Healthy LIV - Post Peak Performance Guide by Julien Uhlig

As humans, we are programmed to strive for success and peak performance. We set goals, work hard, and push ourselves to the limit to achieve our desired outcomes. But what happens after we've reached our peak? How do we reset and find our following motivation to keep going?

In this article, we will explore the various ways to reset after a peak performance and find renewed motivation to keep striving for success.

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Healthy LIV- Is part of LIV-LIFE

Often, the happiest times in life are when we feel a sense of certainty and our needs are met at a high level. For some, it may seem like a spoiled mindset, but finding the optimal Balance of health, fitness, Sleep, work, purpose, Love, sexuality, and connection with friends can make life feel like paradise. Imagine waking up every morning in a place you love, surrounded by people who care about you and feeling fulfilled in all aspects of your life. That feeling of creating your own destiny and living life to the fullest is truly one of the most satisfying experiences. When we take control of our lives and make choices that align with our values, we are empowered to create the life we desire. So go ahead, take a step back, and focus on finding that optimal Balance that brings you joy and fulfillment. Life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and it's up to us to make it happen. The last years in Bali have been exactly like this, a special place in time with awesome people- everyone had time, and tourists were gone. Yes! It was paradise, and we all who spent Covid guaranteed on the island of the gods felt it.

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Post Peak Performance! Where to go from here?

While all great parties must end, the memories and experiences we gain from them are timeless. Though the days of zero tourists, empty roads, and half-price discounts in Bali may not return, let's appreciate the memories we've made and continue to cherish the island's beauty and culture. Bali will always be a fantastic place to live, even with the return of crowds and traffic. So why do so many of us feel so lost?

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Understanding the Post Peak Performance Blues

Achieving a peak performance can feel euphoric, and feeling a sense of letdown when the event is over is natural. This feeling is known as the post-peak performance blues, a common phenomenon experienced by many high achievers. As a professional singer, preparing for months at peak with complete focus, the morning after the last show has always been devastating. During the rehearsal process, you are in the zone; nothing else matters; you create a community with the ensemble, goals align, creativity flows, the audience cheers, and then there is nothing! After a short moment of pride comes the loneliness and the feeling of what's next. Later in my career, I got almost the same thrill from closing large investment deals, which also can fall apart at any moment; until the money is in the account, and the level of uncertainty is almost overwhelming, and there is always that Moment right before closing when everything feels like it's falling apart- These are the moments that take the most power in leadership and ultimately defines your success- are you strong enough to close that deal no matter what obstacles are thrown at you. I am still until today on 24/7 alert, ready to answer any question before they can turn into doubt- I am deeply driven by the paranoia that a deal is not done until it is done! The one difference to excellent performance is that you often do not even get a cast party. I felt so emotionally empty at the end of the last big deals I signed that I would go to Sleep.

Healthy LIV- Community and Strength

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Can a Country or a Group of People be Depressed Together? Oh, Yes, they can!

Yes! I have never lived in a place in a depression or recession. For thirty years, I have decided to follow the party, usually the artists who create a self-fulfilling prophecy of growth.

And go to parts of the world where things are improving. In the mid-nineties, I spent ten years enjoying the boom in New York City, long before the financial collapse of 2008. I saw the signs on the wall and left in 2006 for Italy and later Switzerland, then having my residence during the boom years in Germany before spending more boom years in California and subsequently South East Asia, where the starting point of development was much lower but looking back to being in China 15 Years ago, the development of Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, it is wow, things are booming. What did I learn during my travels?

People do get depressed; vising Germany in late 1990 with high unemployment, and social unrest, people were hopeless. Vising even the South of the United States in 2009, even the most cheerful people had only negative things to say; everyone was constantly complaining. Things changed as a society- populations overall get depressed and lost.

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What to do Next?Acknowledge Your Accomplishments

Before you can reset, taking a moment to acknowledge your accomplishments is essential. Happiness does not happen by accident; you make it happen by making the right decisions, being in the right place at the right time, and embracing the situation to the fullest. Congratulations! You can only enjoy a party you attended; most people are too lazy and unable to make it. Congratulations for showing up, being part of, create your own reality- well done!

