It’s All in Your Decisions - Why Your Results Are Exactly What You Chose

Why Your Results Are Exactly What You Chose

You say you are (or want to be) a high performer, but your habits say otherwise.

You claim to want peak energy, clarity, results …

but your calendar is full of excuses,

your diet is built on convenience,

and your routine is reactive, not intentional.

(You are led by your ‘feelings’…. But let’s not go there yet 😉

Let’s call it what it is: you're lying to yourself

You say you don’t have time…. For health????

You say you know (or don’t know) what to do…. Whatever is convenient for you at that moment.

You say you’re doing your best…. Really? Or your best within ‘the easy way’??You say you tried everything, already…. ‘Everything'?

You say that it simply is not for you….  Only because it is something you haven’t mastered, yet.

But your body, your energy, your lifestyles, your RESULTS.They expose the truth.

This blog isn’t here to pat you on the back.

It’s here to hold up the mirror.

To show you the connection between your decisions and your destiny.And to walk you out of the noise and into action.

If you're ready to trade comfort for clarity,

If you're done with pretending…

Then keep reading.

Understanding the Core Issue

Let’s break this myth once and for all:

Your energy problem isn’t your age.

Your lack of results isn’t your busy career.

And your ‘lack of time’ isn’t the reason you’re stuck.

It’s your decision-making.

That moment-by-moment negotiation inside your head.

That tiny voice saying: “Skip the workout. Grab the snack. Stay in bed. Binge one more. You’ve earned it.”

And the part of you that agrees…

We all know what to do.

Move your body.

Eat real food.

Get to bed earlier.

Think positively.

Prioritise yourself.

But knowing isn’t doing. (Different blog 😉 )

You say, “I don’t have time,”

but you scroll 2 hours a day and binge a series while spending 30 minutes per visit on the toilet. All while staying up too late and therefore waking up in a deficit, already.

You say, “I’m exhausted,”

but you ignore hydration, skip your walk, and eat trash, while your sleep pattern is tuned in harmony with 1 more episode on the screen in your bedroom.

You say, “I’m doing my best,”

but deep down you know your best would look very different….

Here’s the truth:

You are not tired, you are mentally undisciplined.

Your brain, shaped by repetition and excuses, is working against you.

Not because it’s broken, because you’ve trained it that way. You installed it’s patterns.

Every skipped habit, every “I’ll start Monday,” every little lie has carved a groove in your neural pathways.

Science calls this neuroplasticity,

you become good at what you repeat. The more often we do it, the higher the chance of THAT being your default pathway/decision.

So if you're good at quitting, delaying, and justifying…

it's because you've practiced it.

You are a product of your patterns.

And if your patterns suck, your performance does too.

But here’s the good news:

If you can train bad habits,

you can rewire yourself for better ones.

Ones that serve your energy, your vision, your life, your RESULTS.

Your brain isn't fixed.

But it is waiting for you to finally take charge.

Breaking it Down: Key Areas of Impact

Your life runs on systems. But most of yours are accidental.

We tend to think of our day as a collection of choices.

It’s not.

95% of what you do daily is habit, run by your subconscious.

(According to research from Duke University)

So no, you’re not lazy.

But your system might be. (Your default settings.)

And it’s working perfectly to create your current results.

Let’s break down the core areas that shape your life and explain the science behind how they trap (or free) your energy, focus, and discipline.

1. The Habit Loop: Cue – Craving – Response – Reward

Charles Duhigg’s research (from The Power of Habit) shows how your brain builds loops:

• Cue – You feel stressed.

• Craving – Your brain wants relief.

• Response – You grab sugar, scroll your phone, skip the gym.

• Reward – Dopamine. You feel better… temporarily.

The brain doesn’t care what behavior is, only that it feels better.

That’s how bad habits get wired in. Fast. Repeatedly.

And over time, that becomes your default identity.

2. Neuroplasticity: You become what you repeat

Your brain changes based on what you do repeatedly.

This is the concept of neuroplasticity. The brain’s ability to rewire itself through repetition and emotion.

