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Artwork for Performance Intelligence
Performance Intelligence · July 29 · 1 hr 14 min

189 The "Why Not?" Mindset: How to Break Self-Imposed Limits | Matt Formston

What goes through your mind when you're trapped underwater by a 50-foot wave? For Matt Formston, it's not fear. It's making an omelette. After losing 97% of his vision at just 5 years old, Matt has become a Paralympian, world champion, world record holder, and the first blind athlete to conquer the legendary waves of Nazaré. But today isn't about the achievements...it's about the process behind them. Matt shares the 8 hard standards that have shaped every part of his life, from elite sport and leadership to parenting and business. Matt believes standards matter more than goals, explains why your "glass ceilings" are often self-imposed, and the mindset you can learn that turns perceived risk into opportunity. Whether you're leading a team, chasing a personal goal, or simply trying to perform better when life gets hard, Matt offers a tried, tested, and successful framework for building trust and lasting high performance. 00:00 37 seconds under a 50ft wave 02:41 One word for every achievement 06:32 Blind at five, and the story everyone gets wrong 10:05 Nearly dead or in jail 11:23 Perfect process, not perfect vision 13:41 The eight hard standards 14:37 Values in a mahogany case 15:24 Standards without consequences are just wishes 18:56 Five minutes early or you're late 21:00 Andrew's team rate him live 27:35 The standards meeting nobody runs 29:15 Why high standards make people feel safer 32:51 He refused to learn what the best in the world could do 35:16 Making an omelette while being held under 39:26 The flap of skin costing him 100 feet 44:24 The only standard that matters: coming home 48:09 The bullshit audit 01:07:49 The list of 12, and the six he wasn't 01:10:38 Why most people never set a goal Buy a copy of Matt's new book: https://www.mattformston.com/books-hub Visit Matt's website: https://www.mattformston.com/ You can find Matt at his LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/matt-formston-am-gaicd Or at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattformston/?hl=en Listen to our first episode with Matt: https://shorturl.at/ICL5l

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transcript

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show notes

What goes through your mind when you're trapped underwater by a 50-foot wave? For Matt Formston, it's not fear. It's making an omelette.

After losing 97% of his vision at just 5 years old, Matt has become a Paralympian, world champion, world record holder, and the first blind athlete to conquer the legendary waves of Nazaré. But today isn't about the achievements...it's about the process behind them.

Matt shares the 8 hard standards that have shaped every part of his life, from elite sport and leadership to parenting and business. Matt believes standards matter more than goals, explains why your "glass ceilings" are often self-imposed, and the mindset you can learn that turns perceived risk into opportunity.

Whether you're leading a team, chasing a personal goal, or simply trying to perform better when life gets hard, Matt offers a tried, tested, and successful framework for building trust and lasting high performance.

 00:00 37 seconds under a 50ft wave
 02:41 One word for every achievement
 06:32 Blind at five, and the story everyone gets wrong
 10:05 Nearly dead or in jail
 11:23 Perfect process, not perfect vision
 13:41 The eight hard standards
 14:37 Values in a mahogany case
 15:24 Standards without consequences are just wishes
 18:56 Five minutes early or you're late
 21:00 Andrew's team rate him live
 27:35 The standards meeting nobody runs
 29:15 Why high standards make people feel safer
 32:51 He refused to learn what the best in the world could do
 35:16 Making an omelette while being held under
 39:26 The flap of skin costing him 100 feet
 44:24 The only standard that matters: coming home
 48:09 The bullshit audit
 01:07:49 The list of 12, and the six he wasn't
 01:10:38 Why most people never set a goal

Buy a copy of Matt's new book: https://www.mattformston.com/books-hub
Visit Matt's website: https://www.mattformston.com/
You can find Matt at his LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/matt-formston-am-gaicd
Or at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattformston/?hl=en
Listen to our first episode with Matt: https://shorturl.at/ICL5l

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