Welcome to Issue # 11 of THE Peak Performance Newsletter

Insights from Top Performers on Taking Responsibility

I've been studying top performers for quite some time now. And one of the things they do that stands out to me is this: THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EVERYTHING, EVEN WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.

This is one big thing that differentiates them from others. This applies to leaders as well as individual contributors.

You see, most people only like to take responsibility when things go right. The client signed the contract - "Great - it was my hard work that got that to happen!" - that's how they think (even when most of the work was done by the person who had the account before them).

But when things go wrong, most people often default to: IT'S NOT MY FAULT.

They immediately look for someone or something to blame. So if the client doesn't sign, they go "It's not my fault the client was too [insert excuse here] to move forward."

In reality, it's always tempting to do this because it protects our ego.

The logic goes: If someone or something else led to this bad thing, then it couldn't have been me and there is nothing I did wrong here.

This way we make ourselves feel better but because we've absolved ourselves from blame, we don't learn anything from the experience.

And because we don't learn anything we don't improve and we end up making the same mistakes over and over again, and getting the same crummy results each time. It's the blame game.

Top performers, on the other hand, take responsibility for things others shrug their shoulders at and say: "Ok, that didn't work - what could I have done differently and better?" and even "Maybe there's a way I can salvage this, let me try [x]"

And because they are willing to keep learning, improving, and trying, they consistently get better results than everyone else, which is why they are top performers.

So my question for you is this: what are you going to do the next time things don't go your way?


Maximizing Your Mental Performance

The Neuroscience of Motivation: How to Flip the Switch in Your Brain

Ever felt stuck in a rut, knowing what you should do but just… not doing it?

It’s not laziness. It’s biology.

Motivation isn't about willpower—it's about chemistry. And understanding the brain can help you hack your own motivation in a sustainable way.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what the science says:

Dopamine Is the Driver

Dopamine isn’t just the “pleasure chemical”—it’s the anticipation chemical. It spikes before the reward, not after. So motivation comes from the expectation of progress, not the finish line.

Hack it: Break your goals into small steps. Every tiny win gives your brain a hit of dopamine and builds momentum.

Time and Novelty Matter

Your brain loves newness. Novelty activates the hippocampus and increases dopamine release. That’s why routines can start to feel like slogs.

Hack it: Add a twist. Change your workspace, try a different approach, or gamify a task to re-engage your brain.

Stress Kills Motivation—But Only the Bad Kind

Chronic stress floods your brain with cortisol, which dampens motivation. But a manageable level of stress (called “eustress”) can actually enhance focus and drive.

Hack it: Reframe your stress. If something feels hard, remind yourself: “This is growth.” That mindset shift helps your brain see the challenge as exciting instead of threatening.

Habits Beat Hustle
When tasks become habitual, they shift from the prefrontal cortex (thinking/planning) to the basal ganglia (automatic behavior). Translation? Less effort, more consistency.

Hack it: Don’t rely on daily motivation. Build systems and rituals that carry you when your drive dips.

Bottom line: You don’t need to “force” motivation. You just need to work with your brain, not against it.

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Side-note: This kind of stuff has always fascinated me so I'm working on a NEW project to help people improve their mental performance by unlocking the mysteries of how our brains work, and how to keep our brains healthy and effective so we can keep performing at high levels for as long as possible.

If you're interested in learning more, you can check out the details here:
Check out the SuperBrain OS project

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And that's all for this week.

See you in my next issue.

To your success,

Humza

PS If there is anyone you know who would benefit from reading this, feel free to share this with them