Every time you give in to “just this once,” you’re not just slipping, you’re teaching your brain a rule:

“When I feel discomfort, I escape it.” (Pattern)

Do that enough, and now discomfort = failure.

That’s why the smallest discomfort (a cold shower, a hard workout, a skipped craving, a sales email, cold reach outs, getting out their when it rains.) feels impossible to many.

The neural connection has been rehearsed for years:

Pain → Avoid

Instead of:

Pain → Grow

3. The RAS: Your Brain’s Selective Filter

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) decides what to pay attention to.

If you’ve told yourself for years:

“I’m just not a morning person,”

“I’m too busy,”

“I always fall off track,”

…… guess what your RAS filters for?

Proof you’re right.

If you believe you’re chaotic, undisciplined, or broken …

you’ll unconsciously seek and create moments that confirm it.

Until you change your beliefs,

you’ll keep building habits that match the old identity.

4. Dopamine & Energy Mismanagement

Dopamine isn’t just about pleasure, it’s about motivation.And modern life has hijacked it.

• Junk food spikes dopamine

• Social media scrolls spike dopamine

• Procrastination temporarily relieves pressure → dopamine reward

Your brain gets flooded with cheap hits of dopamine,

so it resists the earned version, like a long walk, hard work, or real self-care.

Why?

Well, if it can get a reward instantly, why push you through a longer process?

This creates dopamine resistance, a state where only extreme stimuli make you feel anything.

That’s why everything feels “meh,”

and why high performers often say:

“I’m doing so much, but I don’t feel like I’m progressing.”

5. Decision Fatigue: Why Your Willpower Dies By 4PM

The more decisions you make during the day,

the weaker your willpower becomes. (It is like a battery. Charged in the morning and only goes down. Self-care recharges this over night. Make sure you FULLY charge it!)

This is called decision fatigue,

and it’s why habits matter:

They reduce decisions.

If working out, eating clean, and thinking clearly are habits,you don’t need motivation. (Because our brain looks for habitual patterns, because that saves energy.) You just do it!

But if every day feels like a negotiation,

you’re draining energy just to survive … not to perform.

Here’s the summary:

• Your brain is working fine. It’s following your training. (Habitual Patterns)

• Your energy isn’t missing. It’s misdirected. (Wrong Connections)

• Your identity is not fixed. It’s reinforced by habits you repeat. (It’s fluid)

• Your excuses aren’t truth. They’re practiced thoughts. (You control the outcome.)

• Your time isn’t the issue. Your focus is. (Guess who is can reset those settings?)

You don’t need more hours. You need better systems.

How to Apply This in Real Life

You’ve got a fast brain. A powerful body. And a calendar full of reasons to fail.

But what if the problem isn’t the chaos? it’s your lack of a system?

Let’s fix that.

We’ll do this in two parts: - What to Do - What to Avoid

Do This - The Identity-Driven Habit Blueprint

1. Start with Identity, not behavior.

Most people try to do their way into a new life. “I’ll start working out.”

“I’ll stop eating crap.”

“I’ll journal daily.”

But that only works if the behavior matches your identity.

Otherwise? You self-sabotage.

Science insight: According to Dr. Benjamin Hardy (and BJ Fogg’s research), behavior that doesn’t align with identity will never stick.

Instead, flip the formula.

“I am the type of person who…

”Then ask, “What would that person do?”

Example:

"I am someone who protects their energy like gold."

→ So I say no more often.

→ I schedule movement like meetings.

→ I fuel myself with discipline, not dopamine.

Your new habits are simply evidence of your upgraded identity.

2. Install Systems, Not Motivation

Motivation is mood-dependent. Systems are consistent.

A high-performer’s energy isn’t the result of willpower.

It’s the result of routine automation.

Start here:

• Fixed wake-up and wind-down times. Circadian rhythm = peak brain output.

• Daily movement scheduled, not hoped for. Even 10 minutes = massive cognitive boost.

• Default meals, remove food decision fatigue. Prep 3 go-to healthy meals per week.

