Latest updated: 10 January 2023

Performing at our best is something that most of us dream of, and that's always been the case. But in recent years, something has changed. We still want to be high performers, but at the same time, we also want health and wellbeing, and we value more than just our own careers. But how do you become a person who combine the two? Here are seven qualities that we believe are shared by all high performers who are also healthy and content.

1. They practice self-leadership.

If you want to perform at your best, you have to take responsibility for your own development. In a working life characterised by individual freedom, self-leadership has become more important than ever. A good self-leader has a holistic view of his own life and understands the importance of setting the right priorities. Self-leadership is also linked to self-awareness – knowing who you are, what your values are, how you behave and how you usually react in different situations. Being able to lead oneself is also an absolute prerequisite for being able to lead others.

2. They have their goals and vision in sight every day.

Most people have plenty of dreams, goals and things they want to achieve in life. But then everyday life comes and intrudes. Unfortunately, it is all too common for us to see everyday life and long-term ambitions as two completely different and unrelated things. With that attitude, you can't get far. Long-term success and great achievements are realised through good habits and routines, along with an ability to prioritise the actions that really produce results. Every day.

3. They always want to develop and learn new things.

A constant search for new knowledge, insights and perspectives is one of the most underrated paths to creativity and success. By always being hungry for knowledge and open to new ideas, you can find answers to things that you didn't even know you were wondering about. Above all, you can see connections that you have never seen before. That's how creativity and innovation arise. With an open and curious attitude, you also get better at living your own life. The pennies drop, one after another, and you experience how you are becoming more and more perceptive – an amazing feeling!

4. They take care of their health.

There are careerists who brag about neglecting their own health in their quest for big accomplishments. But that’s kind of like a Formula One driver bragging about mistreating his own car. Fortunately, however, this attitude is becoming less and less common in today’s working life. If you want to perform at your best, not only short-term but also long-term, you have to take good care of your diet, exercise, sleep and mental health. Stress, sleep deprivation and other problems have a strongly negative effect on cognitive ability, and in extreme cases, lead to burnout. Diet and exercise are also important for us to be ableto perform. Taking responsibility for your own health is therefore one of the best investments you can make if you want to be successful in your career and in life.

5. They give more than they take.

This is something of a golden rule that applies both in working life and in private relationships. High performers are smart enough to realize that altruism, generosity, and the desire to “go the extra mile” for other people is an absolute “win-win” concept. By always asking how you can contribute to the development and well-being of others, rather than just thinking about your own needs, you can become a person who always adds enormous value to a situation. And then you can be sure that what comes back to you will also be valuable.

6. They are not perfectionists.

Having high ambitions is a fantastic quality, but if you place too high demands on yourself, you run the risk of getting bogged down in work and eventually burning yourself out. The difference between perfectionists and high performers who have a sense of wellbeing is that perfectionists are often driven by a critical “inner voice” that constantly tells them that their work is not good enough. Healthy high performers also strive for excellence in many contexts but are driven by a desire to simply do the job as well as possible. And they also realize that not everything actually has to be perfect – sometimes you have to settle for “good enough” so that you can move on to the next task.

7. They embrace change.

A lot of people are terrified of change, and that's not really very strange. One is often afraid of losing what one already has, which may have taken years to build up. Sometimes you're even afraid of losing yourself and your identity. But successful, high-performing people realize that change is an inevitable part of life – and that in the end change often leads to something better. If, on the other hand, you try to resist the change, there is a great risk that you will eventually lose your vitality and inner fire, and then there will not be much left of what you want so much to preserve. The core and essence of a person's life and identity remain the same – and by embracing change, you can make sure you get the best out of that essence tomorrow as well.