BITESIZE #34 | HIGH PERFORMANCE BOOK EXCLUSIVE! 📖

This week we’ve got a special exclusive from our upcoming book, High Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best, read by Jake. 

It was a very special moment to get our hands on the first copies. We’re really proud of the book and can’t wait for you all to read it. 

. . . . . . . 

Special signed copy: https://bit.ly/3kCqhFp

Pre-order link: http://smarturl.it/hv0sdz

Pre-order the audiobook: https://adbl.co/3xQQSCF 

There are a few tickets left for the book tour! Join us in either Manchester (1st December) or Bristol (14th December) to have a chat and get a signed copy 👉https://bit.ly/HPPlive

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The High Performance Podcast is returning for its sixth season on September 27th. This season promises to feature remarkable guests with inspiring stories and valuable lessons.

The podcast also announced the release of their first book, "High Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best," co-authored by Jake Comfrey and Professor Damien Hughes. The book aims to help readers understand that high performance is within everyone's reach and is not limited to those with natural-born talent.

The book emphasizes the importance of mindset, behavior, and teamwork in achieving high performance. It includes "pit stops" throughout the book, which are either personal stories, exercises, or explanations to help readers rethink their approach to achieving their goals.

One of the key principles highlighted in the book is the "no-blame principle," which encourages individuals to take responsibility for their actions and reactions, rather than dwelling on mistakes or seeking blame.

The authors also announced a book tour with two dates: Manchester on December 1st and Bristol on December 14th. Tickets are selling quickly, and those interested in attending should visit the link in the podcast description.

The podcast episode concludes with a reminder of the upcoming season six premiere on September 27th and gratitude to Lotus Cars for their support.

