What's your greatest liability?

October 2, 2023

I dunno about you, but when I’ve had bad days and performances, it’s always been preceded by a not-so-perfect mindset.

Has that been the case for you as well?

I mean, I’ve never been simultaneously at the top of my mental game and been caught off-guard by a lackluster performance.

Now, the specific results (which we never have direct control over) may not have been what I was hoping for…

But when my psychology has been fine-tuned, my output has been outstanding.

And the opposite has been the case as well.

So if you’re not where you want to be and are frustrated and feel like you’re BANGING YOUR HEAD AGAINST A WALL getting nowhere?

Speaking from my own experience: your mind and emotions ain’t quite right.

Which means your current mindset is, in all likelihood, your greatest liability.

But the good news is, you can turn it into your greatest asset with great rapidity…

IF you know which levers to pull.

One such lever is massively elevating positive emotions like faith, trust, and enthusiasm.

If you pull on that one lever alone, I’m telling you, you can turn a corner this very day.

You can lift yourself out of a personal “slump”. But you’ve got to generate sufficient positive emotional energy necessary to shift the momentum.

Or you can take an area that you’re already excelling in and use that very same lever…

to go to a whole new level.

You can surprise everyone, including yourself.

Here’s another lever to pull: do a refresh.

By a “refresh”, I mean take something that's static in your life and inject new life into it. Spruce it up a bit.

An example:

Instead of complaining that your house, your income level, or the players on your team are “too small”, change it up.

Take a room in your house and sell all the old furniture you hate looking at and get some new – or newer – stuff that fits the space better and makes it feel more spacious.

Or give yourself a $5,000-$10,000 raise next year by cutting out “stupid spending” (things like subscriptions you have to services you don’t even use anymore, but never think about either because they just get charged to your credit card every month).

Or work with the other coaches on your team to help the athletes already on your roster make gains in size and speed. Those little, incremental improvements in size, speed, and agility will yield more wins for your team (when combined with a little patience and commitment to the process).

Do you have any things in your life that feel stagnant – or "meh" – at the moment?

Then go forth and make what you already have something that feels brand new.

For more in-depth, personal recommendations, go here.

Top Gun box office mayhem

July 25, 2022

Since you’re not someone who hides under a rock, you’ve surely heard from a friend or family member that the new Top Gun movie is pretty bitchin.

So far it has grossed around $624 million stateside, and with international sales added to that figure, is sitting at over $1.2 billion in total.

And there’s good reason for it…

For one thing, it’s uplifting and patriotic.

And while patriotism appears to be incredibly "out-of-style" if you sample the current climate in this country via the media, there are apparently huge – and underrepresented – swaths of the U.S. population who are very patriotic and actually enjoy such movies.

Also…

It’s just a good friggin’ movie.

There’s amazing action throughout the film that doesn’t rely on cheesy computer-generated images – there are real humans flying real fighter planes.

So that’s a plus.

There’s also a healthy dose of nostalgia that sits quite nicely with all of us who saw the original Top Gun in the 80s.

Plus the plot and the writing are super fun.

More on that:

Without giving anything away for those who haven’t seen it yet, Maverick (Tom Cruise’s character) gets brought in to coach America’s very best fighter pilots for a mission that’s basically impossible (how apropos).

Anywho, he’s one of the only people on the planet crazy enough to believe that the mission that needs to be flown can be flown.

And then, he has to show this small, elite group of pilots that it is, in fact, doable.

At some level the pilots believe that, just maybe it can be done because they’re there – wanting to fly this very important mission.

But it’s a hell of a difficult task they have in front of them.

So naturally, they need Maverick to guide the process.

For the rest of the story, you’ll have to go check out the film yourself (and you’ll be glad you saw it in the theater because the flight sequences are unbelievable, with an intensity that makes you feel the g’s these peeps are pulling in the air).

But I found it so interesting, because this small band of the very best pilots in the world, who wanted to do something that any "sane" person would bail out on, showed up despite all of their doubt, and the insanely high risks inherent.

And to have a chance at being successful – even though they were already the best pilots in the world – they needed a coach who could help them execute this mission ahead; one with less-than-razor-thin error margins.

All that to say, it reminded me very much of my coaching role…

My "pilots" are seasoned high-performers (at whatever their chosen field of endeavor) who have some important mission they’re called to engage.

And yet, they know they’re going to need coaching – someone who will be in the throes of battle with them – if they are going to do the impossible.

I’m always honored to work with the best, as well as those on their way to being their best.