Reflect on what you achieved and the hard work that went into it. Celebrate your success, permit yourself to feel proud of your accomplishments, foster the memories, and keep your memories in a special place in your heart and mind.

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Take a Break and Reset Physically and Mentally

After a peak performance, taking a break to recharge and refresh is essential, which might feel like a real letdown. Take some time off work, vacation, or engage in enjoyable activities. This break will help you regain your energy and motivation. For myself, I tighten my discipline, exercise more, create more, sleep more, drink less, detox and reset and try not to get bitter because, of course, this is by far not as much fun as the event; it is the cleaning up the bottles in the morning phase after a great party. Accessing the damage to yourself and mind, often physical and mental harm, I drink and eat a lot more under pressure. Long work hours interfere with my Sleep. I usually gain 10 pounds closing a deal- I can age ten years in 3 months once cortisol gets pumping 24/7.

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Reevaluate Your Goals

After a break, it's time to reevaluate your goals. Determine what you want to achieve next, and create a plan to get there. Ensure that your goals align with your values and are realistic and achievable. Please refrain from the temptations to look for the next high without purpose, success is a drug, and there is no end; winning is temporary and will never ever give you long-term happiness; on the contrary, how often have I seen companies and friends lose everything because they did not leave the table. If you make deals without purpose, you are a gambler, and no matter how good you are at the game, you will lose everything at some point. So unless you are a World Record Setting influencer, chill first- find gratitude in what you have first; before climbing, evaluate the risks and look deeply at why you need to mount the next mountain; if it's just ego and thrill, think twice. For me, Michael Schumacher is a great example, risking a lifetime of happiness for a few minute thrill chasing down a mountain. Now if his family or career depended on it, I would even get it, but for thrill and ego only; in hindsight, he would agree that it was not the right decision. As a classic case, I have done many things to feel valued by my family; in hindsight, that is a terrible driver. To reevaluate what is essential to me is a lot easier and cheaper.

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Engage in Mindful Practices

Mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, or journaling can help you reset and find clarity. These practices help you develop self-awareness, reduce stress, and increase focus. Take time to think, no phones, nothing- commit to doing nothing, which is the hardest thing for most people! If someone like me can find 30 minutes at night to try our different forms of meditation, mindfulness, and affirmations, anyone can. For someone who has always struggled with falling asleep, simply because all my creativity happens at night, it is when all the magic happens; so many times, I do not want to stop until I am done with a project, for example. Sleep Meditation and Improving my Sleep is not always easy with two little kids, and working in a 15 Hour removed time zone is vital. Poor Sleep is the cause of almost all evil- low testosterone, low serotonin, high cortisol, weight gain, grogginess, alcohol abuse, overeating, and pretty much all risk factors for Cancer and Cardio Vascular Diseases. For me, start with how I sleep.

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Stop Amplifying Negative Thoughts

When we think about something long and often enough, it becomes a feeling creating an endless loop. We have a lot of genius, great, and shitty thoughts throughout the day. Why it feels that all thoughts are created equal and have the same weight, some are simply better for us as humans than others; where your focus goes, your feeling will grow. We are aware of how powerful a spoken negative statement can be. You can have 20 people at a dinner party complimenting the food- if one blurts out how terrible everything is, the party is over! We are hard-wired to resonate so strongly with negative messaging science rates a negative outspoke statement as about 70 x more potent than a positive internal thought. So you will need many people telling you how amazing your Lasagne was for one person bitching. So angry, frustrated, depressed people create a very re-affirming negativity feedback loop; just look at Fox News- yes, it works.

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Stay Away from Negativity as Much as Possible

Unfortunately, you might have to make tough choices if you are already on the path to negativity; avoid negative information and negative narrative like the plague. If your whole country is stuck in a recession, get out! You can always come back after it's over! For years, I used to travel twice a month to our office outside of Munich from living primarily in Los Angeles. Depending on the time of the year, I would see different versions of the same person working with me in the office! There was the problem winter person, hopeless, negative, complaining, comes spring most problems seem to magically disappear. What happened, during the winter month, a negative feedback loop kept growing and growing every time someone complained about the weather, getting sick, or children having colds- By January, 80% of all spoken words were negative. I am susceptible to these changes in my environment and thrive on the energy surrounding me; I made it a rule to stay for 2-3 days only to not fall into a deep depression myself, which does not benefit anyone.