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[01:22.600 -> 01:40.700] That's mintmobile.com.hpp Hi there, it's Jake Comfrey here and welcome along to the latest bite-sized episode of
[01:40.700 -> 01:46.600] the High Performance Podcast. Big news, we are returning with series six.
[01:46.600 -> 01:48.920] Make a note in your diary or a note in your head
[01:48.920 -> 01:49.920] if you prefer.
[01:49.920 -> 01:52.600] We're back on the 27th of September,
[01:52.600 -> 01:55.040] series six of the High Performance Podcast
[01:55.040 -> 01:57.600] and I think it might just be our greatest lineup
[01:57.600 -> 01:58.440] of guests yet.
[01:58.440 -> 02:01.680] They are incredible people with remarkable stories
[02:01.680 -> 02:03.640] and stunning lessons that I know you're gonna get
[02:03.640 -> 02:04.480] so much from.
[02:04.480 -> 02:08.320] So if you haven't already subscribed, please do subscribe right now to the High Performance
[02:08.320 -> 02:13.840] Podcast series six coming your way on the 27th of September. Once again, very pleased to say
[02:13.840 -> 02:18.480] that Lotus cars are joining us for the next series as well. And they're also our proud partners,
[02:18.480 -> 02:23.280] our proud founding partners for this bite size episode as well. So thank you very much for being
[02:23.280 -> 02:25.480] there from the very start, Lotus.
[02:25.480 -> 02:27.800] Now, this is gonna be a little bit different.
[02:27.800 -> 02:29.720] In fact, this is gonna be totally different
[02:29.720 -> 02:32.140] to every episode of the High Performance Podcast
[02:32.140 -> 02:33.520] that you've ever heard before
[02:33.520 -> 02:35.120] because I'm gonna be reading to you
[02:35.120 -> 02:37.120] excerpts from our brand new book,
[02:37.120 -> 02:39.140] High Performance Lessons from the Best
[02:39.140 -> 02:40.720] on Becoming Your Best.
[02:40.720 -> 02:42.420] This episode's only five or six minutes long,
[02:42.420 -> 02:48.420] but it just gives you a quick opportunity to understand a bit more about what our very first book is about from the
[02:48.420 -> 02:53.260] High Performance podcast. And you can pre-order it right now. Just click the link on the description
[02:53.260 -> 02:58.320] for this podcast. Right, here we go. This is page 13 from a chapter entitled Nothing
[02:58.320 -> 03:04.080] is Fixed. On the podcast, we've taken to opening all
[03:04.080 -> 03:06.280] our interviews with the same question.
[03:06.280 -> 03:08.680] What does high performance mean to you?
[03:08.680 -> 03:12.760] Now before we can crack on with this book, you need to work out your own answer.
[03:12.760 -> 03:16.920] You see, while high performance draws on interviews with some of the world's most remarkable
[03:16.920 -> 03:21.880] people, we're not trying to turn everyone into an Olympic gold medalist or a billionaire
[03:21.880 -> 03:22.920] entrepreneur.
[03:22.920 -> 03:25.760] For many of us, for your authors included,
[03:25.760 -> 03:31.680] that just isn't feasible. But this doesn't mean that we can't all be high performers.
[03:32.480 -> 03:37.440] How come? Well, consider the sheer variety of the answers to our opening question.
[03:37.440 -> 03:41.600] According to one of the greatest footballers of the 21st century, Stephen Gerrard,
[03:41.600 -> 03:46.320] high performance means going all in with whatever task you're facing.
[03:46.320 -> 03:49.840] According to Kelly Jones, lead singer of the rock band Stereophonics,
[03:49.840 -> 03:55.200] high performance means discipline, doing the right thing every time, even when nobody is watching.
[03:55.840 -> 04:00.160] In fact, the shortest definition came from England rugby head coach Eddie Jones,
[04:00.160 -> 04:05.000] who gave us a three-word summary, embrace the grind.
[04:05.000 -> 04:07.320] Between them, our interviewees have amassed
[04:07.320 -> 04:10.200] hundreds of Commonwealth and Olympic titles,
[04:10.200 -> 04:12.560] set world records, and built and sold businesses
[04:12.560 -> 04:16.040] worth billions, yet no two high performers
[04:16.040 -> 04:18.300] can agree on a definition.
[04:18.300 -> 04:19.720] Clearly, high performance varies
[04:19.720 -> 04:21.240] from individual to individual.
[04:21.240 -> 04:23.400] It means something different to a professional footballer
[04:23.400 -> 04:24.920] trying to win the Champions League
[04:24.920 -> 04:26.260] and someone taking part
[04:26.260 -> 04:27.840] in a Sunday tournament.
[04:27.840 -> 04:30.820] But you need to work out what high performance means
[04:30.820 -> 04:32.200] in your life.
[04:32.200 -> 04:33.160] But how?
[04:33.160 -> 04:35.440] Well, this question stumped your authors
[04:35.440 -> 04:38.120] for the first five months of making the podcast.
[04:38.120 -> 04:39.960] And by the time we reached the second series,
[04:39.960 -> 04:42.140] we'd heard over 30 different definitions