• A.m. focus block. First hour of your day = your highest ROI. Guard it ruthlessly.

• Phone stays away until the brain is primed. Don’t give your dopamine to Instagram before your brain gets it. (spend the first 30 mins of your day in silence. With your thoughts and a body and mind that are waking up.)

What this does:

Reduces decision fatigue.

Preserves willpower.

Makes greatness feel automatic.

3. Break the loop - rewire dopamine

Your brain is addicted to fast pleasure. To change your identity, you need to delay gratification and learn to enjoy earned dopamine.

“Easy now = hard later.

Hard now = freedom later.”

Try this:

• Replace scrolling with breathwork or walking.

• Replace sugar snacks with protein or high-fiber fuel.

• Replace "I'll skip today" with “I’m a person who never skips twice.”

The first hour and the last hour of your day must become sacred.

4. Build the Anti-Excuse Reflex

Excuses are thoughts.

Not facts.

They’re your brain’s way of protecting the current identity.

Next time your brain says:

“I deserve a break.”

“I’m too tired.”

“It’s just one time.”

Respond with:

“Thank you for protecting me, but we’re done playing small.”

Then act. Even if it’s just 60 seconds of action.

This is called “identity-confirming action.”

Tiny actions that prove to your subconscious, “We’ve changed.”

5. Use Implementation Intentions

This is a tool based on Dr. Peter Gollwitzer’s research.

Instead of vague goals like “I’ll work out,”

use this formula:

If [trigger happens],Then I will [specific action].

Example:

“If I get home and feel tired, then I will change into workout clothes and do 10 minutes of ….”

“If I feel the urge to scroll, then I will drink water and walk outside for 2 minutes.”

This rewires your default response to discomfort and builds resilience in micro-moments.

(Compound effect)

Avoid This - Performance Killers to Cut Immediately

1. Don’t wait for clarity. Act first.

You don’t need to understand everything before starting.

You need motion. Clarity comes from action.

2. Don’t let your schedule decide your identity. You’re not “too busy”, you’re distracted.

Busyness is a lack of priorities, not time.

3. Don’t label yourself by your past. “I always give up,”

“I’m not a morning person,”

“I don’t have discipline.”

Those are stories. Outdated ones. Retire them.

4. Don’t mistake effort for effectiveness. Just being busy doesn’t mean you’re progressing.If your inputs don’t move the needle, they’re noise… not strategy.

5. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress.

You don’t need a flawless routine.

You need a consistent one. (Called ‘showing up’.)

Here's What Happens When You Apply This:

• Your calendar starts working for you, not against you.

• You feel powerful, because your actions match your words.

• You stop explaining yourself to others, and start impressing yourself.

• You become magnetic, because your energy is built, not drained.

• And most of all, you reclaim what was stolen by years of “I’ll do it later.”

Because you don’t need more motivation.

You need to stop negotiating with mediocrity.

And that starts with one decision:

To act like the person you say you want to become.

Special Considerations for High Performers

If you’ve made it this far in life, business, or sport, you already know what average feels like. You’ve outgrown it.

But with growth comes complexity.

And while others are struggling to get going, you’re often drowning in decisions, responsibility, and hidden fatigue.

So this section isn’t basic. It’s for those already playing big… who want to go elite.

The Hidden Burnout Pattern Among High Achievers

High performers rarely crash from laziness.

They crash from unconscious overdrive.

You push so hard for so long that your nervous system gets fried and suddenly discipline becomes depletion.

Here’s the pattern:

1. You keep delivering at a high level (outwardly).

2. But your inner systems are breaking: poor sleep, cravings, emotional reactivity, chronic stress.

3. You keep telling yourself: “It’s just a phase.” But it’s not. It’s a compounding crack in the foundation.

4. 
   

Science insight:

Chronic stress elevates cortisol. Cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream, reduces immune system response, and alters cognition and mood regulation.Translation: You’re foggy, emotional, and still grinding, which leads to emotional hijacking and destructive patterns.