Whether it’s helping them fortify their mental game so they’re ready to perform at their best, or bringing the right mission strategy into focus, or ensuring they have an amazing quality of life even through all the craziness, it’s truly an honor.

If you or someone you know has a mission on the heart, and senses this is the time to launch, I’d love to connect and see if we’re a fit.

And while there are very few spots on the squadron that I coach, there always seems to be room for the right person… who makes room for themselves...

If that's you, check this out:
https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

Tales from the performance anxiety crypt

November 14, 2021

One of the most horrifying experiences a person can have is seizing up with performance anxiety.

We all have important moments when we have to be "on", and how we do in those moments is highly consequential to our future.

Athletes are perhaps most familiar with this crippling angst.

They have all of their blood, sweat, and tears from days, months, and years of training on the line when competition day arrives.

And all of the bright lights – as well as the eyes of everyone in the crowd – are focused on them.

There’s nowhere to hide.

One would think that accomplished athletes have this mastered (and some of them do), but I can assure you there are a surprising number who still struggle with crippling performance anxiety at times.

Imagine having everything on the line, people expecting great things from you, and loads of money and a championship or Olympic medal at stake.

But you’re one of the best so you’ll be fine right?

Right…

Until the anxiety monster creeps in and the choking starts.

More often than you might imagine, the best person doesn’t win – even in sports, and with a completely level playing field.

Being a swimmer myself, one of the prime examples that comes immediately to mind is the much-dreaded Olympic Trials.

Every four years, the greatest swimmers in the U.S. gather to test their mettle at Trials for the opportunity to gain a spot on the Olympic Team.

I’ve heard multiple gold medalists talk about how Trials is more nerve-racking than competing at the actual Olympic Games.

So there’s a lot of pressure, to say the least.

And every time the Trials take place, nerves get the better of some of the greatest athletes there, and they – much to everyone’s surprise – have "their spot" on the Olympic Team snatched away by someone considered to be far less "qualified" to go.

So yeah – performance anxiety is a humongo problem.

And it most definitely affects business people and professionals and artists and… everyone on the planet.

It’s an especially prominent feature in the lives of people who have a lot of ambition and push themselves with regularity.

But sports and athletic endeavors is where this phenomenon is most universal and obvious in its dastardly effects to the onlookers.

Now, if this performance anxiety demon is a death dealer to people’s dreams, what can one do to keep out of its grasp (and out of the dreaded crypt)?

Well, the short answer is by turning performance anxiety around on itself.

That’s what the guys and gals do who, like clockwork, "come out of nowhere" at Olympic Trials every four years and send gold medalist swimmers packing.

No: they aren’t nearly as talented, often times.

And they ain’t the best swimmers on earth.

But on that day, they have their mental game so dialed in that they are able to dethrone some who are the greatest swimmers on earth.

And they did it by turning the very thing that caused the other athletes to choke – performance anxiety – into psychological jet fuel.

So while the tales from the performance anxiety crypt are plenteous, there are just as many tales of victory, with the men and women being separated from the boys and girls by the elixir of proper Mental Training and Psychological Architecture.

The six inches between your ears can spell victory or defeat, and elevate or erase, years of dedicated physical training, depending on how it’s built, and then deployed come gameday.

So whether you’re an athlete or not, make sure you’re giving due attention to your mental strategy, because all of us encounter do-or-die moments where everything’s on the line.

And our mind can make us or break us.

So if you are, or know, an athlete or team who wants to stay on top (and out of the crypt), this guy has plenty of experience helping people slay the performance anxiety beast:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/speaking
https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

– Brian Bergford

Here’s what I think you’re full of

May 8, 2020

Let me just say at the outset what I’m about to say is predicated on the assumption that you’re an achiever by nature.

And when I say “nature,” that doesn’t just include folks who seemingly were born that way, but also those of you who consciously conditioned yourselves to be high-performers for so long now that it’s a part of who you are.

But enough with the preamble.

Here’s what I think you’re full (and capable) of: A hell of a lot more than you think you are.

You see, the truth is you didn’t just achieve your status as a high performer by luck, a magical alignment of the planets, or some other such B.S. You got there because something inside of you yearned for more. You decided, in fact, that you were capable – and worthy – of more. AND… you had the courage to step into the fray, dig deep, and get amazing performance out of yourself.

And no matter how much you might feel in this moment like you’re at an impasse, tired from pushing so hard, or that you’ve seen your best days, don’t believe it.

I’m here to tell you today that you’ve got great things ahead of you. You also have more in you than you think you do, perhaps lurking right beneath the surface.

