Welcome to Week 27 of the High Performance Playbook.

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Ready? Start your engines… Let’s GO:

Mindset & Psychology

The 5-Year Rule: Build Like You’ll Still Own It

Here’s a mindset that quietly changed the way I operate:

If I still owned this business in 5 years, would I still build it this way?

That question reshapes everything.

Because the truth is: most founders say they want to sell, but they build like they’re trying to sprint out the back door. Sloppy operations, short-term decisions, and no brand worth remembering.

But when you build like you’ll still own it (whether you plan to or not) you start prioritizing what actually makes it valuable:

• Systems that don’t require your daily involvement

• A team that can grow without micromanagement

• A brand that earns trust while you sleep

• Clients who stick, refer, and stay longer

• Clean, simple, repeatable offers

This doesn’t mean building slow. It means building smart.

If an exit shows up sooner? Great. But if it doesn’t, you’ve got a business you actually want to own.

That’s the 5-Year Rule.

Not reactive. Not rushed.

Just intentional, resilient, and built to last.

What would you do differently if you knew you’d still own your business 5 years from now?

Whether you sell it or scale it, that’s probably the business someone will want to buy.

🧠 Biggest Story of the Week (Mindset & Psychology)

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Health & Fitness + Longevity

Travel Doesn’t Have to Mean Your Health & Fitness Falls Off the Wagon

Most people treat travel as an excuse.

Skip the gym. Eat whatever. Sleep later. “I’ll reset when I get back.”

That used to be me, too… until I realized something:

Travel isn’t the exception anymore. It’s part of the game. And the more you treat it like a free pass, the harder it is to stay consistent long-term.

I recently read about Peter Phillips, a tech exec who flies from NYC to Dubai for 36-hour turnaround meetings. He doesn’t check into the hotel and collapse, he books cryotherapy, red light therapy, and vitamin IVs before his first client dinner.

It clicked for me: the best operators don’t just survive the road, they optimize it.

So I built my own plug-and-play wellness protocol that keeps me performing at a high level no matter where I am. It’s simple, consistent, and travel-proof:

My Non-Negotiables on the Road:

• Walk Before Work: 20–30 minutes outside, no phone. Anchors my circadian rhythm and clears the mental clutter.

• Fitness Routine/Plan: This may be a little much, but I actually look at the hotel’s gym before I travel, and if it’s garbage, I don’t stay there. I also plan my workouts at nearby local gyms, and put it on my calendar like meetings.

• No Alcohol or Late Night Food: Alcohol destroys sleep. I quit a little over a year ago. I try and keep dinners light, and no snacking late at night before bed.

• Blue-Light Blockers + Magnesium: Better sleep equals better recovery. No screens, no scroll before bed.

• Smart Supplements: Electrolytes in the AM, JuicePlus daily, creatine post-workout, greens or fiber at night. Travel is unpredictable; these are my insurance policy.

Here’s the real truth:

Travel can drain you or it can sharpen you.

Most people come home bloated, tired, and behind.

But if you build a simple system that works everywhere, you don’t lose momentum; you gain it.

And you realize, like Peter Phillips did, that peak performance doesn’t stop when you leave home. It travels with you.

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

Personal Finance Tip of the Week

What’s Your Number?

Let’s zoom out for a second.

We talk a lot about saving, investing, stacking income streams, and building wealth…

But do you know why you’re doing it?

Most people say “financial freedom” but never define what that actually means for them.

And that’s where it gets dangerous.

Because when the goal is vague, the game never ends. You hit $1M… and feel behind. You hit $5M… and still feel broke. You compare, upgrade, and keep chasing.

There’s a saying about hitting a $5M net worth: “now you’re the brokest guy in the rich guy room.”

That’s how you end up as a high-income, high-stress operator with no time, no peace, and no clue what you’re optimizing for.

Here’s a better path:

Figure out what your version of enough looks like.

Not society’s version. Not Instagram’s version.

Yours.

Ask yourself:

• What would freedom actually feel like day-to-day?

• How much monthly income would make me feel safe, energized, and focused?

• What would I do more of, or less of, if money weren’t a stressor?

Then work backward.

Because here’s the truth:

Clarity around your “enough” creates peace.

Vagueness creates anxiety.

Thousands of millionaires are still miserable because they never answered this question.

Don’t build aimlessly. Build with a target. Then go live.

💸 Biggest Story of the Week (Personal Finance)

Business Playbook

Your Calendar Is the Company

If you want to know what a business truly prioritizes… don’t look at the mission statement.

Look at the founder’s calendar.

It’s the most honest reflection of where attention, energy, and resources are actually going.

That’s why I try to audit mine at least every quarter.

I block off 90 minutes, pull up the last 30–60 days, and ask 3 simple questions:

1. What am I doing too much of?

   If I’m spending hours in logistics, Slack threads, or fixing ops issues… something’s broken. My job isn’t to be the glue, it’s to build systems that replace me.

2. What am I not doing enough of?

   This is usually strategic partnerships, vision casting, or content that scales trust. If it doesn’t show up in my calendar, it’s not real.

3. What actually moved the needle?

   I reverse-engineer wins, sales, key hires, growth spikes and trace them back to calendar events. That tells me where I’m driving true value.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Time spent ≠ value created

• Meetings ≠ leadership

• Busy ≠ effective

The founder’s time is the highest-leverage asset in the business.

But only if it’s protected.

So treat your calendar like a financial statement.

Audit it. Cut what’s not working.

And reinvest in the few things that actually compound.

💾 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’m breaking down one of the most misunderstood traits in performance: confidence.

Most people think confidence is something you’re born with, or something you’ll magically have once you hit your goals. But the truth is, confidence is built. And it starts by keeping promises to yourself… 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.}