What You Actually Need

You don’t need “more productivity hacks.”

You need nervous system regulation + deliberate recovery + identity clarity.

Let’s break this down into elite-level strategies:

-        For Athletes

Challenge: You’re physical-first. But recovery, mental strategy, and lifestyle optimization lag behind.

Fix:

• Cold exposure post-training to stimulate parasympathetic nervous system (boosts HRV, resilience).

• Mental imagery + breathwork to regulate arousal and avoid overtraining burnout.

• Strategic habit-stacking: e.g., meditate after stretching; hydrate before phone unlock.

Your edge isn’t in effort anymore. It’s in recovery precision and mental patterning.

-        For Entrepreneurs & Executives

Challenge: You're decision-fatigued and overwhelmed with moving parts your brain never logs off.

Fix:

• Decision diet: Pre-plan meals, workouts, and wardrobe. Steve Jobs-style. Free up brain bandwidth.

• Non-negotiable 1-hour “deep zone” in the morning (no meetings, no screens, only output). (Sharpening the axe.)

• End-of-day shutdown ritual: Write 3 wins + next 3 priorities. Signals the brain to decompress and reset.

Great leadership requires clarity. And clarity requires stillness somewhere in the chaos.

-        For High-Performing Parents

Challenge: Guilt. Lack of time. Self-care feels selfish. But that mindset leaks into your parenting.

Fix:

• Time block your habits as an example, not a break.

  
  

  Let your kids see that energy is earned.

• Create a “Family Energy Hour”: everyone stretches, walks, or breathes together. Micro-culture shift.

• Mirror habit language: “Daddy is taking care of his body now,” instead of “I’m too busy right now.”

You don’t teach discipline. You show it. Your kids become what you model, not what you explain.

-        For Managers and Team Leaders

Challenge: You’re sandwiched between top-down pressure and bottom-up dependency.

Fix:

• Build a leader morning routine: energy + priorities + communication tone all set before the first meeting.

• Use “performance transparency”: share your own routines with your team. Invite them to own theirs.

• Gamify performance: weekly metrics tied to wellness and output, not just KPIs.

You can’t pour from an empty cup, or lead from a broken pattern.

The Common Thread: Neuroplasticity in Action

No matter your role, the science is the same.

“Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Every time you say no to the easy choice, and yes to the identity-aligned one, you are rebuilding your mind.

You’re literally rewiring your prefrontal cortex to override your limbic system (emotional impulses), and strengthening your executive function.

This is the architecture of elite behavior.

And you don’t get there by motivation.

You get there by design.

The Final Takeaway

Here’s the truth most people are too afraid to say out loud:

Your results are a reflection of your decisions.Not your intentions. Not your knowledge. Not your circumstances.

What you tolerate, you repeat.

What you repeat, becomes who you are.

You say you know what to do?

Great!

But if you’re not doing it, you don’t actually know it. (Another Blog...)

Because real knowing means action.

It means pattern change.

It means execution, especially when it's inconvenient.

And that’s the point of this entire blog.

To show you that what you think is holding you back (time, stress, kids, pressure, business, age) is actually just a decision-making system you haven’t upgraded. Yet.

You are not lazy. You are not broken.

You’re just operating on a pattern that no longer serves you. And patterns can be rebuilt.

That’s the beauty of neuroplasticity, habit science, and the human will:

Every single choice is a rep. And every rep builds the next version of you.

You want a life you’re proud to wake up for?

You build it.

Through routine. Through impulse control. Through action in alignment with your highest self, not your most tired self.

And if you’ve read this far, I know something about you:

You’re done with surface-level advice.

You’re done being average.

You’re done repeating the same cycle and calling it “life.”

So here’s your move:

Book a call with me.

Let’s sit down and map out your blueprint.

I’ll show you exactly where your thinking works against you, how to reconnect to your discipline, and how to build the routines that rebuild your identity.

This isn't motivation.

This is transformation, built on science, truth, and extreme ownership.

No fluff.

No excuses.

Just results.

Your move!

-Sjoerd