Welcome to Edition 7 of the High Performance Playbook. After just six weeks, we just passed 1,200 subscribers, so we’re thrilled the content is resonating and that many of you are sharing it with friends.

Let’s keep it rolling with a topic that could literally change your generational wealth.

If you’re new to the HPP, my name is Austin Wright. I’m excited to bring you this playbook and system I’ve developed over the last decade as a multi-business entrepreneur, father, and wellness advocate.

So, if you’re the kind of person who’s interested in health & fitness, personal finance & investing, business growth hacks, and how to turn it up in all areas of your life, the High Performance Playbook is for you.

This is what separates the 1% from the .01%.

Each week, we drop some easy-to-digest gems covering the four pillars below:

• Mindset & Psychology

• Health, Fitness, & Longevity

• Personal Finance & Investing

• Business & Entrepreneurship

If you enjoy the content and get some value from it, please share this link with a few friends and help me spread the word! There’s no better compliment than a referral.

Ready? Start your engines… Let’s GO:

Mindset & Psychology

I used to be addicted to polishing ideas.

Endlessly tweaking, refining, and waiting for the “perfect” moment to launch.

But then I came across a game-changing message from Alex Hormozi:

Done Beats Perfection.

That realization shifted my perspective.

I stopped waiting and started launching.

The feedback you receive from the market is infinitely more valuable than the hypothetical scenarios you conjure in your mind.

Every iteration, every launch, every piece of feedback propels you forward.

It’s not about getting it perfect on the first try; it’s about refining through repetition.

So, if you’re holding back, waiting for perfection, remember:

• Start messy. Your first version won’t be flawless, and that’s okay.

• Launch quickly. Speed trumps perfection in the real world.

• Iterate relentlessly. Use real feedback to make real improvements.

If you want to read more on this topic, one of my all-time favorite books is called The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries.

Eric’s blueprint is genius for building startups that succeed by being fast, flexible, and obsessed with learning. Instead of spending months (or years) perfecting a product before launching, Ries advocates for creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), testing it with real users, gathering feedback, and iterating quickly. The core idea is to "build-measure-learn" - treating your startup like a scientific experiment to validate ideas early, avoid waste, and pivot when necessary. It's not about working harder - it's about working smarter and adapting fast.

Don’t let the pursuit of perfection paralyze you.

Embrace momentum.

Launch. Learn. Improve.

And your progress will skyrocket like the image above.

Health & Fitness + Longevity

Every business leader should train like an athlete.

Not for the six-pack, but for the stamina, focus, and grit it builds.

The gym made me a better operator, husband, and father.

If you’re burned out, overwhelmed, or stuck…

Lift something heavy.

Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce stress, enhance cognitive function, and improve mood. 

Engaging in strength training can sharpen your thinking skills and help manage chronic conditions. 

By intentionally stressing our bodies through exercise, we can change how we respond to stress and boost our resilience. 

So, if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or burned out, consider hitting the gym; or joining a new gym; or signing up for a new sport (boxing, jiu jitsu, rock climbing, etc.).

Not just for your body, but for your mind, your leadership, and your life.

Get after it.

Your future self will thank you.

Personal Finance Tip of the Week

Understanding your financial health goes beyond monitoring your income and expenses; it involves regularly assessing your net worth.

Your net worth is the difference between what you own (assets) and what you owe (liabilities). This metric provides a comprehensive snapshot of your financial position and is crucial for informed decision-making. In business, we refer to it as a balance sheet.

But you need a personal balance sheet as well.

Why Regular Net Worth Assessments Matter

1. Track Financial Progress: By periodically calculating your net worth, you can gauge your financial growth over time. An increasing net worth indicates effective financial strategies, while a stagnant or decreasing net worth may signal the need for adjustments.

2. Informed Decision-Making: Knowing your net worth helps in making strategic choices regarding spending, saving, and investing. It ensures that your financial decisions align with your long-term goals.

3. Early Detection of Financial Issues: Regular assessments can highlight potential financial problems, such as increasing debt or declining asset values, allowing you to address them promptly. 

