Welcome to Week 29 of the High Performance Playbook.

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Ready? Start your engines… Let’s GO:

Mindset & Psychology

The Information Addiction Loop

Reading this newsletter might feel productive.

So might listening to a podcast. Or watching that new business YouTube.

But here’s the truth:

Consumption has no effect in your life until execution is introduced.

And if you’re not careful, learning becomes the new procrastination.

I call it the Information Addiction Loop:

1. You feel stuck or unclear.

2. You consume content to “get inspired.”

3. You get a little dopamine from a new idea.

4. You don’t act on it, you just move on to the next thing.

5. And the loop repeats.

It feels like momentum, but it’s actually delay.

I’ve been in this cycle before… especially early on, when I was trying to learn everything I could about business, money, and performance.

Here’s how I broke it (and how you can too):

The 3-Rule System I Use Now:

1. Limit Inputs

I don’t follow 1,000 accounts or subscribe to 30 newsletters. I follow and engage with 5-10 people max that align with my values, execution style, and goals. Each social media platform is different, but take Instagram for example: the best way to do this is find the Top 10 accounts in the areas that you’re most interested in - if it’s business, think Alex Hormozi, Gary Vee, etc.; if it’s fitness, maybe you follow Mike Thurston, Brian Pruett, etc;

Point is, identify your favorites first. Then, go to each page and mark them as a “Favorite” (you can do this by going to their page, clicking on the “following” button just below the bio, and then selecting “Favorite”). Make sure to like, comment, and engage with their content, and next thing you know, your feed will be mostly full of the people and topics that you are most interested in. This will cut down on your doom scrolling and help you never miss important content that motivates, inspires, and teaches you positive things that help improve your life. This was such a great social media hack for me when I figured this out.

2. Action First, Content Later

Each morning, I complete at least one key task or MIT (most important thing) before I open any content app. I earn my learning time. I’ve talked about this before, but the best way I’ve found to execute this is: When I have something I know I need to do, I grab my phone, hit Siri, and say “Hey Siri, remind in 5 minutes to (insert the important task).” This will help ensure you never forget to do anything important.

Then, periodically throughout the day, I open my Reminders and find all the things I need to do (either that day, that week, or that month). I transfer those to my planner by writing them down on my To-Do List. Then each night before I wrap up for the day, I write my Top 3 MITs on a post-it note and that goes right on my desk in front of my computer.

When I wake up each day, I know exactly what the 3 most important things are for that day, and I get right to work on one of them before any scrolling on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.

3. Apply Immediately or Archive It

If I highlight something or hear a great idea, I ask:

“Where in my life or business does this apply?”

If there’s no clear answer, it’s just noise.

Here’s the mindset shift that changed everything, and has now become a phrase you’ll hear me say often:

You don’t need more information. You need more implementation.

Your results won’t come from what you know.

They’ll come from what you do with what you know.

Audit your inputs.

Close the loop.

Stay organized.

Create systems for your most important tasks.

And watch your execution explode.

🛟 Biggest Story of the Week (Mindset & Psychology)

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Health & Fitness + Longevity

How to Avoid The “Afternoon Slump”

Many people I interact with struggle with the afternoon slump… that sluggish feeling you get after lunch that kicks in around 2-3pm.

Most people think it’s because they eat lunch… and that’s all it is.

But it’s often because of a circadian rhythm problem, not a food one.

Your body’s energy curve is driven by a hormonal rhythm… especially cortisol, which peaks in the morning to help you wake up, then tapers throughout the day.

But if you spike it at the wrong times (hello, triple shot espresso + inbox stress), or fail to regulate it with movement and light…

You hit a wall in the afternoon, and wonder why your brain fog rolls in like clockwork.

Here are some thins I’ve experimented with (and that have worked) to avoid the crash:

Start with Sunlight

Within 20 minutes of waking up, I get natural light in my eyes.

It sets the tone for cortisol and melatonin production, so I’m alert in the morning and tired at night.

Bonus: Stack this with a short walk for a double energy boost, blood flow, thinking time, and a reset with nature. Doesn’t have to be long, even 10 minutes is super effective.

The next one is the key…

Midday Movement

When I block back-to-back calls or deep work all morning, I always insert some kind of movement around lunch.

