Many people believe that high performance people such as Michael Jordan, Elon Musk and Michael Phelps are just blessed with superior genetics. But that simply is not true. The fact is, these individuals have beliefs that they picked up somewhere in their lives that made them the high performance individuals that they are.

A high performer has the ability to achieve much more success and growth than an “ordinary” person. They are individuals who tend to become celebrities and authorities in their respective fields. But these great achievements are not only due to their actions but also due to the beliefs they have that most people do not.

The good news is, these beliefs can be adopted by anyone including you, to help you become a high performance individual regardless of your past performances in your life so far.

Below are 5 beliefs that make high performance individuals achieve more than anyone else:

1. They Love Themselves More Than Anyone

Self love and high self-esteem is a requirement for high performance. If you don’t love yourself enough that you believe in yourself to succeed and believe you deserve to succeed, then you won’t achieve it. If you view yourself as less than others then you’ll find a way to make that a reality.

Low self-esteem makes people afraid of failure which results in them not taking any worthy action. On the other hand, people with high self esteem believe they are worthy of greatness and therefore are not afraid to take the risks associated with it. A high performance person loves themselves more than anyone else loves them. If you don’t believe in yourself first, no one will.

2. They Are Fueled with “Fear”

People who appear fearless simply just accept the pressure and use it as their fuel to perform at their best. Have you ever prepared for a presentation only to feel an intense feeling of anxiety before you go out to present the real thing? Apart from hours of practice under pressure, high performers welcome that fear; they enjoy it. They are almost like adrenaline junkies who use it as their energy.

“The difference between a failure and a high performance individual is how each deals with fear. We are all afraid. A high performance person uses his fear to galvanize his actions.” – Dan Peña

3. They’re Willing to Pay

High performers have the same needs and desires as everyone else. They enjoy a fun time just like the next person but they know they have to make sacrifices to achieve success. The sacrifices you need to make depend on the level of success you want to achieve and the field you’re in. If you’re after the billionaire lifestyle then look at the work ethic and sacrifices a billionaire such as Elon Musk has to make compared to someone earning 6-7 figures on their laptop.

High performers don’t mind working hard now so they can live an easy life that ordinary people can only dream of simply because they didn’t pay the price. High performers are ready to pay the price with sweat, blood and tears.

4. They Don’t Hang

You don’t see high performance people hanging out with their friends every Friday. They don’t meet up every week to go for drinks or go to watch the game. No, that’s what ordinary people do that high achievers do not do.

High performance individuals know that they become the average of the people they surround themselves with. They know that surrounding themselves with people with poor and negative mindsets can negatively impact their performance.

If you’re not already a high performer then you must seek a new circle of friends if you want to see a change in your life. As the saying goes, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

5. They Are Laser Beam Focused

They are focused on the few not the many. Most people with an entrepreneurial spirit tend to chase every “opportunity” that comes their way. Although these may be great opportunities or methods that get you closer to your goals, trying to do them all at once gets you nowhere. The first time Bill Gates and Warren Buffett met at a dinner party, they were asked what they attributed most of their success to. Both of them summed it up in one word: focus.

“The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus.” – Bruce Lee

Although there are many more beliefs a high performance individual have, these are the 5 beliefs that most ordinary people lack that high performers have. The key is to remove any negative beliefs you’ve had and replace them with high performance beliefs in order to develop a powerful mindset. Remember, that half of the game is mental.

So learn to love yourself, fuel your actions with “fear”, be ready to pay the price, surround yourself with the right people and stay focused on achieving your success. Are you hungry for success? If so, how much do you want to achieve in your lifetime? Let us know know below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com