But if that’s true, you may be wondering, How come I can’t seem to get any more out of myself? Why do I feel stuck even though I’m busting my rear end day in and day out?

If you’re tired of trying, you’re not alone.

And the culprit might be a mental loop incessantly prodding you to Dig, dig, dig.

If you’ve been in extraction mode, mining your depths for a long time, it can leave you feeling desperately empty.

Don’t believe that feeling, though, because it’s not true.

Believe instead that you’re sitting on a gold mine of human potential that’s about to ignite.

What if, instead of more digging, the answer is to drop a big arse torch down el mineshafto?

Perhaps all you need to feel fully alive and refreshed is to ignite something deep within, and then let that fire spread through your entire being.

If you’ve read this far, it indicates to me there’s a really good chance you’re picking up what I’m throwing down.

And what I’m throwing down is a challenge to stop digging yourself empty and, instead, reignite the fire so you can burn bright once again.

By the way, the best fires to start are either (a) the ones that were once burning bright but have become smoldering carcasses of their former glory or (b) the ones that have yet to be lit.

So what’s going to ignite, or reignite, your own unique superpowers? The answer to that is highly individual, so I’d suggest reflecting on what most inspires, uplifts, and motivates you, and then putting immense focus on those things immediately.

Remember, the answer you’re looking for may not involve pinning your ears back once again and digging to exhaustion. You may need to light an inner fire instead… and then pour jet fuel on it. I’ve worked with a ton of high-performing individuals just like you, and I can assure you from all my experience that you have far more inside than you can even imagine right now.

So let’s light it up.

The world is in desperate need of heroes.

And I’m challenging you to summon that hero within to rise, because this is your time.

I have a one-on-one coaching program for high-level performers that’s very exclusive (and admittedly expensive) that may be just what the doctor ordered. You can check it out here:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

And the Bergford Performance Systems App is loaded with tons of valuable content I’ve made available for free so you can amp up your performance right away! Go here to get your free invite:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/get-access

– Brian Bergford

An epic personal growth myth that kills people’s dreams

May 4, 2020

Many moons ago I was chatting with a good-natured entrepreneur at a social event. He was a kind fellow who had ambition to spare. We had a great discussion and I enjoyed his company immensely.

However, he struggled with an undiagnosed, systemic problem.

And it was ultimately keeping him from the life he wanted to create.

Since we weren’t in a coaching relationship or setting, it wouldn’t have been appropriate – or felt right – to raise the point with him.

But it was clear to me that my new acquaintance had fallen prey to an insidious myth that kills dreams the world over.

What was his underlying ideation?

If I just knew exactly what to do, I could get to where I want to go.

On the surface, this makes perfect sense.

When you have an ambitious person who’s not allergic to work, and knows the steps necessary to reach their dream, they’ll put in the effort and get where they want to go.

Here’s the problem…

In the course of our stimulating conversation, it became apparent that he actually did know exactly what to do. He was trying to create a result (in short: accelerate the growth of his new business) that is absolutely obtainable for someone like him, and I’ve watched – and helped – many people like him do it before.

But he hadn’t executed against the knowledge he demonstrated to me he already had.

Why not?

Because his deep-seated desires and needs were in conflict with one another.

So, he’d go out and will himself to do the work, but something would always sideline him, and he’d end up either backing down or trying a “new” approach.

In other words, he did know what to do (even though he kept saying he didn’t), and yet, he kept tripping over himself whenever he was just starting to gain some momentum.

Knowing what to do and being able to consistently execute are two very different things.

The issue for most of us isn’t knowing. It’s getting ourselves to consistently do what we know we need to do.

And that’s impossible when we have psychological programming (oftentimes beneath our conscious awareness) that sits in stark contrast to the efforts we must undertake to create the results we're after.

A better question than “What do I need to do?” is “Why am I not doing what I know I need to do?”

Let that last line really sink in.

Ask yourself the latter question and see what comes up for you…

Because will power is rarely the answer to moving ahead when you’re stuck.

It’s creating alignment between your aspirations and your psychology that’s key.

When you have that alignment, and you combine it with a great work ethic and a clear vision, there’s nothing that can stop you in the long-run.

If something external does stop you in the short-term, it will be a temporary blip because you’ll simply make the necessary course corrections and go again until you get it right.

Alignment is everything, my friend.

Just like taking a kink out of a hose allows the water to flow.

“Work out the kinks” as they say.

And you’ll be well on your way.

And if you need help today…

Working with a – dare I say – “poetic” coach will pay you back in spades.

