High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way

I don't write a ton of reviews here on Amazon. I will write them if I feel that I can add something helpful for others, and that is why I am writing this. To start out, I will be blunt: this book has changed my life. I don't say that as a person who has never encountered a book with this type of content. Actually, I have read more leadership and self development books than I can count - it is an area that has always deeply interested me AND it is part of my job. The reason this book is different is that it does two things simultaneously where most leadership/self development books do only one (or only one well). Most books like this lean either into the theoretical and talk about principles (but miss tangible ways to implement things practically) OR they lean into tools and talk about practices (but miss the bigger ideas and how it actually fits into a larger picture conceptually). This book establishes a strong basis for "theory" or principles (see the description of the habits) AND it also gives you "tools" or practices in each area of principle to grow and develop (see the crazy amount of practical practices in each chapter). This combination is absolutely dynamite. Some people have said "get to the point" or that the chapters are too long or repetitive. I understand why they would say that, it takes some work in some of the chapters (at least it did for me) to focus and bore in, but the content there is gold. Go through the book. Wrestle with the theory and principles and then use the tools and practices. It is an excellent principle based leadership book but also gives you ways to flesh out those principles in the everyday routines we all live. Lastly, so many people are giving the book one star because they don't like how he is "selling his products" throughout the book. I acknowledge he absolutely does this, but why does this both anyone? If this book offered no value to the reader (me), and was then selling additional products, then have your beef, BUT if he is wanting to offer additional content or learning opportunities (none of which I can comment upon because I have not actually purchased any) WHILE offering amazing perspectives and practices in the book itself, why would one complain? Overall, don't let his style (if you don't like it) steal the gold in this book. I felt like this book was a rich dessert. So good, but I can only handle so much at one time. I have to keep going back again and again to go deeper. One piece at a time. Our leadership team has been processing and practicing the content in this book for about a year and there is still much here to be digested. Heck of a good book. Highly recommended. Get the book. Think about the principles. Implement the practices. Ignore what you don't like about his salesmanship. AND go live a different kind of life! Hopefully this helps someone reading all the poor reviews actually purchase the book and not miss the value here. It is potentially life changing.

This book gives you a basic guide for life and having a successful career which is a monumental achievement after years of research and coaching by Burchard. This book is the real deal. The summary of the entire book, which is only 4 pages, should have been put at the beginning but is at the very end. The book explains that you need to have the habit and skill of 1.) clarity, i.e. goal setting, 2.) Energy, i.e. maintaining physical and mental health through positive psychology, 3.) Necessity, i.e. psychological drive or motivation through identity, 4.) Productivity, i.e. efficient work on your most important field of interest, 5.) Influence, i.e ability to persuade other people or social skills, 6.) Courage, i.e. the ability to control fear and 7.) Confidence, i.e. optimism about your abilities. Burchard goes through and gives his take on the key to each of these skills, but you can get a lot more information from other sources, i.e. this book is just a roadmap to professional development (and Burchard says so much at the end of his book). High Performance Habits (HPH) has a number of bonuses that will exceed your expectations. First, you can log in and take a 5 minute test to find which HPH you need to work on the most. Second, the book goes through the three traps that will ruin your career and/or life, i.e. superiority, dissatisfaction, and neglect, despite your best habits. (Honestly, this section of HPH was truly original and worth the price of the book alone.) Third, you get tons of free online courses on all the High Performance Habits. Finally, you get the skills to acquire confidence, i.e. competence, congruency, and connecting. High Performance Habits (HPH) does not have all the answers, and I would recommend you look to experts in the individual habits for really in depth knowledge. I would recommend "Succeed" by Heidi Halvorson for "clarity." I would recommend "Fully Charged" by Tom Rath and "Positivity" by Barbara Fredrickson for "energy." I would recommend "Find Your Why" by Simon Sinek for "necessity." I would recommend "Deep Work" by Cal Newport for "productivity." I would also recommend "The Talent Code" and "The Little Book of Talent" by Daniel Coyle. I would recommend Tony Robbins program "Influence" for the "influence habit." Finally, I would recommend "Agency" by Paul Napper and Anthony Rao and "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers for "courage." I would recommend "The Confidence Gap" bye Russ Harris for more information on gaining confidence. This book is a must read and well worth the money. You probably can go and get HPH for free by purchasing the book directly from Brendon Dot Com. Competitive corporations are paying to have their employees trained in these habits so you need to read this book just to stay competitive and up to date. This book was so good I read the endnotes and I never do that. A lot of people criticize the book because a lot of the habits have received attention from other authors but this book integrates and synthesizes all of the self help and professional development work into one cohesive plan to succeed professionally which is new. If you ever wondered whyother people were succeeding around you and what you were missing then this book is for you. Postscript: Burchard has automated the 7 Habits into a new app called "growthday" where you are prompted to stick to the program. There are training videos from experts on the 7 Habits. Burchard has added 3 more habits that you need to be successful. One of them is "Resilience," i.e. psychological resilience, and that is covered in detail by the book "Build Your Resilience" authored by therapist Donald Robertson. If you find out what the other two are then please leave me a note in the replies below.

