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{"podcast_details": {"podcast_title": "The Delta Pod - Mindset Matters", "episode_title": "Why do you Stop? heres why... | Ep 09", "episode_image": "https://storage.buzzsprout.com/variants/a4ivxy0eqls7uayrw92vdilpfex9/e70382d1824eed07bf51f8b9742413cd1ad490e9f893e8ff33e49d552d3c73ea.jpg", "episode_transcript": " In life we are ultimately lazy. So actually this bar might be quite low. And it's how we raise that bar and knowing when to raise it is the art in this. Hello, welcome to the DeltaPod. In this episode I'm going to focus in on one of the concepts I've just been talking about in the last two episodes, which was the lowest permissible standard. And if you remember we've got the model, the model which includes three performance spaces, high performance, average performance and then low effort, low intention space. Or we could call it low performance, the low performance space. The key thing here is that there's a line between the low performance and the average performance. Or really the average performance kind of extends, it's quite broad. That line conceptually is the lowest permissible standard, which is when we stop. That's the point at which we stop and it's different for everyone. It's the point where we believe our performance has been acceptable. We've achieved the standard that's okay to us. And so the lowest permissible standard is the lowest permissible standard where we think we can stop. Where actually any further effort isn't efficient. And it's an interesting one in that, because this is highly subjective, it's different for everyone. And it's also different from activity to activity. And this is really the crux of this performance model, all these performance spaces, understanding where is your lowest permissible standard. Think about it at work, where are your lowest permissible standards? And it's also interesting to see if discretionary effort is the thing that pushes us into high performance. How does your employer or how does your professional life, how does it incentivize you to bring discretionary effort? And every job, every environment we're in will have that. There'll be little incentives, either we've created them or the person who pays us has created them, to focus you, to give you incentive to bring discretionary effort. And so there's this tension between why would I give more? Why would I work a couple of hours in the evening to get something over the line? Whereas I could just chill out and go and spend time with my family even. Why am I incentivized? Why am I doing this? And understanding your lowest permissible standard is key. I don't consider myself a high performer, but I'd like to think I have the mindset of a higher performer. Perhaps it's in the military or I'm not sure where it's come from, but I almost have this competitiveness for myself where I want to be giving more. And actually, since leaving the military, one of the things I've had to detrain is that constant willing to sacrifice myself for whatever project it is I'm working on. In the military, there's this whole duty, the duty to things and actually a lot of things in the military will be linked back to life and death. And so yes, there's a rule, you've got to give you extra effort in. But now that I'm not in the military, that's not necessarily the case. There's not necessarily a duty in what I do. So how do I stop myself? I've had to learn to be a little bit selfish. I've had to put in place that lowest permissible standard. Actually, that I can leave that there and I can have my evening with my kids and my family and then I can go back to it tomorrow. And it's understanding how sometimes there's an imbalance between, we feel like we've got to do more, we've got to do more, we've got to be chasing this thing. Well, actually, our lowest permissible standard, we need to respect it in some spaces and in other spaces, we need to ignore it. I think David Goggins is a good example here, right? His lowest permissible standard is flipping ridiculous. He's constantly going, he's constantly trying to push his boundaries, constantly on this mental journey to figure out where he'll stop or where his limit is. I think that's the role of character. So for me, character is the fuel that will help us expand our lowest permissible standard. That grit and that ability to apply yourself, ability to think, actually, I'm going to give a little bit more here in certain circumstances is healthy. And so in order to understand our performance, in order to be content with our performance, we need to first analyze where is it that we'll stop? Where is it where we've done enough? We can say, well done, that'll do. And I think in life, we are ultimately lazy. So actually, this bar might be quite low for some of us. And it's how we raise that bar and knowing when to raise it is the art in this, right? Is there something where I want to really focus in on this? Is this my thing? Do I want to go and perform well at this? Do I need to focus in on whatever it is, whatever niche I want to go and be good at? Right, then I need to knuckle down, move beyond my lowest permissible standard, put lots of discretionary effort in and try and pursue using the enablers, high performance. The problem will be, at some point you'll stop. And at some point, that's because you've reached your lowest permissible standard. And so the point where we stop is always linked back to our ego. Nearly always. Sometimes there's physical environments where we have to stop. I think an interesting one here is you could test this out a little bit. And this is why the gym is so powerful, because the gym is a very tangible way to test your mindset, to grow your mindset and to analyse it. And you could pick yourself any workout. It's a workout which needs to be orientated around maximal work. So it could be maximum number of press-ups or burpees in 10 minutes, say. And then what you'll realise is you'll get knackered and you'll limit yourself. You won't try and sprint