not just the person you’ve been.


4. The “Next Goal” Addiction


The moment I'd hit one goal, I was already chasing the next without taking a single moment to acknowledge the achievement and work accomplished.


While ambition is essential, this trap robs us of the joy and fulfillment that doing the work can bring.


The Shift: Celebrate small and big wins alike. Take time to reflect on how far you’ve come and what you’ve learned. Success isn’t just about the next peak; it’s also about enjoying the climb.


5. The "Instagram Effect"


When you’re driven, it’s easy to look sideways and measure yourself against others and comparison is a thief of joy. It distract us from our unique path and leaves us feeling like we're “not enough.”


The Shift: Remember, your biggest competitor is you.

Focus inward and enquire, “What does [goal] look like for me?”


Align your goals with your values, not someone else’s Instagram highlights.


6.Always Available


I used to make sure I would never miss an opportunity and to me that meant accepting every meeting, every request and every opportunity to help or provide.


This approach ultimately exhausted me and reduced the respect professionals had for me because I was a commodity and could be used at any time.


The Shift: I had to confront my people-pleasing challenges and establish that my time, expertise and contribution were indeed of the highest value.


Everything improved at work after this.



We can't avoid every trap and there are so many more out there and many more I will fall into.


I trust that you will be able to avoid at least 1 of the above thanks to this article.


Keep moving forward. Keep raising the bar and keep it fun.



Win the week ahead,

Stefano

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