Beholdeth thou my magical link: https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

– Brian Bergford

John Wick’s excellently brutal and bloody lesson for high achievers

January 26, 2020

The John Wick franchise is epic on many levels and has some great lessons embedded within it.

I re-watched the first 3 films in the Wick series this last week (there's a 4th film on the way I'm pumped about). Anywho, watching those first installments again was awesome. If a cat has nine lives, then Mr. Wick has, like, ten thousand. He gets so beat up in each film that it leaves one thinking he must have bones made of titanium and skin thicker than Teflon, along with rock-solid organs that never burst from blunt-force trauma.

For those of you who haven't seen the films, John is a former assassin who had withdrawn from his brutal career, only to get pulled back in years later after experiencing a deeply personal tragedy.

This guy is a legendary killer.

He defies seemingly impossible odds at every turn, often making mincemeat out of groups of highly trained fighters that dare seek his demise.

John creatively utilizes whatever a situation gives him, turning seemingly benign props (like pencils, books, and the like) into makeshift weapons that he uses take out his opponents.

He also makes great use of firearms in his conquests. I especially love one of his greatest and oft-used targets for his wildly accurate trigger finger:

The head shot.

He must shoot several hundred people in the head throughout the first three movies in the series. To many, this probably comes across as repetitive and annoyingly over-the-top.

But I love it.

Why?

He knows that making the grave mistake of not finishing off one of his opponents could land him in the, well, grave.

After all, a person can have gunshot wounds to seven different parts of the body, including the heart, and still have enough left in them to grab hold of a pistol lying on the ground and kill him.

In order to eliminate this possibility, John takes great care to make sure he finishes people off with a shot to the one part of their body that will ensure they're incapable of doing him any harm: their head.

Brief bonus lesson: if you want to take someone out, you must destroy their mind. High achievers who don't stay on top of their mental game inevitably fall prey to the disastrous effects of a mind that simply can't support peak performance. The end result isn't pretty for their bold ambitions.

But I digress.

The real lesson I want to highlight is the symbolic representation of the internal battle we all face: the onslaught of our excuses.

Excuses come at us left and right, and often they come en masse; a barrage of excuses that attack our dreams and ambitions. They tell us everything that we can't do.

And they don't stop there. Nay... They bring a host of "reasons" to support their assertions. In other words, they're highly trained and come prepared.

Most people succumb to their own excuses sooner or later.

Death by a thousand cuts as it were.

But the John Wick mental ninjas have trained themselves to a level that mere mortals never attain: they have mastered giving decisive, perfectly placed head shots to every one of their excuses. They don't settle for dispensing a crippling leg wound. That would be lame, after all.

Instead, they finish every excuse off with a beautifully delivered, devastating head shot.

And when the next excuse gets hurled their way?

Head shot.

And then the next one?

Head shot.

And -

Head shot.

The best in the world take their excuses out with an unflinching vengeance that can only be described as brutal... Just like John Wick making short work of his would-be assailants.

So the next time an excuse rears its ugly head and tells you why you can't and shouldn't do something that is in your heart to do, deliver a beautifully placed head shot that would make John Wick proud.

And then be ready for the next one that comes your way. And the next one... And the one after that.

Does it ever end? Nope. But the word starts to get out. And once you've trained your mind that excuses will be dispatched with extreme prejudice, it gets very reluctant to send them your way. All of the sudden, the onslaught begins slowing down and the path to your dreams begins to open up.

Now, don't be fooled: excuses will still show up to test you along the way, but if you're trained and vigilant, they'll be taken out before they know what hit them. And you will be walking tall, and powerfully, with a presence that exudes confidence, whilst striking fear into the hearts of excuses everywhere.

The one thing that the Wick franchise gives a very mistaken impression of is that this can all be done by one very tough guy with an indomitable will. While this is a seductive sentiment, it is plainly false.

We all need spotters to help us navigate the battles we face; people who can help us identify excuses that deceptively portray themselves as friends there to "protect" us. Because the only thing worse than a known enemy is a hidden enemy.

This is where having other mental ninjas in our corner can keep us safe, grounded, and wise when assessing threats that arise on our mental landscape.

For those seeking such guidance, I humbly suggest the following as the perfect place to start: https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

- Brian Bergford

How to get shredded over the Holidays

November 20, 2019

Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time when most people get together and merry themselves with jovial conversations, adult beverages, and a crap-ton of unhealthy food as they let themselves slide into oblivion.

And it’s fun, no doubt!

New Year’s Eve is similar in many ways, but usually involves A LOT more alcohol… Which means most people sleep in on January 1, and when they do wake up to the joyous fog of a hangover, get to start the new year off not with a bang, but with headache-ridden groaning instead.