This book really challenged the way I think. To be honest, I haven't implemented much because I'm still struggling to find my passion. I listened to the book recording while going through the written book and I learned a lot. I marked the book up with notes and marks that I use when digesting a book; may be able to see in the attached picture. Several people have put negative reviews, calling it sleazy or just a sales book, or that it's filled with fluff. It's easy to criticize when you don't understand that the videos complement the book and vice versa. You don't have to take the courses to learn the high performance habits, the courses are there to bring clarity and understanding. If your goal, while reading a book, is to find errors or a reason to complain, you'll always find it. I know this too well, the more time I spend learning grammar and book editing, the more critical I'm getting about poorly written books. This is NOT a poorly written book. You also have to be mature enough, and change your mindset, to search for the information relevant to you, and just go past the rest. Lest someone say that I'm a 'groupie', I assure you I'm not; I differ with the author on some issues. That said, I've invested time in his courses and find that they are complementary to what's taught in his books. Plus he has a podcast, YouTube channel, and other resources where he gives away a lot of information. I find him to be generous. Also, there are many types of learners in the world, some get the message best by reading and researching on their own. Others learn best through interactive means. Neither one is better than the other, people are just different. So, as any good teacher would do, he strives to meet the needs of his many students. Bottom line for me: he's a good writer that's very intentional about his writing and labors to make it exceptional. The material is based on much research and scientific study, so the conclusions are reliable. It isn't a sales book, although he refers to his other resources, but everyone can choose to take advantage of them, or not. Don't let the negative reviews sway you, if you come with an open mind, you'll learn. And that's worth the price of the book!!

