Elevate

1. Capacity building is the key to personal and professional elevation

Capacity building is the method by which individuals seek, acquire, and develop the skills and abilities to consistently perform at a higher level in pursuit of their innate potential.

Four elements of capacity building. Spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional capacities are interconnected and essential for personal growth and achievement. Like chambers of an inflatable ball, these elements must be developed simultaneously for optimal performance.

Continuous improvement. Capacity building is not about doing more, but doing more of the right things. It's a gradual process, similar to developing a muscle, requiring consistent commitment and incremental improvement. High achievers across all spectrums of life and business have found ways to build their capacity at faster rates than their peers, giving them a competitive advantage.

Elevating others. As individuals build their own capacity and achieve more, they develop the ability to help others do the same. This creates a virtuous cycle that benefits everyone involved, lifting while climbing.

2. Spiritual capacity: Align your actions with your core values and purpose

At its core, spiritual capacity is about understanding who you are and what you want most for your life.

Discover your core values. Identify the principles that are most important to you by reflecting on times when you felt energized or drained. These values serve as guideposts for decision-making and help you navigate life more effectively.

Uncover your core purpose. Your core purpose, or "why," is the ultimate destination supported by your values. It's the topic sentence for your life, providing clear direction and motivation. Tools like the Why Stack or Start with Why can help you discover your purpose.

Create alignment. Developing your spiritual capacity is essential for creating alignment between what you want most and your daily actions. This alignment ensures that your energy and efforts are not misplaced and that you're working towards authentic success and fulfillment.

3. Intellectual capacity: Commit to lifelong learning and proactive goal-setting

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.

Adopt a growth mindset. Believe that your intelligence and abilities can always improve. This mindset leads to a commitment to lifelong learning and a desire to continuously upgrade your knowledge and skills.

Set SMART goals. Establish specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals across personal, professional, family, and community dimensions. Align short-term goals with long-term objectives to ensure meaningful progress.

Be proactive. Take action and focus on what you can control. Choose to move forward rather than dwelling on past mistakes or uncontrollable circumstances. Remember, we often regret the things we didn't do more than the ones we did.

• Establish a morning routine
• Join a mastermind group or seek out mentors
• Continuously seek feedback and be open to constructive criticism

4. Physical capacity: Prioritize health, sleep, and stress management

Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.

Holistic health approach. Recognize that physical capacity encompasses more than just exercise. It includes nutrition, sleep, and stress management, all of which significantly impact your overall well-being and performance.

Prioritize sleep and stress management. Lack of sleep and chronic stress can lead to poor decision-making and health issues. Implement strategies to improve sleep quality and manage stress, such as:

• Regular meditation or mindfulness practices
• Creating a consistent sleep schedule
• Taking breaks throughout the day to recharge
• Engaging in physical activities that elevate your heart rate

Nutrition and exercise. Follow Michael Pollan's advice: "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." Incorporate both strength training and cardiovascular exercise into your routine for optimal health and injury prevention.

5. Emotional capacity: Overcome self-limiting beliefs and embrace discomfort

He or she who is willing to be the most uncomfortable is not only the bravest but rises the fastest.

Challenge self-limiting beliefs. Recognize that many of your limits are self-imposed or influenced by others. Shift your language from "I want to" to "I am going to" to change your mindset and focus on the how rather than the why not.

Embrace discomfort and vulnerability. Growth occurs when you step outside your comfort zone. Engage in activities that scare you a little, such as:

• Trying new foods or attending social events where you don't know anyone
• Making cold calls or having difficult conversations
• Traveling to unfamiliar places or learning a new language

Practice self-awareness. Journaling, seeking feedback, and reflecting on your experiences can help you identify areas for growth and overcome cognitive dissonance.

6. Cultivate meaningful relationships and a positive attitude

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your relationships.

Focus on quality relationships. Surround yourself with people who energize you and help you be your best self. Remember Jim Rohn's saying: "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."

Develop a positive attitude. Approach challenges as opportunities and focus on solutions rather than problems. Practice gratitude to shift your focus away from self-centered thinking and toward appreciation for what you have.

Be intentional about relationships. Evaluate your current relationships and make difficult decisions to deemphasize or end those that drain your energy or hold you back. Cultivate relationships of significance that align with your values and goals.

• Create a relationships dashboard of important people in your life
• Reach out to one person each day to maintain connections
• Seek out mentors or join mastermind groups for personal and professional growth

7. Competition and resilience are essential for growth and achievement

Part of resilience is deciding to make yourself miserable over something that matters or deciding to make yourself miserable over something that doesn't matter.

Embrace healthy competition. Understand that competition helps set higher standards and drives innovation. Compete to elevate your own game and push those around you to improve, rather than focusing on winning at all costs.

Build resilience. Recognize that setbacks and failures are part of the journey to success. Develop mental toughness by:

• Overcoming physical challenges to build confidence
• Maintaining a clear sense of purpose during difficult times
• Learning from failures and using them as opportunities for growth

Persistence and grit. Remember that success often comes to those who refuse to give up, not necessarily the strongest or smartest. Cultivate a mindset of perseverance and commitment to your goals.

8. Break free from conformity to unlock your true potential

Be the person you needed when you were younger.

Recognize the limitations of conformity. Understand that traditional education systems and societal norms often reward conformity at the expense of creativity and independent thinking. Many successful leaders and entrepreneurs struggled with these expectations as children.

Embrace your unique strengths. Instead of viewing nonconformity or independent-mindedness as weaknesses, recognize them as potential strengths. Seek out environments and opportunities that allow you to leverage these qualities.

Create a better path for others. Use your experiences and insights to inspire and guide others, especially young people, who may be struggling to find their place in a conformity-driven world. Encourage them to:

• Explore their passions and interests
• Develop their unique strengths and talents
• Seek out mentors and role models who have succeeded by following unconventional paths

By breaking free from the "curse of the cog" and embracing your authentic self, you can unlock your true potential and pave the way for others to do the same.

Last updated: May 17, 2025