So… If you want to use Thanksgiving and Christmas week as a kick-off to getting shredded, and go into the New Year with a clear-headed and vibrant running start, it stands to reason that all you have to do is the exact opposite of what the masses of people are doing.

The holidays, after all, can be a time of great enjoyment without devolving into a "Gluttony-off." And pretty much everywhere you look (assuming you have goals around better health and fitness) are examples of people doing exactly what it takes to get the opposite results you’re looking for.

That’s actually a great thing!

Instead of feeling pressured to go bananas over the holidays, just look around at the constant parade of behaviors that crush peoples' health and fitness, and be grateful. Let it remind you of what you are going to do instead: the opposite.

There's a Seinfeld episode where George decides he’s pretty much made a mess of his entire life. He concludes (rightly) that it’s a result of the decisions he’s made.

… And he’s had enough, damnit!

So, what does he do? He resolves that from here on out, he’s going to do the exact opposite of what he would normally do in every situation he encounters.

The results are profound, thought-provoking, and sure do shock the heck out of George. You can check out a priceless two-minute clip of the episode here: https://youtu.be/1Y_6fZGSOQI

So if the results you’ve been getting for yourself aren’t exactly the most "thrilling," what if you mixed things up and made some opposite – or at least opposite(ish) – decisions?

What if, for instance, instead of crushing a turkey leg, 10 slices of ham, a giant bowl of mashed potatoes with gravy, and chasing it all down with 5 cookies and 3 pieces of cherry pie with whipped cream at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, you doubled your water intake at dinner and ate portions a third of the size?

And just for fun, what if, instead of fighting with your in-laws at dinner when they make a comment about politics that you think is a load of crap, you let it go and make a point to give them a hug and tell them how much you appreciate them later that evening.

"Whoa – easy there!" You might say…

But seriously – what’s it going to hurt if you take these last 9 days of the decade to experiment with some very different approaches? Wouldn’t it be cool to see what comes out of it?!

And I know that life isn’t always as simple as "doing the opposite." There is great value in getting strategic guidance from, say, a great coach (I know of a guy if you need a recommendation).

But often times, the simplest solutions to our problems have the most profound impact on our lives.

So, what do you have to lose?

Take the Do the Opposite challenge for the next 9 days and see what happens – you may just surprise yourself this holiday season, and go into 2020 with a very different perspective.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

- Brian Bergford

How to win (without selling your soul)

September 30, 2019

History is replete with achievers who had everything going for them… until they face-planted and lost it all.

[Cue mental footage of a well-known celebrity, or some business mogul’s life burning down on television for the entire world to see]

But let's bring this closer to home: Have you ever wanted something so bad that you took things a little too far?

Maybe you wanted a promotion so bad that you “casually mentioned” something that wasn’t entirely true about one of your coworkers (who was better qualified for the role you wanted) in front of the person responsible for deciding who would be promoted.

And… you got the promotion, but to this very day you still don't feel right about it.

Or maybe you put so much emphasis on your career that other, more important, things (like, say, your physical health or intimate relationship) took a nosedive.

Perhaps you broke some rules in your sport, or hid information from your competitors because you put your love of winning above honesty and contribution.

There’s a million different ways that "soul selling for victory" can manifest.

It’s an easy trap to fall into if you’re naturally wired for growth and achievement. Trust me - I know. And I fell into this trap plenty of times in the past before I finally put a fix in place.

Let me share this simple fix so you can immediately deploy it, and wipe that out that dastardly soul selling devil for good: Decide that every step you take from now on is going to be rooted in personal integrity.

In other words, refuse to let greed for accomplishment hijack your decisions ever again; Always keep your higher self in the driver’s seat.

This is a personal decision that anyone can make (or not).

If you do make this all-important decision, it's going to require you to exercise tremendous self-control at times, but it’s well worth knowing that your victories didn’t come by way of soul selling.

Added bonus: you’ll be able to sleep soundly at night.

Sure, you might not make it as far as some of the “others” out there who will lie, cheat, and steal their way to the top, but you’ll still have your self respect at the end of the day…

And that’s priceless.

Do you think that having a proven system in place for creating clockwork performance and growth, while operating from a place of personal integrity is important? Essential, even? If you do, I am in full agreement.

And that’s exactly why I built my one-on-one coaching program for high-level performers that’s very exclusive (and admittedly expensive) that may be just what the doctor ordered. You can check it out here:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

And the Bergford Performance Systems App is loaded with tons of valuable content I’ve made available for free so you can amp up your performance right away! Go here and enter your primary email address and I’ll send you your free invite:

The secret use for baby gates you’ve never heard of

August 25, 2019

People use baby gates for a number of reasons.