Burchard is a High Performance coach, and acknowledged as one of the best and most popular in the world (he reminds the reader, a tad too often.) His contribution is in concert with that of Aristotle’s view that: “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” High performance is succeeding beyond standard norms, consistently over the long term. High performers are, nevertheless, less stressed, healthier and happier than their peers. And high performers’ work, has nothing directly to do with traditional rewards. Many high achievers too often feel confused and unfocused, and that they are not making the impact or progress they once did. Having achieved, many feel that they are plateauing at best, or failing at worst, and this despite putting in punishing effort, at great personal expense. High performers’ secret is their habits, and Burchard presents a bucket full of good ideas from which you will no doubt find many that are very helpful in propelling or reinvigorating your success. The accepted norm seems to be “Pretend you’re not working hard, so your friends are impressed with your leisurely posts and photos at breakfasts, but yes, work hard. Don’t wait for instruction, because there are no rules. Try to keep your head on, because it’s a madhouse here. Ask questions, but don’t expect anyone to know the answers... You’ll never figure anything out—just keep adapting, because tomorrow everything changes again.” The zeitgeist has clearly changed the rules of success, which is far more a function of personal effectiveness than ever before. The right habits for your context, professional and social, can dramatically increase your results, as well as the overall quality of your life. Identifying what is right for you is a very personal activity. Burchard presents a six-part, high performance programme, divided into two-parts: personal and social. The ‘personal habits’ are comprised of clarity as to what you want to achieve; having the energy to achieve this; and raising the intensity to make this happen. The ‘social habits’ are comprised of influencing others to advance your productivity; impacting others positively to be more productive; and appreciating that success is on the other side of the struggle - never before. It starts with clarity. Just consider what was clearly most important to you at 20 and each decade thereafter to see the need for an annual review as a first step. Clarity requires answering three deceptively simple questions: Who am I? What do I value, and what are my strengths and weaknesses? (This should be done very slowly, very thoughtfully, and in writing.) Once this is clear, you can formulate your goals and your plans. “Studies show that having a specific plan attached to your goals… can more than double the likelihood of achieving a challenging goal,” Burchard claims. But there is an important difference between “know thyself” and “imagine thyself.” High performers are more focused on imagining a positive version of themselves in the future, that they pursue with vigour. To perform at a very high level also requires a very clear idea of the skill sets that you need to develop now, to succeed in the future in your primary field of interest. This field should be an area in which you can become excellent, and contribute to others. It is almost a tautology that life success (in whatever way you measure it,) comes from adding value to the lives of others – whether it is making their cars go faster, educating them or their children, or enabling them to increase their wealth. The second high performance habit, is generating energy. Sleeping well, (yes, the 20th century aspiration of sleeping as little as you can, is counterproductive,) eating well, and exercising daily. A habit I have not seen mentioned before, is enhancing energy by managing transitions. We move from one activity to another without a break in our focus or feelings. Burchard describes this as “release tension, set intention.” After finishing one meeting for example, pause and simply instruct yourself to ‘release’ from it. Repeat the word until you are released from its mindset and feelings. Then focus on the mindset and feeling you intend for the next one. To convince yourself of the value, try this before you enter your home this evening. Release from your work demands and efforts, and intend to be the type of partner, mom or dad you really wish to be. Only then open the front door. The third high performance habit is to “Raise Necessity”. Necessity differs from the weaker version – desire. Necessity demands action. Necessity doesn’t permit you to wish or hope to succeed, it consistently forces you to work hard, stay disciplined, and push yourself. For something to be chosen by you as your ‘necessity’, it must be congruent with your ideal self: it must be something you see as your ‘duty’, and it must be something you know is urgently required. To build this ‘necessity’ to white heat, remind yourself of who needs you to succeed at this. Tell others because social pressure works! And spend a lot of time with people who challenge and inspire you. The sixth high performance habit is to “Demonstrate Courage”. Mark Twain described courage as “resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” Only experience reduces fear and stress. All situations requiring courage involve risk, fear, and a good reason to act. There are many types of courage, some not recognized by others, such as reassigning your brother because he is not pulling his weight in your business. “If your future best self—a version of you ten years older, who is even stronger, more capable, and more successful than you imagined yourself to be—showed up on your doorstep today and looked at your current circumstances, what courageous action would that future self advise you to take right away to change your life?” Burchard asks. To be a high performer does require hard work, discipline, often boring routines, courage and coping with continual frustrations. A colleague once told me that he doesn’t go to Church every Sunday to learn something new, but to be reminded of things he already knows. So too with a large part of this book, but that doesn’t detract from its value in any way. And there are some strong techniques I haven’t come across before. Readability Light -+--- Serious Insights High --+--- Low Practical High +---- Low *Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy, and is the author of the recently released ‘Executive Update.

This book is packed with lots of good information if someone is willing to apply it. I listened to the book and then went back through it again doing the questions. I learned years ago if I stop to answer the questions I may get side tracked and not get back to it because I start doing the work in that one area. This doesn’t sound bad but as I learned another section may make the work easier. Here the author goes through my lessons which will help the reader in their lives. Just by working on one of these areas in my life I saw change which impacted other areas as the author said. Enjoy the book even if you read it all the way through without the lesson or you do all the work it will impact your life regardless. As I’ve done many times before and listened to the teachings of my college professor. He said to read a book every three months for a year to learn it. In this case I believe it will be much more flexible since this book brought up a lot I have to work through. The author caused me to look at things very differently than I had looked at them before. Be prepared for a change in thinking as you go through this book in your life.