[04:42.140 -> 04:44.300] of high performance, but we were a little closer
[04:44.300 -> 04:49.440] to getting an answer. Until that was, we met the football manager, Phil Neville.
[04:49.440 -> 04:53.740] Phil's career has been characterised by a willingness to accept hard challenges. He
[04:53.740 -> 04:57.920] left his boyhood team, Manchester United, to become captain at Everton, where he ended
[04:57.920 -> 05:02.400] his playing career. After retiring from professional football, he was named manager of England
[05:02.400 -> 05:08.140] Women. He helped the Lionesses win their second ever Sheba Leaves Cup, get through to the semi-finals in the World Cup
[05:08.140 -> 05:13.960] and qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Here was someone who knew about high performance, and
[05:13.960 -> 05:17.900] we had a hunch his insights wouldn't disappoint.
[05:17.900 -> 05:21.420] And sure enough, they didn't. While we were chatting over a cup of tea in the hotel he
[05:21.420 -> 05:28.240] co-owns opposite Old Trafford, Neville casually shared the mantra he'd adopted during his playing career.
[05:28.240 -> 05:32.720] Do the best you can, where you are, with what you've got.
[05:32.720 -> 05:36.000] The simplicity of those 13 words struck a chord.
[05:36.000 -> 05:38.440] Even though the precise definition of high performance
[05:38.440 -> 05:41.800] differs from person to person, Neville's phrase summarises
[05:41.800 -> 05:44.480] what all high performers have in common.
[05:44.480 -> 05:47.960] High performance isn't about the external trappings of success.
[05:47.960 -> 05:51.080] Phil didn't mention any of the trinkets he gained during his career.
[05:51.080 -> 05:54.440] The trophies, the overflowing bank accounts, the mansions.
[05:54.440 -> 05:58.520] Instead, he emphasised being a high performer in the moment.
[05:58.520 -> 06:02.620] Do the best you can, where you are, with what you've got.
[06:02.620 -> 06:06.720] If you're a teacher, that might mean spending extra time listening to a student who seems bored
[06:06.720 -> 06:08.440] and disengaged from school life.
[06:08.440 -> 06:10.520] If you work in business, it might involve
[06:10.520 -> 06:12.200] investing extra time in polishing
[06:12.200 -> 06:13.860] that important sales pitch.
[06:13.860 -> 06:16.600] If the most important thing in your life is family,
[06:16.600 -> 06:18.760] high performance might be as simple as spending
[06:18.760 -> 06:21.400] quality time with the ones you love.
[06:21.400 -> 06:23.320] We can't tell everyone who reads this book
[06:23.320 -> 06:25.200] where this definition will take them,
[06:25.200 -> 06:26.960] but before turning to chapter one,
[06:26.960 -> 06:29.160] take a moment to ponder what it means for you.
[06:29.160 -> 06:32.000] Choose an area of your life, your relationship,
[06:32.000 -> 06:34.020] your career, your interests,
[06:34.020 -> 06:36.320] and imagine what doing the best you can
[06:36.320 -> 06:38.680] with what you've got would look like.
[06:38.680 -> 06:41.120] You can be a high performer at your desk in an office
[06:41.120 -> 06:43.720] or on the pitch in the Saturday football leagues.
[06:43.720 -> 06:45.200] You can be a high performer,
[06:45.200 -> 06:46.880] whether you're just starting your first job
[06:46.880 -> 06:49.760] or you're a retiree embarking on a new hobby.
[06:49.760 -> 06:50.960] As Neville put it,
[06:50.960 -> 06:53.600] you can be born with unbelievable ability
[06:53.600 -> 06:56.260] and you can be born with not much ability.
[06:56.260 -> 06:58.460] Wherever you are, whoever you are,
[06:58.460 -> 07:01.660] high performance is within your reach.
[07:01.660 -> 07:05.000] We hope this book will help you to grasp it.
[07:05.000 -> 07:06.700] And it's a pleasure to read that to you
[07:06.700 -> 07:08.400] because I think it really sums up
[07:08.400 -> 07:10.040] what we want this book to be about.
[07:10.040 -> 07:10.880] And it's really what we want
[07:10.880 -> 07:12.500] the High Performance Podcast to be about.
[07:12.500 -> 07:14.680] This podcast, as many of you know by now,
[07:14.680 -> 07:15.860] and this book is the same,
[07:15.860 -> 07:18.360] it isn't about just staring at amazing,
[07:18.360 -> 07:19.400] high-achieving people thinking,
[07:19.400 -> 07:21.600] wow, they were so incredible.
[07:21.600 -> 07:23.120] It's about understanding that they're actually
[07:23.120 -> 07:24.400] no different to you or I.
[07:24.400 -> 07:26.400] It isn't about a natural-born talent. It's about a growth mindset. It's about understanding that they're actually no different to you or I. It isn't about a natural born talent.
[07:26.400 -> 07:27.760] It's about a growth mindset.
[07:27.760 -> 07:29.200] It's about non-negotiables.
[07:29.200 -> 07:30.400] It's about an approach.
[07:30.400 -> 07:31.520] It's about self-belief.