Parents typically set them up to keep their tiny tots from wandering into a room that’s “off limits” or to prevent them from plunging headlong down a staircase.

People also use them for their pets to limit access to specific areas within the house... Come to think of it, a baby gate would have come in handy and prevented the moment of infamy I talked about in my email a couple weeks ago when one of my dogs pizzled in my wife’s shoe… but I digress.

Anyway, a few minutes ago I got back from a run, let my dogs outside, and then reset a baby gate we have in place downstairs.

And then this question came to mind:

Why don’t we apply the baby gate concept to our mental training?

I can’t be the only one who runs into trouble whenever I wander into certain mental “rooms” that I know I should probably steer clear of. It really annoys me when I do it, too, because once I come to my senses and realize where I am and that I need to get out, I’m like, Why the heck did I let myself wander in here in the first place? I know better than this!

Cue guilt and regret and shame.

Have you been there?

Would you like to stop backing yourself into corners psychologically, and eliminate habits that keep tripping you up?

Wouldn’t it be awesome if you spent more time in rooms with plenty of light, joy, and space to move freely?

Well, I have just the solution for you: Māby Gates!

And if you purchase within the next 15 minutes, you can get TWO Māby Gates (mental baby gates) for the price of one! That’s two Māby Gates for the low, low price of $0 (just pay separate processing and handling).

And using my patented mental delivery system, you can take possession of your Māby Gates instantly! All you have to do to acquire these magical devices is picture them in your mind, and then either wink, nod, or smile to accept delivery.

Do that now.

If you did it... Congrats on the purchase of your new Māby Gates! Here’s how to use them…

First, think about the mental rooms you enter that never seem to work out well for you. These could be as general as rooms occupied by worry, depression, gossip, or anger, or as specific as complaining – or making demeaning remarks – about your spouse when talking to your friends.

Really, we’re talking about anything you know is a bad habit. Bad habits, after all, are a product of the series of thoughts you followed that lead you into taking wrong action.

Next, pick one “mental room” you want to stop entering and imagine yourself stretching a big, beautiful, Māby Gate across the entrance to that room. Now secure it by locking it in place.

Installation is now complete.

The great thing about Māby Gates is that you can open them or step over them to get to wherever you choose to go. If you want to enter a certain room despite the Māby Gate in front of you, you are still free to do so.

But often times, the mere act of putting up a Māby Gate that’s decorated with warning signs and clear reminders of what you’re choosing to forfeit if you enter – as well as what alternative rooms you could choose instead – will help you cross that threshold less often.

This all boils down to using a simple, admittedly silly, mental image as a powerful reminder. If you use your Māby Gates consistently, you’ll cultivate a greater awareness – and be more conscious – of where you allow your mind to go.

Instead of just reflexively barging into the “Anger Room,” you'll see a Māby Gate on your approach, and it will remind you that you have a choice.

Taking a deep breath and thinking for five seconds before you enter a room with a Māby Gate can be the difference between having a miserable argument (and rest of your night) with your spouse, and having a good laugh, conversation (and maybe some other stuff) instead.

But it requires you to not just go careening carelessly through the Māby Gate without exercising awareness and thoughtfulness on the front end.

See how these Māby Gates work?

Simple.

Now that you know how to use your Māby Gates, start putting them to good use, and if you like them, let me know about some of the victories you experience as a result!

And p.s… I loaded The Bergford Performance Systems App with tons of valuable content I’ve made available for free so you can amp up your performance right away! Go here and enter your primary email address and I’ll send you your free invite:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/get-access

The ridiculously stoopid thing I did last weekend

January 27, 2019

I normally don’t eat any type of animal products – with the exception of fish for the benefit from the oils – and I keep a pretty clean diet. Now, “clean” is a relative term, and plenty of over-the-top people would consider my diet hideously unclean, but most normal people would consider it pretty darn good.

Anywho, last Saturday, it was one of those magical nights that I was going to deviate from my normal routine and have a cheat meal. But I took things waaaaay too far. In fact, right before I gave the waitress my order, a part of me was ever so subtly whispering Don’t do it. Doooooooon’t do it! But I was looking at that menu thinking of how obnoxiously delicious it would taste.

So, I did it. And those damn beef enchiladas almost did me in…

I was like Odysseus and the enchiladas were the Sirens calling to me from the rocky shore. Unfortunately, I was only loosely fastened to the mast, so I escaped my restraints and steered my ship aground. What an idiot.

