Welcome to Week 20 of the High Performance Playbook. There are now over 4,500 high performance community members, so thank you for continuing to share with friends! 5K is just around the corner!

If you’re new to the HPP, these are the strategies and frameworks that separate the 1% from the .01%. We dive deep into: health & fitness, personal finance & investing, business growth hacks, and how to optimize all areas of your life.

If any of those sound interesting, the High Performance Playbook is for you.

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

Goal Setting That Actually Moves You Forward

Each quarter, I set goals.

Not just a list of things I hope to do, but a focused set of commitments I can actually execute on.

I choose a few key areas (business, health, family, faith) and identify what matters most right now. But here’s the twist: I don’t set vague, feel-good intentions like “be more present” or “get in shape.”

Instead, I anchor my goals around one core personal growth target each quarter.

Then, I build habits that are behavior-based and measurable. For example:

• Rather than “be more present,” I committed to no phone at the dinner table and dedicated family nights each week.

• Instead of “get in shape,” I target five workouts per week and a very specific body fat percentage goal (right now that number is 8%!)

• Rather than “grow the business,” I get granular with it and think through what the MITs are (Most Important Things) that will actually move the business forward. For our new fitness clubs, we’re at the design phase, architectural, equipment ordering, and construction. Week by week, we’re knocking things out and inching closer to our quarterly goals.

These aren’t just tasks; they’re habits with compounding returns. Because real change doesn’t happen from lofty ideals… it comes from repeated and intentional actions, stacked day after day, that gradually transform who you are and what you’re capable of.

This approach keeps me focused and prevents drift. Each habit becomes a brick in the foundation of long-term growth.

Action Item:

As you plan your next quarter, pick one core area of personal growth. Identify a specific, measurable habit tied to it. Write it down, track it daily, and watch how small daily wins stack into big, lasting change.

Health & Fitness + Longevity

The Secret Weapon for Longevity

If there’s one “boring” training tool that almost every elite athlete and longevity expert swears by, it’s Zone 2 cardio.

Most people think cardio is about crushing yourself with high-intensity intervals or slogging through endless long runs. But Zone 2 flips that on its head.

What is Zone 2?

Zone 2 is the “easy” aerobic zone, about 60–70% of your max heart rate. You can breathe through your nose, hold a conversation, and still feel like you could keep going for hours. It’s that steady, moderate effort that feels almost too easy to matter… but it’s where the magic happens.

Why it works:

• Mitochondrial health: Zone 2 improves your cells’ energy factories, making you more efficient at burning fat and using oxygen.

• Metabolic flexibility: You teach your body to switch between fuel sources, which supports endurance and overall health.

• Recovery & consistency: It doesn’t beat you up like sprints do, so you can repeat it often and build a huge aerobic base.

Why longevity experts love it:

Regular Zone 2 work has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, lower resting heart rate, and support healthy aging. It’s the foundation that keeps your engine running strong into your 70s and beyond.

How to incorporate it (even if you’re busy):

• Pick low-impact options: incline treadmill walks, cycling, rowing, or even brisk hiking.

• Aim for 2–4 sessions a week, 45–60 minutes each.

• Use a heart rate monitor or simply the “talk test” if you can speak in full sentences, you’re likely in Zone 2.

• Easy (rough) formula for figuring out your zone: 220 minus your age = your max. Then take 60-70% of that. So if you’re 40 years old, you’d take 220 - 40 = 180 (max) and then you’d want to keep your HR between 108 and 126 bpm.

Action Item:

Pick one morning or weekend slot this week to try a 45-minute Zone 2 session. Start small, track how you feel, and watch your endurance and daily energy improve over time.

Personal Finance Tip of the Week

Build an “Opportunity Fund,” Not Just an Emergency Fund

Most personal finance advice stops at “build a 3-6 month emergency fund.” And that’s a great first step, it keeps you safe during tough times.

But if you want to play offense (not just defense), you need something more: an Opportunity Fund.

An Opportunity Fund is cash you keep on hand specifically to take advantage of unexpected chances to grow your wealth or accelerate your goals.

It could be:

• Investing in a friend’s new business when the timing is perfect.

• Snapping up a discounted rental property during a market dip.

• Buying shares in a great company when prices crash.

• Securing a piece of equipment or a hire that can 10x your business.

These moments don’t show up on a calendar… they happen fast. And they almost always favor people who are liquid and ready to act.

When everyone else is stressed about cash flow, the person with an Opportunity Fund can move decisively and scoop up assets at a discount.

Action Item:

Start by splitting your surplus cash into two buckets: your traditional emergency fund (to keep you safe) and an Opportunity Fund (to help you grow). Even if it’s small at first, having any amount earmarked will shift your mindset from reactive to proactive. Over time, it will become one of your greatest unfair advantages.

Business Playbook

My partner and I sold a CPG e-commerce brand for 8-figures in 2021.

And there was one rule that completely changed our trajectory…

It started with a simple rule: Test 3–5 new ad creatives every single week.

• Hooks

• Headlines

• Thumbnails

No excuses. Rain or shine, we pushed those variations live.

At first, it felt like just another marketing to-do.

But what it created was a rhythm. A relentless drumbeat of feedback that told us exactly what the market responded to.

Not what we assumed. Not what we hoped. But what actually worked.

That habit made us faster. Sharper. More customer-focused.

And while most brands waited for their ads to fail before reacting, we were already on version 20 of a creative they were still running in version two.

It completely changed everything.

CPAs dropped. ROAS climbed. And the insights we gathered didn’t just improve our ads, they shaped our product pages, our emails, even our packaging.

The best part is that it wasn’t complicated, we were just consistent.

Every founder wants leverage. Everyone’s chasing scale. But it’s usually the unsexy, simple systems (done relentlessly) that create the biggest edge.

This was ours.

Stuff Worth Seeing

❄️ Cold exposure boosts mood, sharpens focus, and reduces sick days by nearly 30%. Start small with short, cool showers to build resilience and energy.

🙏 Gratitude Journaling: Writing down a few things you’re thankful for each week rewires your brain, improving sleep and lowering anxiety. It’s a simple habit with huge mental health returns.

💦 Hydration & Cognitive Performance: Even mild dehydration (just 1-2%) can impair memory, focus, and mood throughout the workday. Keeping a water bottle handy is one of the simplest performance hacks out there.

DOPAMINE HIT

cointelegraph

421K followers

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🗓️ STAY TUNED:

In next week’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing why tracking team velocity might be one of the most important KPIs in your business - and why most businesses fail to track this metric! You won’t want to miss it… have a great weekend!

Here’s to your success,

Austin L. Wright

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