[07:31.520 -> 07:33.820] It's about how you talk to yourself.
[07:33.820 -> 07:36.600] It's all within your brain and it all starts with you.
[07:36.600 -> 07:38.120] And in fact, there's a really lovely diagram
[07:38.120 -> 07:39.920] we've got in the book on page 12
[07:39.920 -> 07:41.720] and it's three concentric circles.
[07:41.720 -> 07:43.720] In the middle is the mindset.
[07:43.720 -> 07:48.820] On the outside of that, the circle is behavior. And the outside of that, then it's three concentric circles. In the middle is the mindset, on the outside of that the circle is behavior, and the outside of that then it's teams. And the
[07:48.820 -> 07:52.500] order of that is deliberate because high performance begins in the mind. Before
[07:52.500 -> 07:56.320] you can behave like a high achiever you have to think like one and then that in
[07:56.320 -> 08:01.480] turn informs your behavior. And then through your behavior you pass on a
[08:01.480 -> 08:04.360] culture of high performance to your wider team and then before you know it
[08:04.360 -> 08:07.380] not only is your mindset absolutely nailed on and your
[08:07.380 -> 08:11.480] behavior is following, but all of the teams, at family and at home and everywhere else
[08:11.480 -> 08:13.700] around you, they follow on.
[08:13.700 -> 08:18.000] And something else that Damien and I were really keen to put into the book were things
[08:18.000 -> 08:19.000] called pit stops.
[08:19.000 -> 08:22.380] And we talk often on the podcast, don't we, about Formula One races being won and lost
[08:22.380 -> 08:23.720] when the cars are stationary.
[08:23.720 -> 08:27.360] And we believe very strongly in the power of the pit stop.
[08:27.360 -> 08:31.120] And throughout the book, as you read through, you'll get these pit stops, which is either
[08:31.120 -> 08:35.720] a story from Damien and myself, or it's an exercise that you can carry out, or it's a
[08:35.720 -> 08:39.440] short way of explaining how you should rethink things.
[08:39.440 -> 08:44.880] Here's the high-performance pit stop from myself on page 25, and this one is the no-blame
[08:44.880 -> 09:00.400] principle. I work on live TV. The pitfalls are many and varied, and also invisible. I often have no
[09:00.400 -> 09:05.200] idea that some highly embarrassing and very public pitfall is right there, until
[09:05.200 -> 09:06.960] I've fallen in it.
[09:06.960 -> 09:11.240] When Liverpool won the league in 2020, their first title in 30 years, the game was live
[09:11.240 -> 09:16.360] on BT Sport and I was the presenter. We had an exclusive chat lined up with head coach
[09:16.360 -> 09:21.300] Jurgen Klopp moments after their victory. With millions watching at home, my producers
[09:21.300 -> 09:26.200] gave me the word that Klopp was ready to speak. I knew what to do.
[09:26.200 -> 09:31.000] This is just what I'd been practising for. Quieten the pundits, take a breath, excite
[09:31.000 -> 09:36.120] the audience, turn to the huge screen over my shoulder and welcome Jürgen Klopp to the
[09:36.120 -> 09:39.800] programme. It was one of the biggest moments of my career.
[09:39.800 -> 09:44.600] I'm delighted to say joining us from the team hotel is the Liverpool manager Jürgen
[09:44.600 -> 09:45.480] Klopp,"
[09:45.480 -> 09:46.480] I said.
[09:46.480 -> 09:51.000] Suddenly, I was standing before a 20-foot image of the victorious Liverpool manager,
[09:51.000 -> 09:55.840] complete with his famous glasses, a Liverpool cap and a huge grin.
[09:55.840 -> 09:58.160] Well, Jurgen, you've finally done it.
[09:58.160 -> 10:01.560] Please describe your emotions right now.
[10:01.560 -> 10:03.400] But something was wrong.
[10:03.400 -> 10:06.320] Klopp's smile turned to confusion and he started gesticulating
[10:06.320 -> 10:11.700] and uttering something to someone behind the camera. He didn't look impressed. The producer's
[10:11.700 -> 10:13.200] voice appeared in my ear again.
[10:13.200 -> 10:17.380] OK Jake, he's having trouble hearing us. Let him go, we'll sort the issue and then we'll
[10:17.380 -> 10:19.420] go again in a second.
[10:19.420 -> 10:24.180] I could already feel the embarrassment rising. I was well aware that during a pandemic everything
[10:24.180 -> 10:25.880] is different and we were dependent
[10:25.880 -> 10:29.280] upon a fallible video app like Zoom.
[10:29.280 -> 10:31.040] Much of what was happening was out of our hands,
[10:31.040 -> 10:33.320] but it was still frustrating.
[10:33.320 -> 10:36.300] Unsurprisingly, we didn't get Jürgen back.
[10:36.300 -> 10:37.960] He immediately went to another broadcast
[10:37.960 -> 10:39.280] and gave a wonderful interview.
[10:39.280 -> 10:42.760] He was tearful and then enjoyed the rest of his night.
[10:42.760 -> 10:44.240] Now, the reason why I'm sharing this story
[10:44.240 -> 10:45.960] is because the joke from a few years ago
[10:45.960 -> 10:47.520] would have dwelled on the mistake for hours.