Mind you, my body isn’t used to processing meat. I can get away with having a little chicken once in a blue moon when I cheat on my diet, but red meat is dangerous and I knew that going in. I, of course, told myself a tantalizing lie about how maybe this time it would work out okay. Can you spell, "stoopid"?

To be balanced in my reporting of the incident, I should point out that the song of the Enchilada Sirens was delightful. Those cheese-covered, beef-stuffed cylinders of yummy goodness were amazing. I was humming my own little Mmmmmm noises the entire time I was eating. It had been so long since I had a good beef enchilada. It was like meeting back up with an old friend.

Unfortunately, that old friend sent me on a week-long downward spiral. It was like I’d remembered the wonderful moments we used to have together and conveniently forgotten that my old friend was actually a deceitful, trifling wench. Thus, I yielded to temptation, enjoyed some momentary pleasure, and woke up the next morning on the proverbial rocky shore, battered and bruised.

Seriously – my energy was shot for the next 7 days. Mentally I was functioning at about 70% of normal. My body didn’t have the get-up-and-go power I’m used to. And yesterday I competed at the first swim meet of the year and got rocked. I was embarrassingly slow and just puttered along running on fumes.

In the words of the great Nacho Libre, all I kept saying to myself was, “SUCKS to be me right now!”

And I had no one to blame but myself. It wasn’t like I got food poisoning because the restaurant didn’t prepare my meal properly. I had no business ordering beef anything.

This morning, thank God, I finally felt back to my wildly energetic, ready-to-charge-hell-with-a-water-pistol self. It is a galaxy away from how I spent the last painful week…

What lesson did I take away from all of this?

Don’t do stoopid crap that you know you shouldn’t do.

Stoopid hurts.

Being stoopid will cause you to lose momentum, so steer clear! If you shipwreck yourself as I did, it’s not like you can blame someone else – you chose to be stoopid. You weren’t ignorant if you’re honest about it. You knew better at some level, yet you pretended you didn’t and proceeded anyhow.

Please, the next time you’re thinking of doing something you know deep down is utterly stoopid, just remember “Brian’s Epic Beef Enchilada Siren Disaster” story. And then?

Just. Say. No.

Save yourself the unnecessary heartache – and heartburn – of killing your energy and performance. And then take all that extra energy and funnel it into things that are going to make you truly happy long-term. After all, that’s what it’s all about: long-term satisfaction and fulfillment in your life.

The bright side of making a stoopid decision is that it gives you an experience to remind you in the future of what not to do, and can help you further appreciate the value of sticking to your normal, high-performing systems and habits.

But I’d still recommend avoiding stoopid.

One thing that will help tremendously is having someone who can keep you accountable and on track toward your highest aspirations. If you truly aspire to world-class performance, you’re going to have to get world-class mentorship and coaching in place.

I have a one-on-one coaching program for high-level performers that’s very exclusive (and admittedly expensive) that may be just what the doctor ordered. You can check it out here:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/coaching

And the Bergford Performance Systems App is loaded with tons of valuable content I’ve made available for free so you can amp up your performance right away! Go here and enter your primary email address and we’ll send you your free invite:

https://www.bergfordperformance.com/get-access

Some of the best advice I ever got about achievement and teamwork

October 25, 2018

On a sunny morning a few years ago, I found myself sitting in a coffee shop across from a friend and business management/leadership expert.

At one point in the conversation I was expressing my utter inability to comprehend mediocrity. Since he worked with many organizations and the thousands of people within them, I knew he’d have some good perspective to share. “Why on earth” I asked him, “are people even capable of being content with living an ‘okay’ life and being ‘pretty good’ at what they do?”

To me, that was an absolutely absurd way to live – I had difficulty understanding how someone could walk through life with a “good enough” mentality. For me, it was like, What the hell? Be the absolute best you can possibly be and don’t settle for anything less!

It was at this critical juncture that he chimed in and helped change my perspective.

As he sipped his coffee calmly, he reminded me of something I’d “heard” before but never really heard, at least not at the level that creates true depth of understanding.

“Brian,” he said “not everyone has that kind of desire, and besides, the best teams aren’t composed of superstars.”

We went on to discuss the fact that so-called “All-Star” teams don’t tend to win games like they should. Just looking at the depth of talent on the roster of an All-Star team, they should put other teams to shame. But they rarely do. Why?

There’s no synergy or cohesion.

For one thing, an All-Star team is top-heavy with a bunch of achievers who, a lot of times, have HUGE egos. And then you bring them all inside of a unit where they’re supposed to put their egos aside and work together for the good of the group…

Like that’s ever going to work.