Great book! I'll admit I really did not know what to expect from this book so I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. First, let me just say that Brendon Burchard is a great writer! I say that because I believe a book written on what some would call a boring topic is brought to life by his style of writing. It was so encouraging and inspiring to read. Now let me give you specifics on what I liked about the book. The book starts off with the first habit which is to seek clarity. This may be a bit obvious but when you look at the quote he uses in the book, it really highlights the importance of clarity. He says..."achievement is not the issue-alignment is"....this is very true. Out of the 3 practices he suggests for this habit, I liked the one on defining what's meaningful for you. He asks the readers to write down activities which you do that bring you the most meaning in your life and especially the ones that do not give you meaning. He makes the point that you'll be more productive doing things that matter to you. Secondly, I LOVED Habit #2 which is to generate energy. Out of the 3 practices for this habit, I liked the one about setting intention. He talks about using transitions between your daily activities. I guess I already do this but I think he just put this into words for me. You see, I take breaks between activities but I don't set intentions. So I will send out an important email and then go straight into working on a different project without a beat. He suggests to perform deep breathing activities, release tension from your last activity and then go to the next one with a different intention. This makes sense to me because the activities that I do require different feelings and of course a different intention. This tip is a keeper for me. Lastly, I really liked Habit #3 which is to raise necessity. Out of the 3 practices I liked the one about knowing who knows your A game. For me, this one hits home because when I thought about all the people that need me to start a public speaking club, it became more real to me. I'm working harder because I know it will help so many people. I also work in a hospital and I know our staff and patients need our help so I want to bring my A game. I could say so much more but I'll leave it there and really encourage you to buy this book. Listen, this book doesn't just talk the talk...as we say...it seems like Brendon forces you to walk the walk. And I love it. Many books will tell you a lot of good information and then you're left wondering how to implement those ideas so you can live your best life. This book makes you take action towards your dreams. You want it...then go get it! This book is a classic for me!

First up, I've been a reader of Brendon's books for years so I'll state my biases up front. However, on the other hand, I'm not an easy person to impress when it comes to informative books and research. But oh how I loved this book! As a researcher myself, I can appreciate the hours (and years) that have gone into writing it. The commitment and conscientiousness behind the words are alone impressive and inspiring. The book is densely packed with useful information on how to behave and think like a high performer. With Brendon there is no fluff, no superfluous words, no deadwood. The writing is lean and tight, yet somehow retains a conversational, chatty tone like listening to an old friend. This is the most scholarly book Brendon has written so far. I appreciated that he defined his main terms up front; the extensive citations and references; and the original research with robust methodology (although more detail here in an Appendix would suit people like me). I also liked how the science is tempered by personal anecdotes that at times were so moving they brought tears to my eyes. This blending of original research, literature reviews, and heartfelt stories makes for a unique writing style that is very engaging. I'm also grateful to Hay House for supporting such a unique book. Too many self-help books take a formulaic approach, and it is refreshing to see such a departure from the norm. I'm glad that the editor obviously worked with Brendon's vision for the book. I know this is a book that will become a reference guide that I'll revisit many times over the years. I've already got so much out of it (e.g., "the transitions" are going into effect immediately, and I've identified gaps in my clarity of what I am seeking to achieve). I'm very pleased this book was published and admire and respect the thought and care that has gone into compiling it. It is a very accomplished piece of work that will be helpful to multitudes of people for many years. You've done it again, Brendon. Thanks so much!

This book is incredibly powerful. Chalk full of habits that the best of the best continually demonstrate. This is so much more than a motivational book. Brendon gives you concrete habits that are backed by years of research. Last month I was lucky enough to see Brendon speak live at Lewis Howes Summit of Greatness. This book wasn't out at the time, but I ordered it as soon as I got home. I've been listening to his audio book as well as reading the hard copy pretty much 24-7. My life has really changed due to Brendon and his valuable insight. I always felt like the hardest working person at my job. Whatever that job was. Knowing that I added value as an educator, consultant and educational coach, never did I realize that the term was a 'high performer'. Brendon provides different links to 'tests' you can take and my score gave me the confidence that I was somehow lacking to truly reach for the stars when it came to my dreams and pursuing my passion. In fact, I was hit with a lightning bolt of clarity after reading a chapter and decided right then and there I was going to plan a fundraiser. Never have I done this, I've got zero experience but I have a whole lot of clarity around this purpose and it's fueled by passion. I know it will be a huge success! Within hours I had a venue booked and am building enthusiasm and excitement with those I have shared my idea with. Hoping to help change the life of a precious baby boy who lost his (single) mommy way too young, to cancer. She filled my life with love and joy and I want to help leave a legacy of love to help him in his future. THANK YOU Brendon for your energy, your conviction and your passion to add value to the lives around you by sharing positive stories and information. You've got a fan for life in me.

