In order to optimally pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, it is essential that we are relentless in our daily tasks and activities.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
Throughout this article series, the principles required to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance have been discussed in detail. The development, implementation, and complementary integration of somatic practices and psychological skills in conjunction with maximizing recovery are essential. It should be readily understood that the process of optimally leveraging our biology in order to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance is a long term endeavor. Furthermore, there are inevitable obstacles and setbacks along the path. If we are to fully pursue these goals and objectives, it is essential that we have a relentless perspective.
When discussing the concept of a relentless pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, it is important to further understand what is meant by the term relentless. In this context, relentless describes a continuous and tenacious pursuit of all the necessary processes and skill development. In order to exhibit a relentless perspective, we are as consistent as possible in our attempt to develop and train the necessary skills, strategies, and tactics. In addition, we continually attempt to layer repetitions, such that we develop our abilities, extend our capacity, reach our potential, and continue this pursuit despite the inevitable obstacles and setbacks we will encounter.
The above description should make clear that in order to successfully pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance across any and all domains it is imperative that we are relentless in this pursuit. If we are not able to be relentless in the necessary activities, it is inevitable that we will not optimally develop the skills, strategies, and tactics necessary to leverage our biology. Furthermore, we will not layer the necessary repetitions in order to develop and extend our potential and capacity so that we can meet our goals. Without a relentless perspective, it is inevitable that when we encounter obstacles and setbacks, which is unavoidable in these pursuits, we will not continue our pursuit.
In essence, when we can maintain a relentless pursuit of our objectives, we will inherently continue along our path irrespective of when we face the inevitable setbacks and situations in which things do not go our way. We will continue to develop and optimize the necessary skills, strategies, and tactics to allow us to continue our pursuit. This also involves a continuous attempt to be the best version of our self in all domains of life and to continuously attempt to improve upon this version.
Related to the above concept of relentlessly pursuing the best version of ourselves, is an understanding that we are seeking to always improve. We do this not from a perspective of feeling as if we are never enough as we currently are, but rather in an attempt to get better. Inherent within this understanding is the concept that we are looking to become an ever better version of ourselves while simultaneously accepting that we are enough as we currently are.
While the advantages to this relentless perspective, as described above, may be clear, it is also necessary to describe the required steps in order to become relentless. When we consider this from the framework of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, it is important to note that a relentless perspective can only emerge from anchored and grounded states. To better understand why this is the case, it is first useful to consider when we have shifted away from these states and into protective and defensive states. When such shifts occur, the inherent physical and psychological attributes which emerge place significant limitations and challenges upon the concept of being relentless. When we are looking to protect and defend ourselves, it is difficult and perhaps impossible to persevere through challenges and setbacks. It is also difficult to continue to develop the necessary skills, strategies, and tactics to continuously improve ourselves and become the best version of our ourselves. From these protective and defensive states, it is all too easy to accept the status quo and to look to avoid potential challenges, such that we do not feel as if we are being evaluated by ourselves or others. This unavoidably limits our potential and prevents us from improving. These traits are the exact opposite of what is described above when we consider a relentless pursuit.
It is also important to understand that when we are seeking to be relentless in our pursuits, it is necessary that we do so from anchored and grounded states. The physical and psychological attributes which emerge from these states are necessary and supportive of the relentless pursuit of the best version of ourselves and the continuous development of the necessary skills, strategies, and tactics. It can be understood from this description that when we lose a relentless approach to our pursuits that this is an indicator that we have shifted it away from anchored and grounded states. From anchored and grounded states we are inherently better positioned to place our attention and focus on the process of developing skills, strategies, and tactics to support and promote our attempt to become the best version of ourself as consistently as possible.
Another important understanding is that in order to be relentless in our pursuits, we must have sufficient physiological, psychological, and emotional resources. Inherent within its very nature, a relentless pursuit is one in which we are in need of a continuous high level of resources. The ongoing development of the necessary skills, strategies, and tactics will inevitably be associated with consumption of these resources. Similarly, performing any task within any domain in life at the limits of our potential will necessarily require consumption of resources. In order to maintain this pursuit, we must therefore invest strongly in our recovery and restoration practices. This will allow us to maintain the necessary resources in order to continue this pursuit. In order to do this, it is necessary that we are able to shift into anchored and grounded states to allow for recovery and restoration.
As can hopefully be understood from the above discussion, a relentless perspective is an essential component to the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. This is equally applicable within and across all domains of our life. In order to bring this perspective to life, it is necessary that we are able to shift into and maintain, to the greatest extent possible, anchored and grounded states. As discussed throughout this article series, this requires strategies to strengthen these states as well as development of a flexible nervous system, such that we are able to shift back into anchored and grounded states when we experience the inevitable shifts towards activated, attacking, anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states.
When we are able to develop a relentless perspective, we are able to optimally leverage our biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. For this reason, the understanding of a relentless perspective and its development are both essential factors in our pursuit.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.