How to Conduct a Net Worth Assessment

1. List Your Assets: Include all valuable items such as bank account balances, investments, retirement accounts, real estate, vehicles, and personal property.

2. List Your Liabilities: Account for all debts, including mortgages, car loans, credit card balances, student loans, and any other obligations.

3. Calculate Net Worth: Subtract the total liabilities from the total assets. The result is your net worth.

Tips for Effective Tracking

• Use Financial Tools: Consider utilizing financial software or apps designed to track assets and liabilities, making the process more manageable. One of my favorite apps for this is called Rocket Money. It can help you build a personal budget, track expenses, track your credit score, and calculate and monitor your net worth. I have no affiliation with the app; it’s just one of the best I’ve found for this. You can download it HERE.

• Set Regular Checkpoints: Establish a routine, such as quarterly or bi-annual assessments, to monitor changes and trends in your net worth. I update mine on the 15th of every month.

• Review and Adjust: Use the insights gained from your assessments to make necessary adjustments to your financial plans and goals.

Regularly assessing your net worth is a proactive step towards achieving financial stability and growth. It empowers you to make informed decisions and stay aligned with your financial objectives.

Business Playbook

This one concept changed how I saw money forever:

When I sold my first business, I was sitting on more cash than I ever had before.

It felt like a win.

Until I saw the tax bill. It was brutal.

Meanwhile, the wealthiest people seemed like they didn’t sell anything. They owned real estate, stocks, and businesses, but rarely liquidated.

Instead, they use a strategy called Buy, Borrow, Die.

Here’s how it works:

• They buy assets that appreciate over time.

• They borrow against those assets to access cash - without ever selling the asset.

• When they die, their heirs inherit those assets with a stepped-up tax basis, erasing the capital gains tax liability.

This allows them to keep compounding returns, avoid triggering taxes, and maintain ownership and control.

It sounds risky…

Why borrow when you’re already wealthy?

But the truth is, debt isn’t the enemy.

Bad debt is.

Bad debt is credit cards, car loans, or anything that depreciates.

Good debt is borrowing against appreciating assets.

It gives you liquidity without sacrificing growth.

This is exactly what many billionaires do:

• Elon Musk used margin loans instead of selling Tesla stock.

• Jeff Bezos funds his lifestyle by borrowing against Amazon shares.

Why do you think billionaires will pay $100M for a painting? It’s not because they just love art that much, I’ll tell you that.

It’s because they can offset tax liability when they make the purchase. Then, they can turn around and use the painting as collateral to borrow against it, tax-free. Then, use the cash however they want (usually to buy even more assets) while the art appreciates over time.

They’re not avoiding taxes illegally.

They’re using the rules better than anyone else.

How do you think our current president, Donald Trump, a billionaire, paid ZERO taxes for 11 years in a row while he continued to grow his net worth?

It’s because he’s maximizing the tax code and every available strategy, including the one above.

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to be a billionaire to apply the same mindset.

If you want to build long-term wealth, stop thinking like a worker and start thinking like an owner.

You can even employ this strategy with Whole Life Insurance. You can put money into a policy, reduce your current tax liability, then turn around and borrow against that policy tax-free while it continues to grow throughout your life.

You never even have to pay back the loan, either. When you die, they can deduct it from your death benefit, and the remainder will be paid to your heirs.

It’s pretty wild. But 100% legal.

But they won’t teach you this in school.

If you’d like more info on how to do this, or if you need a referral to a great broker who can help you set all this up, just hit reply and let me know. I’m happy to refer you to my team.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please share it with some friends! Let’s all get better together.

🗓️ STAY TUNED:

In next week’s newsletter, I’ll be diving into how I struggled more than most people know in my 20s… and the one thing I did to turn it all around.

Have a great week!

Here’s to your success,

Austin Lamar Wright
@WealthAthlete

P.S.

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_{Disclaimer: The ideas shared in this newsletter are those of the author, and this is in no way intended to be medical advice or financial advice. Always do your own research and consult with licensed professionals.}