Even 5–10 minutes of walking or a few sets of pushups can reboot your mental state and regulate blood sugar.

This is my non-negotiable antidote to the 3PM slump.

Skip the 2nd (or 3rd) Caffeine Hit

More coffee isn’t the solution… it’s just a delay button.

Instead, I lean on hydration (with electrolytes), breathing exercises, or creative work to reignite focus without frying my adrenals.

Afternoon crashes are simply a feedback loop.

Fix the light, fix the movement, fix the rhythm…

And you’ll be sharper when everyone else is melting into their chair and fighting the quick nap.

High performance starts with high-functioning energy systems.

🏋️‍♂️ Biggest Story of The Week (Health & Fitness)

Personal Finance Tip of the Week

If You Can’t Explain It to a 10-Year-Old, Don’t Invest in It

Warren Buffett once said, “Never invest in a business you cannot understand.”

He meant it literally.

In fact, one of the most famous missed investments in Berkshire Hathaway history was Buffett’s refusal to invest in tech companies during the dot-com boom…

Not because he thought tech was bad, but because he couldn’t explain the value clearly in a few sentences.

When asked why he stayed out of AOL and Yahoo in the late ’90s, Buffett said:

“If I don’t understand something, I’d rather skip it.”

The result? He avoided one of the biggest crashes in stock market history while others got wiped out chasing hype.

That mindset is how I approach crypto, too.

I run every opportunity through one simple filter:

If I can't explain it to a 10-year-old, I don't invest in it.

This rule has saved me from countless bad investments. Wall Street loves to create complex derivatives, futures, options, credit default swaps, and all kinds of stuff that sounds sophisticated, but is really just confusion dressed in a tux.

They design these products to make money for themselves, not you.

But here's what I've learned after launching a crypto hedge fund that's up 200% since 2022:

The best opportunities are often the simplest ones to understand.

When I evaluate any investment, crypto, stocks, real estate, or a business, I ask two fundamental questions:

1. What is the actual use case?

2. Who is using it right now?

That's it.

You don’t need fancy calculations or complicated models. If there's no clear use case, it's speculation. If nobody's using it, it's hype.

Family and friends saw our personal investment results and wanted to join in on the fun.

So my partner and I registered with the SEC, spent 100 grand on legal, accounting, a back office team, and a year’s worth of test portfolios. And then we went live.

Now, we manage millions of dollars in assets for ourselves, our families, friends, and institutional investors. We decided to bring everybody along for the ride - and we only invest in projects we can research, understand completely, and explain to anyone - including my 11 year old son.

🏦 Biggest Story of the Week (Personal Finance)

Business Playbook

Your Strategy Is Only as Strong as Your Environment

You can have the best strategy in the world…

But if you’re surrounded by people who don’t execute, distracted by chaos, and working in a space that drains you… none of it matters.

Environment is the hidden lever behind high performance.

When people ask how I run multiple businesses without burning out, this is the part they don’t see:

• My calendar is designed around output, not obligation

• My workspace is engineered for clarity (lighting, noise, tools, zero clutter)

• And I only spend time with people who challenge me to think bigger and move faster - my wife, my business partners, my leadership team, and a small circle of close friends that I trust.

If your progress feels stuck, it’s probably not your goals.

It’s the environment you’re trying to achieve them in.

Here’s a ruthless audit worth doing:

• Physical space: Does it make deep work easier or harder?

• Digital environment: Are your tools optimizing clarity or adding friction?

• People proximity: Are you around builders or talkers?

• Slack/DM habits: Are you reactive or protected by design?

• Input diet: Are you consuming from winners or dopamine merchants?

You don’t need perfect conditions.

But you do need a system that removes drag.

Because at some point, it’s not about motivation.

It’s about removing the resistance that keeps you from doing what you already know to do.

Build the environment and the execution follows.

👩‍💼 Biggest Story of the Week (Business)

DOPAMINE HIT

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed this week’s newsletter, please share it with some friends! And thank you for reading!

🗓️ STAY TUNED:

In next week’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from traveling the world for the last 15 years, and how you can apply it to your personal life and business.

… Stay tuned. You won’t want to miss it!

Here’s to your success,

Austin L. Wright

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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, legal, or financial advice. Always do your own research and consult with licensed professionals.}