5 High-Performance Lessons Anyone Can Apply in Everyday Life

Introduction

In 2018, I was the first man left off the U.S. Olympic Skeleton team. Four years of sacrifice — thousands of hours training, hundreds upon hundreds of runs down the ice — came down to one opportunity. I missed it by the narrowest of margins.

I thought I’d have another chance in 2022, but that opportunity was taken from me by COVID restrictions and a “cancelled” season that took my qualifying standard away. Just like that, a decade of preparation was gone.

People ask me all the time if it was worth it. The truth? Yes. Because the lessons I learned in the pursuit of that dream are the same lessons that fuel me now as a father, coach, and business owner. They’re not just for athletes — they’re for anyone who wants to perform at a high level in life.

Here are five of those lessons.

1. Consistency Beats Intensity

During my training years, people always asked about my “hardest” workout or how crazy I was for doing such an extreme sport. The truth is, it wasn’t one workout or race that made me. It was every single day at 4:30 a.m. Waking up in the dark, ice baths in below-zero temperatures, sprint workouts in the harshest conditions around the world.

It wasn’t glamorous — but it was consistent. That consistency was my edge.

The same principle applies outside of sports. One burst of effort doesn’t change your career, your fitness, or your relationships. Showing up consistently — even when it’s uncomfortable — does.

2. Recovery Is Part of Progress

As much as I punished my body, I also had to learn when to step back. Without recovery, your body breaks. Sleep, fuel, and rest days weren’t luxuries — they were part of the training plan.

It’s no different in life. If you’re burning out at work, constantly stressed, or running yourself ragged, you’re not improving — you’re breaking down. Build rhythms of recovery and you’ll come back stronger, more focused, and more resilient.

3. Control What You Can Control

If Skeleton taught me anything, it’s this: you don’t control the outcome, only the input.

I couldn’t control the weather, the ice conditions, or what my competitors were doing. I couldn’t control what happened with COVID across the globe. What I could control was how I showed up — the work I put in, my attitude, and my focus every single day.

That’s the biggest lesson I carried with me. In business, in family, in training — you don’t always control the results. But you can always control the effort. Show up. Do the work. Trust that the results will come when the time is right for you.

4. Fundamentals Win Championships

People assume elite athletes are doing something magical. The truth is, we’re obsessing over fundamentals. Sprint mechanics. Body position. The tiniest details. We drilled them over and over until they became automatic.

In life, it’s the same. The basics — managing your time, keeping your promises, moving your body, fueling yourself well — are the difference-makers. Don’t chase shortcuts. Master the fundamentals and you’ll separate yourself from the pack.

5. Play the Long Game

Skeleton is the ultimate long game. Four years of training for a 60-second run. And sometimes, despite all that, the opportunity slips away.

Life is the same. Short-term wins are nice, but real growth comes from the habits and investments that compound over years — your health, your relationships, your leadership. When you play the long game, setbacks don’t break you; they prepare you for the next opportunity.

Conclusion

I may not have stood under the Olympic rings, but the pursuit gave me something greater: a framework for life. Consistency. Recovery. Focus. Fundamentals. The long game.

These aren’t just lessons for athletes — they’re lessons for anyone who wants to perform at their best in work, family, and life.

If you’re ready to train like an athlete and bring this performance mindset into your own life, check out our Athlete Performance and Adult Training Programs at KBP Training. Let’s get to work.