Great book, recommended for anyone who want to improve his performance

Very Good book Thank you amazon

Excellent, insightful, practical book

É um livro que permite você adquirir ferramentas para facilitar suas atividades no dia a dia. Quando você faz a aliança do que aprende e tem disciplina para executa-las os resultados aparecem muito mais rápido. Éverton Barbosa Coach.

This is an empirical research based book on Habits to be extraordinary as the tag line of the book states -"How Extraordinary People Become That Way". Brendon is a writer who has written 5 other books and you may have seen him on Social Media where he has a very large fan following. Do look him up if you have never come across him. His message certainly resonates with me and I love the fact that he is such a genuine Human Being. If you look him up you will see that according to Success Magazine and Oprah.com he is considered as the world's leading high performance coach. I am not saying this to big him up, but to put this information in context with the book. The very fact that Brendon is a high performance coach working with some incredible people at the pinnacle of success is where he can bring in these learnings in the book along with the research study that the book is based on (The research in the book includes 195 countries and more than 2 million people representing data points, which is now the world's largest high-performance study ever done) Through this work, he has identified several habits that successful people have and narrowed it down to 6 habits that make the biggest difference. The 6 habits that are the biggest needle movers. The book is all about these 6 habits that are divided into Personal and Social Habits. If you want to get a sense of this then use the ‘Look Inside’ feature in Amazon where you can also get to read the introduction and the first chapter of the book including the dive into the first high performance habit - Seeking clarity. The book is fairly large book with close to 400 pages, however, it has information broken down nicely into the habits and you can work through bit by bit. For me, this will be a reference book I will be looking at regularly along with other tools that Brendon recommends. Also included with the book is a free professional assessment and planner sheets which you can print and fill in as well. This is where I feel that the book adds great value. The book is not just about getting you excited about the habits by talking at you. It gets you to ask very powerful questions of yourself and helps you start the process of embodying these habits. So for example the clarity chart you can print has questions and prompts on Self, Social Skills, Service, Focus and Feeling and also getting you to define what is meaningful to you. So you could read a chapter in the book and then print and complete the chart which would allow you to set your intent and also have a plan of action. It also means it is individualised to YOU and where you are at in your life at that moment. Each chapter starts with a story of Brendon working with a client which is a very powerful way of understanding the concept and helping set context. It also really helps drive the message and can help the reader understand the effect of the lack of that particular habit and of course the power of adopting it. With each chapter having a different story this really helps bring the habit to focus. Brendon then talks through various practices that can be done to adopt and excel in that habit. Each Practice has its performance prompts with powerful questions e.g. "If I was going to get in the best shape of my life, the first three things I would stop doing would be..." Apart from the 6 habits, Brendon also talks about sustaining success (After all, High performance is about having the success over a sustained period and not just short bursts) and being aware of traps people get into (Especially when you are good at something). This information is also very useful and helps bring the book nicely to a close. As mentioned in my review headline, the book does an excellent job of bringing to light the 6 Habits that have the power to TRANSFORM you. It makes it clear that this is not a magic pill and just knowing this information does not really do anything. Actually understanding where you are on this (Through the assessment), getting a great understanding of the habits (Which the book does very well) and also applying this to your own life (the worksheets and engaging with the performance prompts and questions help tremendously) is crucial for you to then have a massive, positive and transformational shift that the book is aiming to give. Please don't use this as just a book you will read once and put back. It is an empowering tool and the more you engage with it, the more you will get from this. I highly recommend this book. As mentioned, if you are still not sure, please look at the ‘Look inside’ feature so see some of the content. Also have a look at Brendon's podcast, the Brendon Show where you can find audio excerpts of the book which I feel are also a very powerful way of engaging with the book content. I am grateful for having read this book and I will continue to use this over the coming months and years as part of my self-development journey.