Check out my Exclusive Tools section. You won't find this anywhere else

high-performance hub

tap into your 1 percent

What You’ll Find Here

Welcome to the High-Performance Hub

This site helps you revisit key insights from my weekly newsletter: Momentum Letters. Make sure to join to stay updated.

The content is organized into four categories for your ease:

- - How to Use It: Whether you're looking to strengthen your mindset, lead with confidence, optimize performance, or think strategically, this is your HUB!
  - Where to Start: Use the drop-down menu to navigate topics that interest you.
  - Regular Updates: New insights, book recommendations, and resources are added weekly to keep you learning and growing.

Not a subscriber to my newsletter? Use this link to join Momentum Letters, and receive regular updates.

The four Categories

1. 1. High-Performance & Productivity: Optimize your energy, routines, and efficiency to achieve peak performance.
  2. Leadership & Emotional Mastery: Strengthen your self-awareness and communication.
  3. Mindset & Mental Performance: Develop a resilient, high-performance mindset.
  4. Strategic Thinking: Make better decisions, think long-term, and approach challenges with a high-performance mindset.

Additional Resources

You'll also find the following resources here:

1. 1. Book Library: A collection of all book recommendations from the newsletter.
  2. Video Library: A curated list of all videos on mindset, leadership, and personal growth.
  3. Charts, Science & Research: Charts and illustrations about productivity, leadership and growth.
  4. Exclusive Tools: Access my tools right here, from templates to checklists, and high-performance strategies! FREE!

Latest updates

science, charts & research

The Psychology of Finish Lines: Why 3:59 Feels So Much Better Than 4:00

Ever rushed to finish something just before a deadline—only to lose steam the moment the clock ticks past? That’s reference-dependent motivation at work.

A Story That Hits Home

In a fascinating study by Gneezy, Imas, and Pope, researchers analyzed marathon finishing times and noticed a powerful pattern. Runners clustered their finishes around psychologically meaningful time goals: 3:00, 3:30, 4:00.

But what stood out most? The sharp drop in finishers right after 4:00. Scores of runners finished at 3:59—but as soon as the clock hit 4:01, the number plummeted. That two-minute gap holds a deeper truth: we don’t just aim to finish—we aim to beat a story we’ve told ourselves about what counts as “good.”

Why?

Because goals aren't just external—they’re anchored in perception. We aren’t purely rational; we’re driven by hitting clean numbers, round targets, and symbolic wins.

Reference:

Gneezy, U., Imas, A., & Pope, D. (2016). Reference-Dependent Preferences: Evidence from Marathon Runners. Read the study on ResearchGate

How to Use reference Points to Fuel Performance

- Set Clean Targets: Round goals like “50 push-ups,” “sub-60-minute meetings,” or “under 100 emails” energize the brain. Use them intentionally to add clarity and urgency.
- Track Visible Progress: Progress bars, countdown timers, or dashboards make invisible effort feel real. They help push us over the metaphorical finish line.
- Celebrate Micro-Milestones: Don’t wait for 100%. Celebrate 90%, 75%, or even 40% if it's a meaningful checkpoint. Progress reinforces momentum.
- Avoid the “Missed It, Might As Well Quit” Trap: Missed a goal by a few minutes or points? Reframe the story. It’s not failure—it’s feedback. Reset the clock and keep going.
- Coach Yourself (or Others) with Milestones in Mind: Use reference points when motivating your team, kids, or even yourself. Help them set goals that feel clear—and celebrate the effort that goes into reaching just before or just beyon

Book I'm Reading

Supercommunicators

By Charles Duhigg

This high-impact guide by Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg breaks down why some people connect effortlessly—and others don’t. The secret? Great communicators don’t just talk better, they tune into the right type of conversation.

Duhigg reveals there are three core conversation types: practical (what’s the problem?), emotional (how do we feel?), and identity (who am I in this moment?). Most communication failures happen when we mismatch types—trying to solve a problem when someone needs empathy, or ignoring identity dynamics entirely.

Why You Should Read It: If you lead, coach, sell, or parent—this book will instantly improve how you show up in conversations. It’s practical, science-backed, and surprisingly relatable. And it’ll change the way you listen—for good.

3 Key Takeaways:

Not All Conversations Are the Same: Learn to recognise if you’re in a practical, emotional, or identity conversation—and shift your approach accordingly.
Matching Builds Connection: Aligning your response to the type of conversation improves trust, clarity, and collaboration.
Loop for Understanding: One of the most powerful tools? Repeat back what you heard. It builds trust, clears confusion, and keeps things flowing forward.

productivity hack

THe "Repeat back" rule

Every miscommunication is a missed opportunity. When we respond too fast without checking if we truly understood and we create friction, not flow. That moment of “they didn’t get me” breaks trust, triggers defensiveness, and derails progress.

Consider this approach, the Repeat Back Rule:

Before replying, pause and paraphrase what the other person said in your own words. Then confirm:

“So what I’m hearing is…”
“Let me make sure I understand…”
“You’re saying that…”

Why This Works:

Stops Automatic Reacting: Slows you down just enough to respond with clarity, not assumption.
Builds Instant Trust: People feel seen and heard—core ingredients for psychological safety.
Improves Retention & Recall: Saying it back out loud boosts memory and understanding for both sides.

How to Apply:

- Use in 1:1s: Especially when stakes are high or emotions run deep—this prevents misunderstandings.
- Practice Active Stillness: Let them finish fully, then reflect back. No interrupting, no fixing.
- Make it Habitual: Start meetings or tricky convos with a repeat-back checkpoint—it trains better listening.
- Bonus: Works wonders with kids, partners, even tense emails (summarise before replying).

What I'm watching

Apple’s Secret iPhone Launch Team: The Event That Began It All

In this video by The Wall Street Journal, veteran reporters peel back the curtain on Apple’s ultra-secret “Project Purple” team—the small group hand-picked by Steve Jobs to build the very first iPhone.

Tech innovation has always fascinated me, but what really grabbed me here is seeing how design, engineering, and extreme secrecy collided to create one of the most iconic products ever. You’ll hear firsthand from Tony Fadell, Scott Forstall, and Greg Christie about working in windowless labs, debating every pixel and antenna curve, and living under Jobs’s relentless pursuit of simplicity.

I love this video because it shows that breakthrough ideas often spring from tiny, intense teams driven by a shared “why.” Enjoy.

contact me!

I love engaging with my audience, and if there's anything that you'd like to discuss, feel free to reach out to me on: hassan@hellohms.com

Page updated

Report abuse