[10:47.520 -> 10:49.200] I'd have wanted answers,
[10:49.200 -> 10:51.120] I'd have wanted to find someone to blame,
[10:51.120 -> 10:52.160] I wouldn't have slept,
[10:52.160 -> 10:53.800] it would have been running through my head,
[10:53.800 -> 10:55.760] not just for hours, but for days,
[10:55.760 -> 10:57.760] perhaps even for weeks.
[10:57.760 -> 11:00.320] But this time, I actually remembered the lessons
[11:00.320 -> 11:03.140] that I'd learned on the High Performance Podcast,
[11:03.140 -> 11:06.280] the power of taking responsibility.
[11:06.280 -> 11:08.320] As annoying as the technical problem was,
[11:08.320 -> 11:10.760] it was my duty to react in the most constructive way.
[11:10.760 -> 11:12.600] If I dwelt on the incident for days,
[11:12.600 -> 11:14.720] behaving rudely or horribly to my colleagues
[11:14.720 -> 11:17.000] and my family, well, that was on me.
[11:17.000 -> 11:19.200] The best solution was the simplest.
[11:19.200 -> 11:21.420] Instead of trying to allocate blame,
[11:21.420 -> 11:23.700] focus on my own reaction.
[11:23.700 -> 11:27.000] I call this the no blame principle, and I use it every single day of my life from the smallest moment to the biggest
[11:27.000 -> 11:33.000] It kind of seems odd at first but just try taking 100% responsibility for everything that happens to you
[11:33.000 -> 11:35.000] both the good and the bad
[11:35.000 -> 11:39.000] And as for the Jurgen Klopp interview, well as my wife often says
[11:39.000 -> 11:43.000] C'est la vie, it's only TV
[11:43.000 -> 11:45.700] So that's another small bit from our new book interview? Well, as my wife often says, say lovey. It's only TV.
[11:47.100 -> 11:49.900] So that's another small bit from our new book,
[11:49.900 -> 11:52.900] high-performance lessons from the best on becoming your best.
[11:52.900 -> 11:53.500] I would love it.
[11:53.500 -> 11:56.600] If you felt compelled to pre-order your copy right now,
[11:56.600 -> 11:58.600] you can get signed copies actually as well from
[11:58.900 -> 12:01.800] waterstones.com or you can pre-order your copy just by
[12:01.800 -> 12:04.300] clicking the link in the description to this podcast.
[12:04.300 -> 12:07.000] And that's not where the exciting news stops because actually,
[12:07.000 -> 12:09.000] we are bringing this book on tour.
[12:09.000 -> 12:13.000] Only two dates and tickets are selling unbelievably fast.
[12:13.000 -> 12:15.000] If you're really, really, really super lucky,
[12:15.000 -> 12:19.000] you might just get one of the final few tickets to the event in Manchester.
[12:19.000 -> 12:22.000] The venue told us actually it's been the fastest selling show they've had this autumn,
[12:22.000 -> 12:27.220] so we're delighted so many of you are so keen to come and watch us in Manchester on the
[12:27.220 -> 12:31.940] 1st of December. We're also going to be in Bristol on the 14th of December in
[12:31.940 -> 12:36.860] the evening at 7.30 so if you near Bristol if you're in Bristol if you want
[12:36.860 -> 12:40.500] to come and see us talking about the book and talking about the podcast and
[12:40.500 -> 12:44.300] sharing clips and all sorts of other things myself and Professor Damien Hughes
[12:44.300 -> 12:45.640] will be in Bristol
[12:45.640 -> 12:47.680] on the evening of the 14th of December.
[12:47.680 -> 12:50.040] So if you want to come and see us in Manchester
[12:50.040 -> 12:53.260] or in Bristol, again, the link is in the description
[12:53.260 -> 12:54.640] to this podcast.
[12:54.640 -> 12:56.800] All you have to do is click on the link,
[12:56.800 -> 12:58.120] book yourself a ticket, and actually,
[12:58.120 -> 12:59.900] you can also get your hands on a signed book
[12:59.900 -> 13:01.400] as part of the ticket price.
[13:01.400 -> 13:04.240] But that's it for this High Performance Podcast episode.
[13:04.240 -> 13:06.860] I hope you enjoyed those exclusive first glimpses
[13:06.860 -> 13:08.020] at the new High Performance book.
[13:08.020 -> 13:09.120] No one else has heard those,
[13:09.120 -> 13:11.560] so yeah, don't tell too many people.
[13:11.560 -> 13:13.200] Just tell them that they were interesting
[13:13.200 -> 13:14.680] and they should get their hands on the book.
[13:14.680 -> 13:17.160] And don't forget, we'll see you for the brand new series
[13:17.160 -> 13:18.840] of the High Performance Podcast,
[13:18.840 -> 13:23.840] series six, starting on Monday the 27th of September.
[13:24.000 -> 13:27.520] Wherever you are and whatever you're up to, thanks for listening,
[13:27.520 -> 13:30.320] thanks very much to Lotus Cars and we'll see you soon.
[13:30.320 -> 13:48.680] Take care. always gives you savings and rewards on top of our lower than low prices. And when you download the Fred Meyer app you can enjoy over $500 in savings every
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