for 10 minutes. You'll be like, actually, this pace is good enough. This pace is good enough. That's your lowest permissible standard. And so understanding how to control it and actually sometimes say, no, it's not good enough. Let's keep going. Let's keep going. Let's keep pushing. Let's keep pushing. Being able to do that, but equally knowing when to stop, you've got to train them. And I think that's where the gym is a good space to do that. I also think this lowest permissible standard is highly influenced by those around us. And if we're around surrounded by people who have a that'll do mindset, I'll do the bare minimum mindset, I'll do my nine to five, I'll do whatever I... What's the lowest possible thing I can do to not get fired? Then there's not a great space. Those around you, they are pulling your lowest permissible standard down because our ego and our social life and those around us are what start to build that lowest permissible standard, that line where you stop. If you know that those around you, and I have people around me who say, I'm going for very honest things I'm trying to do, and they'll know when I'm stopping short of what's possible. And they'll call me out. And so surrounding yourself with people who are going to call you out, who are going to raise your lowest permissible standard, I think is a really important environmental factor. Ultimately, this comes down to, do you give a shit? Your lowest permissible standard is the point where you don't care. You've done it. I can justify it to myself that I can stop putting effort in at this point. And I think we all care to a certain degree. And so understanding how much we care, when we need to care a bit more, when we need to really apply our discretionary effort, all comes down to understanding where do we think we'll stop? Where's our lowest permissible standard? And where can we justify to ourselves that we will stop? And I think for me, just a parting comment would be, be a savage, yes, but also look after yourself. Your lowest permissible standard is almost a control measure. So you can look after yourself. You don't end up destroying your knees or being completely antisocial. There is a time where you can say done. And understanding that, letting that be a deliberate and intentional act. I know when I hit this point, I need to have a 10 minute break. Those kind of control measures, that's key. So our model, somewhere on the screen, or in the blog posts, which I'll link to this podcast, the lowest permissible standard is the line between low performance and standard performance. And the line between standard performance and high performance is what we would call a high performance threshold, which is not what we're discussing here. We're really discussing how do we make sure that we're not performing to a low degree, that we're bringing more than low effort and low intention, that we're trying to perform, to plan what we're doing, turn up in the face of pressure and deliver to standard. And it's the standard which you define ultimately. I just think there's an interesting concept here that I just wanted to try and articulate that we all stop. Understanding when we stop and why we stop is key. All the best. This whole blog all around what is performance and how to pursue high performance at deltapodblogs.com. Thank you."}, "podcast_summary": "The text discusses the concept of the lowest permissible standard in relation to performance and mindset. The lowest permissible standard refers to the point at which an individual believes their performance is acceptable and where they can stop putting in further effort. This standard is subjective and varies from person to person and from activity to activity. Discretionary effort, or going above and beyond the minimum required, is often what distinguishes high performers. Understanding one's lowest permissible standard is crucial for analyzing and being content with one's performance. The text highlights the role of character in expanding this standard, as well as the need to balance pushing beyond it and knowing when to stop. The gym is presented as an example where one can test and train their mindset by pushing their limits. The lowest permissible standard can be influenced by the people around us, so it's important to surround oneself with individuals who raise that standard. Ultimately, caring about one's performance and knowing when to apply discretionary effort is linked to understanding and justifying one's lowest permissible standard. The text concludes by emphasizing the importance of taking care of oneself and using control measures to prevent burnout or physical harm. Overall, the lowest permissible standard is the line between low performance and standard performance, and understanding when and why we stop is key to pursuing high performance.", "podcast_guest": {"name": "David Goggins", "summary": "David Goggins (born February 17, 1975) is a retired United States Navy SEAL, American ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, and author of his two memoirs who was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in sport. Goggins was also awarded the VFW Americanism award in 2018, one of the most prestigious awards that an individual can achieve for their service in the United States Armed Forces. Goggins also published his famous New York Times best-seller book - Can't Hurt Me."}, "podcast_highlights": "Key Insights:\n\n- Understanding our lowest permissible standard is crucial in finding the balance between exerting effort and knowing when to stop.\n- Discretionary effort, incentivized by our professional life or employer, plays a role in pushing us towards high performance.\n- Character serves as the fuel to expand our lowest permissible standard and allows us to push our boundaries.\n- The point where we stop is often linked to our ego, but can also be influenced by the physical environment we are in.\n- Surrounding ourselves with people who raise our lowest permissible standard can greatly impact our performance."}