BENEFITS Of a performance MINDSET

Something happened. The industry changed. In 2010, everything was about performance. Workouts were competitive. You were in a “battle for the leaderboard.” You worked out hard because you wanted to be better. It was pride, resilience, “more is better”… a don’t stop, never say die attitude.

For a while, it’s great. You are a collegiate athlete again. Having fun. Sweating, moving, learning new things, finding new experiences, celebrating new community. On the “high of fitness.”

But time goes on and volume takes its toll. Constantly working on the boundaries of capability leads to burnout. The quest for performing better leads to psychological exhaustion. Your body can feel beaten and broken, and just thinking about a barbell makes you want to stay in bed. You overindulged on the Kool-Aid and stopped finding the fun that used to come so easily.

So you stop. You do a 180. You stop “working out like that” and say things like, “I don’t need to work that hard anymore,” “I’m practicing self-love”… you focus on “building and not breaking”… as you should.

But here’s the thing. There is still huge value in a performance mindset. You just need to manage your performance better. Always remember, it doesn’t need to be complicated and high-skilled to be hard.

I’ll give you an example. This morning we did a 6-mile run in the mountains. I have the Austin Half Marathon coming up, and I was running with Katie, one of our members, who would be setting the pace. We were scheduled for a 6:30 start. At 47, I can’t get up at 6:15 and do a run like that on coffee and willpower. So I’m up at 5, mobilizing, fueling up, preparing, visualizing, and warming up—doing everything I can to make sure I can hold the pace that Katie sets. There is a big difference between me jogging 6 miles on my own and whispering to myself the delusion of, “It’s ok not to work that hard today,” “You are tired,” “You’ll do better tomorrow.” But as the late, great Apollo Creed once said, “There is no tomorrow.” It’s happening now. You are in company that is keeping you accountable, and there is nowhere to hide. You are exposed, and that exposure creates a desire, and that desire must be supported by mindful preparation.

Now I’m just running. It’s not high-skilled or complicated. But optimization requires serious attention. If you truly care, then you will really prepare. It’s that simple.

So don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. “I don’t want to burn out” does not mean, “I don’t need to work hard anymore.” Always remember, the body will adapt to any stress you put upon it. Once it adapts, you will stop making improvements as it has reached a state of comfort. You just need to find stress in different ways—periodized and strategized. Don’t let “protecting your hormonal health” lead to excuses and mediocrity. Otherwise, we are right back where we started.

Manage it, protect it, stimulate it, and let it fly. Your best self is not in the shadows, nor is it in the fire; it resides in that place where intelligence meets output. It sits in a circle of honesty, maturity, accountability, and it sits more favorably in good company.

Manage your fitness journey in 2026 with our 7 Day Accelerator, which starts every Monday in January. Meet with Emylee and myself daily to go over fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle. Have your questions answered, get clarity, find purpose, and have the strength to face whatever this year is going to bring.

See you in the gym,

PV