The Vision Is the Boss: Choosing Where to Perform

One of the things we talk about often in my work is making decisions from vision rather than convenience.

This summer, I had the opportunity to practice exactly what I preach.

My family was entering a season filled with meaningful milestones, and I knew I wanted to be fully present for moments that wouldn’t come around again.

The vision is the boss.

As I often remind my clients, building a life we love requires being clear about what we’re committed to and what we’re not. So I intentionally aligned my calendar with my vision.

A few weeks into the summer, a friend asked if I’d listened to a podcast she’d recommended. My honest answer was no — and not because I forgot. I’m just not doing that kind of consumption right now. No podcasts, no optimization content, no adding more in.

And when I said it out loud, I realized: the break feels good.

I noticed I was strategically choosing to low perform certain things.

And as I reflected on my vision, I realized the Meta Performance Pyramid could be a useful lens — not as a performance goal, but as an honest map of where I actually am.

A quick refresher on the pyramid and the questions we ask at each level:

Low Performance — What’s the least I can do without getting caught?

Performance — How can I do a good job?

High Performance — How can I be the best?

Meta Performance — What are we capable of?

And remember — it’s not IF we’re on the pyramid, it’s where.

This isn’t moral. It’s just information.

So here’s where I found myself landing:

I was low performing in planning, admin, nutrition tracking, strength training, running, and laundry. Bare minimum — by choice.

I was performing in supporting my family, coaching from different cities, business development, and staying on top of Slack.

I was high performing in keeping 100% of my commitments — meditation and coaching calls — regardless of what I’d rather be doing. Honoring my word. Doing the trust process with clients when I fall short. And sleep — I slept more than I thought possible.

And at the meta performance level, I was using my vision as a filter. Saying yes to what matters in this season. Being present with my family when I’m tired. Partnering with my team on creative calendar solutions. Protecting my time blocks.

I’ve strategically chosen to low-perform in some areas so I can show up fully in the ones that matter most. That’s the whole point.

What’s made it work is staying connected to my vision and letting it drive my decisions.

Not “doing it all” — choosing what to do well.

The biggest surprise?

Despite nonstop travel, I had more peace than I expected. I was more relaxed and sleeping better than I do at home.

My story is that this is what integrity feels like — when what you say matters and how you spend your time actually line up.

I’ve also been saying no more.

Two years ago, I would have stretched myself thin to look good — more dinners, more people, more everything.

This time, when something felt like too much, I listened.

That created space.

And the space created peace.

I’m grateful for what vision and integrity are making possible.

A question for you to reflect on: Where in your life are you performing everywhere and thriving nowhere?