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Connect with Others- Back to the Beginning

Surround yourself with supportive and motivating people. Share your goals with them, and seek their guidance and support. Join a support group or find a mentor to help you navigate the next phase of your journey. I tend to return to making music and reach out to creatives, musicians, and fashion people. People who love that they do have a higher chance of sharing positive energy than people who have to compensate already for having to do something every day for hours that they fundamentally dislike. I, for example, hate fundraising from the bottom of my heart; I despise every part of asking and raising investor money. Even after raising over 150 USD Mil. from over 1000 Investors, many of them my personal friends, I dread every phone call and every E-Mail. I need things that inspire me to do my work, but at least I have a purpose; if I do not raise the money, fantastic technology that will empower humanity will not make it to markets.

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Learn a New Skill- Even if You Suck at it!

Learning a new skill can help you reset and gain renewed motivation. It can be something related to your work, a hobby, or a personal interest. Learning new things can stimulate your mind and increase your confidence. I spend about 20 Hours every week learning new skills, from AI to learning new software programs. Doing something that is probably pointless, and there is a good chance that you suck at it at first, can give you little moments of achievement. Opens new parts of the brain, makes you reevaluate what you know, and opens the doors to doing new things or the same things differently.

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Embrace Change- You Deserve it!

Embrace change and be open to new opportunities. Avoid getting stuck in your comfort zone and embrace new challenges. The more you step outside of your comfort zone, the more you'll grow and develop. I know that this is easier said than done; most people my age have been in their comfort zone since their mid-twenties and have had zero personal growth for decades. This is the Classic Story of: "He died at 28 and was buried at 80!" You know what I am talking about. For people like me who have been re-inventing themself for 30 years, again and again, we might get too lazy to change again. Is there a point where you have changed enough? Unfortunately, there is not- either you change or you will deteriorate. Too much bliss for too long is not good for your brain- our mind and body were meant to hunt and gather stuff for survival. Otherwise, evolution would have given us the shape of a couch cushion. We are meant to struggle and strive!

Seek Professional Help- Of any Kind!

If you struggle to reset after a peak performance, seek professional help. A therapist or coach can help you gain perspective, develop coping strategies, and move forward with renewed motivation.

Many of us fall into such a deep hole that we cannot see the light anymore. Find someone who can help you with essential functions and improve your exercise, Sleep, diet, community, purpose, or creativity. Try to find a micro-focus instead of climbing the next mountain; try a few days of juice fast. Find someone to run within the morning, and be aware that this is the hangover, and it will pass! Create as much normality as possible. Double down on positive and healthy habits, even if they give you zero pleasure. Stay away from Drugs and Medication- feeling lost is vital to reset your inner compass; there is probably something a the end of the process that will turn out valuable.

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The Most Important Lesson- Do not make Drastic Decisions at this Moment

Most of us dislike the feeling of being in the hole so much that we are willing to do anything to make it end fast. Write down your demons, and Bingo. This will be what you are craving. If you need validation and Love, you will rethink your relationship because more attention, Love, and sex might fill the void in your life. You might feel like buying things because you deserve them and are looking for a happy switch, but it is not working! You might be drawn to drugs, alcohol, and extreme Experiences to jump-start testosterone and get your neurons fired up. You will probably waste a lot of money and time and seriously damage everything you have built up during your great time. Become the master of small decisions, small steps, and boring stuff. Take a trip, and visit some friends!

Once your hormones and mind are back in Balance, you can rethink big life-changing decisions. It is all part of the process; enjoy it! Always remember that you are feeling down because you just experienced something amazing. How many people can say that?

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Conclusion

Peak performances are moments to be celebrated but can also be followed by a sense of letdown. The key to resetting and finding renewed motivation is to take a break, reevaluate your goals, engage in mindful practices, connect with others, learn a new skill, embrace change, and seek professional help.

Remember that success is not a destination but a journey. By resetting and refocusing, you can continue on your path to achieving your goals and living a fulfilling life. Post Peak is not the Moment to make big decisions; it is the time to micro-improve you back to Balance.

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