Hey there,

It's the 31st of December and we are getting ready to the new year and all the great possibilities that come with starting something new.

In a few hours, we'll be celebrating the beginning of 2024 and we will spend the first 12 seconds setting up the new year's resolutions. We commit ourselves to certain decisions as if they would materialize in front of us, just because we decided to make them our resolutions. It's a tradition even though it's well established that making new year resolutions don't work

We are left with this conundrum: we want to improve certain areas of ours lives and those exact resolutions fail. How to solve this? One strategy I've been suggesting our patients and clients is to set on a mission for the new year in stead of limiting yourself to resolutions.

This small change is quite a powerful and fundamental one because it sets you up for accomplishment and positive change in stead of being on the verge of failure and breaking our oath. Let me give you an example with a common resolution: being healthy.

It's probably the most common resolution. Though it means different things to different people, it will include some sort "eating healthier, drink less, exercise more and improve sleep". These is what you may be committing to, changing these habits and implementing these changes. That's the end goal.

Therefore, it means that every time you don't eat healthy, drink a bit more, don't exercise and jeopardize your sleep you are breaking the resolution and soon enough the amount of "moments of failure" is so high that it just crumbles down. Given the hecticness and uncertainty of the world we live in, we don't need - better, we don't deserve - these continuous reminder of failing.

However, if you set on a mission to be healthier in 2024, the whole game changes: it goes from the actions themselves to the act of being and living a healthier lifestyle. It focus on the big picture and what it means to be the way you want to be. Every time you detour, you are not failing your mission! You just need to return to the journey you set out for yourself and keep on going. Before you know it, you are living the changes you aim for.

So, what is your #mission2024?

I can share ours with you: our mission is to help you live, work and achieve beyond average by priming your body, brain and mind. We want to be your partner, mentor and coach in the process of achieve your goals by providing information, tools and action plans based on the best science - whatever the discipline it may come.

With every single interaction and piece of information, being an email or a blog post in our website or in our one-on-ones and mentoring programs, we want to drive you forward and improve your health and performance.

That's what you can expect from our team.

Personally, my #mission2024 is quite simple yet powerful: I want to be better, be courageous and be strong.

I want to be a better person in all walks of my life: a better husband, father, friend, coach, mentor and doctor. It means that every day I'll strive to improve how I function and interact with all those around me.

I want to be more courageous. It's not rare that I've been paralysed with fear and with the "what if"s of life. I want to push myself forward to face my weaknesses and overcome my limitations. If this is something you resonate with, let me know and I'll share some strategies I'll be trying.

And finally I want to be stronger, mentally and crucially physically. During the next 12 months I am committing myself to finishing a sub-4h marathon, to go from my home by the sea in Portugal to the highest mountain in the Portuguese mainland in one go (it's around 180km) and improve my strength and mobility as a stepping to the big 2025 mission.

366 days from now I'll be looking back and feel proud of myself for what I have achieved. That's how I'll know that I have completed the mission.

And with this Prime Human Performance is live.

Thank you for being here.

It is an honor.

Miguel Damas