The Foundations of High Performance – Part 1

How to Build the Mindset, Routines, and Environment for Success

What does it really mean to live a high-performing life?

For many, high performance is about hustling harder, pushing limits, and grinding non-stop. It’s a term that’s often misused, glorified on social media as endless discipline, 5 AM wake-ups, and never taking a break. But in reality? That’s not high performance. That’s burnout.

For Ben Coomber, a multi-award-winning coach, speaker, and founder of Awesome Supplements, true high performance isn’t about relentless work. It’s about aligning your habits, mindset, and energy so you can operate at your best, not just in one area, but across your whole life.

Ben has coached over a thousand individuals, worked with elite athletes, and pioneered evidence-based supplements through Awesome Supplements.. He’s also the author of How to Live an Awesome Life, a bestselling book on self-improvement and personal growth.

In a recent webinar, he shared that true high performance isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter, recovering better, and doing what actually matters.

This two-part blog series breaks down his insights, starting with the five core foundations of high performance that set the stage for success.

Master Your Routines and Habits

At its core, high performance is built on your daily choices. The small, seemingly insignificant things you do every day. They shape your success far more than occasional bursts of motivation.

Ben often says, "We are a product of our habits, so if you want better results, you need better habits."

But here’s where most people go wrong:

• They try to add positive habits without removing negative ones.
• They expect instant results, then quit when progress is slow.
• They set big goals but fail to build the systems that make them achievable.

A classic example? Improving sleep.

People say they want better sleep, but they keep scrolling their phone late at night or drinking caffeine too late in the day. The key isn’t just going to bed earlier, it’s removing the habits that keep you awake.

How to Change Habits the Right Way

• Start small. Instead of overhauling everything at once, focus on one change at a time.
• Make good habits easier and bad habits harder. If you want to eat better, keep protein-packed snacks visible and junk food out of reach.
• Track progress, not perfection. If you mess up a day, don’t let it derail you. Consistency beats perfection every time.

Book to Read: Atomic Habits by James Clear: a masterclass in practical habit-building strategies.

Action Step: Identify one habit holding you back, like poor sleep, inconsistent workouts, or a bad morning routine. Swap it for something positive this week.

Remove Self-Limiting Beliefs

Have you ever felt stuck in the same patterns, whether it’s emotional eating, procrastination, or self-doubt?

Ben has seen this in countless clients, and he’s faced it himself.

These self-sabotaging behaviours don’t come from laziness or a lack of discipline. They’re often deeply ingrained beliefs formed in childhood, stories we tell ourselves like:

• "I’m not good enough."
• "I always fail, so why bother?"
• "I’m just not the kind of person who stays in shape."

Ben’s personal experience? He had to actively unlearn these limiting beliefs. Through therapy, journaling, and coaching, he realised that these thoughts were not facts, they were just narratives he had accepted as truth.

How to Rewire Your Mindset

• Identify your limiting beliefs. What story have you been telling yourself that holds you back?
• Challenge it. Where did this belief come from? Is it actually true?
• Rewrite the narrative. Instead of saying, "I always fail at weight loss," reframe it: "I’ve struggled in the past, but every failure is a lesson. I am always improving."

Action Step: Reflect on a recurring struggle in your life. Journal about it. Where does it come from? How can you start changing it today?

Get Super Organised

High performers aren’t necessarily the most disciplined, they’re just the best at removing friction.

If you don’t plan ahead, life’s chaos will take over. That’s why Ben structures his environment to make success easy, he meal preps, schedules workouts, and sets his supplements out the night before.

How to Build an Organised Life

• Plan your week in advance. Spend 30 minutes every weekend mapping out your training, meals, and key tasks.
• Use automation. Set reminders, create checklists, and use apps to reduce mental clutter.
• Simplify decision-making. Reduce the number of choices you need to make daily—like having a go-to breakfast or a set training schedule.

Action Step: This weekend, take 30 minutes to plan your week, meals, workouts, sleep, and key tasks.

Prioritise Sleep as Your Foundation

Ben often calls sleep the number one performance enhancer. Yet, it’s the first thing people sacrifice.

If your sleep is poor, nothing else functions properly, not your training, not your mindset, and not your recovery.

Ben struggled with quieting his mind at night. It took months, not weeks, to fix his sleep. Now? It’s a non-negotiable pillar of his life.

How to Improve Sleep

• Set a strict bedtime. Aim for 7-9 hours every night.
• Cut screens 60 minutes before bed. Blue light disrupts melatonin, delaying sleep.
• Create a wind-down routine. Stretch, journal, or read instead of scrolling your phone.
• Use supplements strategically. Awesome Sleep can support relaxation and deeper sleep.

Action Step: Rate your sleep out of 10 for the next seven days. If it’s below 8, make one change, whether it’s sleep timing, screen reduction, or a new bedtime routine.

Surround Yourself with the Right Environment

Your environment shapes your habits and mindset, whether you realise it or not.

Ben has worked with elite athletes and high achievers, and there’s one thing they all have in common:

They surround themselves with people who challenge them to grow.

If you’re always around negative, low-energy people, you’ll struggle to maintain high performance.

Action Step: Audit your circle. Are the people around you lifting you up or holding you back? Find one new high-performance community, whether it’s a gym, an online group, or a mentor.

What’s Next?

These five foundational habits set the stage for high performance, but we’re just getting started.

In Part 2, we’ll cover:

• Advanced strategies for focus, deep work, and eliminating distractions
• Nutrition and supplements for peak performance
• How to sustain high performance without burnout

Ready to build on this? Let’s keep going.