There’s a reason why All-Star teams that actually do kick serious bootay – like the Navy Seals or Army Rangers, for instance – are subjected to rather ruthless training that breaks them down as individuals. They are subsequently built up as a single unit where all members completely rely on one another and work together seamlessly to accomplish a larger mission.

Outside of these rare examples, a concentrated grouping of serious achievers tends to set the stage for some serious conflict, which completely undermines performance.

How could it be any other way?

I mean, you have a bunch of competitive crazies all grouped together. They’re not going to hold hands and see what they can do to support and understand each other’s feelings better. They’re going to mercilessly step all over each other in the kerfuffle of a winner-take-all stampede.

What my friend pointed out to me that day was that great teams need one, maybe two, superstars, and then a bunch of B and C players to round out the roster. There’s tremendous value in people who aren’t obsessed with achievement; They actually support the process of success because they make cooperation possible and fill critical roles. Superstars can’t win games without them.

So needless to say, I learned a lesson that day – one that has been unbelievably helpful to me in many ways.

That lesson was liberating. It helped me just relax and stop getting frustrated with people who don’t show next to zero ambition (although I must confess that when I’m around them for extended periods of time I still tend to throw up in my mouth a little). I finally recognized the real value of all contributing members within a unit and came to appreciate individual differences even more.

And while there’s a part of me that still can’t understand why people who clearly have magnificent potential settle for mediocrity, I don’t get bent out of shape about it anymore. Don’t get me wrong – I loathe mediocrity, but do my best to keep my fear and loathing of mediocrity pointed at my own life, not the lives of others.

If you are one of my fellow top-performing, high-achieving, bootay-kicking beasts, I hope this information has contributed some helpful perspective to you as well.

- Brian Bergford

What to do when you feel like a big ol' bowl of crapola

July 18, 2018

In the last newsletter I sent out, I mentioned that in this installment, I’d write about one challenge someone emailed me about – something that’s been hamstringing their performance efforts.

So here we go: Kimberly relayed that she is very much on track 95% of the time with regard to her goals and training. However, she laments the times she stalls out because, for whatever reason, she doesn’t feel up to the challenge of the day or moment.

She said that sometimes this is due to feeling under the weather, or there’s a strain in one of her close relationships, and other times she generally just doesn’t feel like herself. Consequently, she finds it difficult in such instances to perform at the levels she would like to.

In other words, when she feels like a big ol’ bowl of crapola, her performance tanks.

Can you relate? (Please say “yes” because otherwise Kimberly and I are all by ourselves on this one.)

So, instead of launching into 50 different ways to pick yourself up (one of which I’ll be posting about on Instagram later this week), I’m going to keep this simple.

When you feel like um… you-know-what, here’s what to do (in my extremely humble but correct opinion):

Stay in the game.

Allow me to elaborate…

Feeling like a giant pile of dookie is enough to knock most people out of the running entirely, because EVERYTHING they do and every decision they make has its genesis in the dictates of their feelings. If you’re reading this blog then you likely don’t belong to this category of sad peoples, thank God.

However, this issue can still be trying even for the baddest of you badasses out there. I know it is for me. And the most basic, yet effective, remedy I know of – when the crapola bowl is warm and in full brew – is to choose to stay in the game and be consistent.

Will you perform at your absolute best?

Probably not.

But you will have done two things that mediocre mortals and ne’er-do-well folk never have the experience of reveling in.

One, you will have reinforced your commitment to stay the course no matter what, and two, you will find second and, in some instances, third winds you didn’t even know you had access to. It takes grit to get the ball across the goal line whether we’re talking about sports, parenting, art, or business. And that takes developing a certain mentality; one that says “I don’t stop working on my mission just because I’m not ‘feeling it’ right now.”

There are obviously wise times to take a break – your body has ways of telling you when you need to back off. But most people confuse having a tired body and a whining mind with needing a break. Big mistake. And frankly, it’s the “out” that weak-minded people take constantly.

I’ll even go so far as to say it’s the days when you feel like crap that are your biggest opportunities to separate yourself from the pack of whiners, complainers, and the crowd of second-stringers who bench themselves whenever they’re not feeling 100%.

If you stay in the game and play to the best of your ability even when your mojo feels farther away than a Mars rover, you’ll gain a level of grit, strength, and respect for yourself you can’t really get any other way. You’ll also come out ahead when you reach the other side because you’ll still have momentum; momentum other people completely lost out on.

- Brian Bergford