In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m diving into an important question: Are your habits actually aligned to the season you’re in right now?
It’s a trap so many high performers fall into—benchmarking themselves against their “best ever” version. Whether that’s training six days a week, working 12-hour days, or surviving on minimal sleep in your 20s, we often use that peak as our standard. But true high performance isn’t about repeating an old benchmark, it’s about adapting to the demands of your current season.
From early parenthood, to heavy travel, to high growth work seasons, I unpack why our brains love “all or nothing” behaviour, why chasing your best-ever can backfire, and how to reframe success by aligning habits with where you are right now.
In this episode, I share:
- Why high performers often reference their best-ever as the baseline—and why that creates frustration.
- What neuroscience tells us about the all-or-nothing mindset (prefrontal cortex, dopamine spikes, and the amygdala).
- How my own back injury and return to swimming exposed the loud voice of “old benchmarks.”
- Why true high performance means evolving your habits to fit your current season.
- Practical examples of aligning habits in different seasons
- Reflection questions to help you identify which habits no longer serve you and what needs to shift now.
Key Quotes:
“Your previous best isn’t irrelevant, but it’s not always relevant either.”
“True high performance isn’t about repeating old benchmarks—it’s about adapting to your current season.”
“It’s not about doing the most, it’s about doing what matters most for the season you’re in right now.”
“The people who sustain high performance aren’t those who push the hardest, but those who adapt the fastest.”
Take the High-Performance Profile Quiz
https://jessicaspendlove.com/quiz/
Everything about me can be found here: www.jessicaspendlove.com
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Email Jess@JessicaSpendlove.com
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