The 3 P’s of Performance: Why Most Christian Men Stay Stuck (And How to Break Through Without Burning Out)
Speed, focus, and accountability
Once I started coaching Christian business-leader and business-owner fathers, I noticed a pattern.
Most of them weren’t stuck because of laziness or a lack of effort — they were stuck because they were trying to force growth without constraints.
They thought, “If I just work harder, I’ll break through.”
But that’s not how growth, change, and transformation work.
In fact, some of the most powerful breakthroughs in my life, business, and in my clients’ lives have come not from adding more…
…but from narrowing the focus, tightening the system, and partnering with the biblical principles of intentional limitation.
That’s why we teach what I call The 3 P’s of Performance — three timeless principles adapted inside the Built for Life™ Framework to accelerate sustainable growth across every domain of life:
1. Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands to fill the time available.”
Most of us have probably said something like the following during our annual planning with our wives:
“We’ll start doing regular family devotions this year.”
Then, before you know it, it’s December… and we’re still “planning to.”
That’s Parkinson’s Law at work.
When the deadline is vague, the action is too.
But shorten the timeline—and watch urgency and creativity kick in.
Tell yourself: “By Friday, we’ll be reading the Bible as a family before school.”
That simple constraint births clarity and momentum.
We use this principle all the time with clients — not to rush, but to force focus.
Instead of saying “I want to triple my business revenue in the next 3 years,”
We ask, “What would have to change for you to do it in 6 months — or 12?”
Suddenly, the inefficiencies get exposed.
The distractions fall away.
The bold action surfaces.
That’s how Built for Life™ compresses time:
We help you shorten the timeline on your most important goals—family culture, business scaling, personal health, and legacy.
2. Pareto Principle: “Roughly 80% of results come from 20% of inputs.”
Once you apply Parkinson’s Law and compress the timeline…
You’re forced to ask: “What actually moves the needle?”
Because if you only have 7 days to build a family rhythm,
or 6 months to triple your revenue,
you don’t have time to waste.
That’s where the Pareto Principle becomes your best friend.
Most men stay busy — but not effective.
They optimize things that shouldn’t exist.
They dial in routines, projects, and commitments… that aren’t aligned with what God actually called them to build.
So here’s the better question:
What 20% of actions create 80% of the transformation?
The goal is focus.
By identifying the few actions that deliver outsized impact — and cutting the rest — you create margin, clarity, and progress.
How to use it:
Pick one area where you feel stuck: fitness, marriage, parenting, business, spiritual leadership.
List everything you’re currently doing (or trying to do).
Ask: Which 1–2 of these actually drive the outcome I care about most?
Ruthlessly cut or deprioritize the rest.
Recently, I’ve applied this as a father of 5 by learning my kids’ love languages and then focusing my engagement efforts with each boy on the approach that helps them experience my love the most.
This is what high performance looks like in the Kingdom:
Doing less, on purpose, with greater impact.
3. Pearson’s Law: “That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.”
Most men have goals… but no scoreboard.
They have hopes… but no honest feedback loop.
They want to grow in faith, fitness, family, or finances —
but they don’t measure hardly anything correctly.
And they don’t let anyone call them up when they drift.
Here’s the reality:
You cannot grow what you’re unwilling to track.
And you won’t stay consistent without good accountability.
Pearson’s Law makes it simple:
If you track your workouts, your strength will improve.
If you track your prayer life, you’ll pray more deeply and more often.
If you track time with your wife and kids, you’ll naturally prioritize them.
But when you report it to someone else — someone who’s not afraid to challenge you —
your growth multiplies.
That’s why our coaching includes weekly reports and real human feedback.
Not to babysit. But to build integrity—with a brotherhood that expects progress.
Warning:
Not all accountability is created equal.
You don’t need a passive friend to “check in.”
You need a man who:
Can see through your excuses
Knows your calling
And has the invitation and authority to challenge your patterns
That’s what most men are missing — and why their growth stalls.
How to use it:
Identify 2–3 critical behaviors you want to improve (e.g. bedtime routine with kids, 3 workouts/week, daily time in the Word).
Choose a simple tracking method (habit app, checklist, calendar, etc).
Invite one trusted man to ask about it weekly — someone you respect enough to listen to when they push you.
When you shorten the timeline (Parkinson’s),
focus on what matters most (Pareto),
and measure with accountability (Pearson’s)…
You create God-honoring performance pressure that produces fruit — not burnout.
So that’s the power of the 3 P’s:
Focus on what matters.
Move faster with less.
Track what counts.
But even with the perfect system — if you don’t know what God’s asking of you — you’ll end up chasing the wrong goals.
And that’s another area where most men are stuck…
You don’t need more effort.
You need more clarity.
Clarity comes from hearing God’s voice.
And we’ll dive into that in a future chat…
-Chris
PS: Want to learn more about how these 3 P’s fit into the full Built for Life™ framework? I’ve got a quick 15-minute mini-masterclass you can watch here.