In revealing the science of great performance and the stories of great performers across a wide range of capabilities, Peak Performance uncovers the secrets of success and coaches readers on how to use them.
I normally don't pick up too many books of this genre, but a podcast (The Psychology Podcast, episode 107) with these two authors really piqued my interest. In the podcast they discussed how fatigue is thought to be more mental than physical: "It's not that our muscles wear out; rather, it is our brain that shuts them down when they still have a few more percentage points to give. This is an innately programmed way of protecting ourselves...but, it is possible to override the central governor."
It's not as though I am training as an extreme athlete and have the desire to push my body to failure per se, but I find the idea that we tend to quit because of an innate desire to self-protect ourselves fascinating. Our minds are truly a gift--I've known the subconscious does more than we could ever imagine, including, according to the findings in this book, "creating a perception of failure" so that we don't push ourselves too far. Turns out there is a lot of truth to "mind over matter." In addition to sustaining a healthy balance physically, emotionally and mentally, I saw this book through to completion so that I might have a better handle on how to keep from burning out and achieving a way to live that maximizes what I have to give. And I was not disappointed. Thoroughly researched and scientifically supported, not to mention some truly inspiring real life examples and storytelling, what Stulberg and Magness have here is a printed goldmine for those desiring greatness in mind, body and spirit in their professional and personal pursuits. The key principles being:
- Stress + Rest = Growth
- The power of developing optimal routines and designing your day
- Purpose
For those who know me best, I've never felt more depleted than I have over the last two years. In an environment that was at first very life-giving, I inadvertently stepped on a proverbial land mine that left me feeling stuck, wounded and more uncertain about my place and purpose than I had ever experienced. Unable to truly be myself day in and day out took it's toll as I learned more about perseverance and enduring hardship than I ever thought possible. And then, just as I began to see the light again, my world grew incomprehensibly dark in the death of my Dad at just 68-- my number one fan and life-long teacher, gone. And while I continue to practice giving myself self-grace and space in the grieving process, I look to resources like this to provide a blueprint for additional ways to heal my spirit and fill the void that suffering creates. Needless to say, obtaining health and developing consistency as a human being has never been more necessary. I know I am not alone in any of this. Healing may take a lifetime, but it is thoughtful, challenging and yet attainable wisdom and strategy like this book that allow people like us to still experience resurrection time and again.
"A little doubt and uncertainty is actually a good thing: It signals that a growth opportunity has emerged. The little voice inside your head saying, 'I can't possibly do this,' is actually a sign that you're on the right track. It's your mind trying to pull you back to the familiar path that represents your comfort zone. Just-manageable-challenges are about venturing off a known path and going down a slightly more demanding one."
"Multitasking not only makes the work we do today suffer, but it also makes the work we'll do tomorrow suffer."
"Alternating between blocks of 50 to 90 minutes of intense work and recovery breaks of 7 to 20 minutes enables people to sustain the physical, cognitive, and emotional energy required for peak performance."
"In a society that glorifies grinding, short-term gains and pushing to extremes, it takes guts to rest...Rest isn't lazily slothing around; it's an active process in which physical and psychological growth occurs. To reap the benefits of stress, you need to rest...the best athletes in the world all prioritize sleep just as much as they prioritize their hardest training sessions and their most important competitions."
Photo by Simon Fitall on Unsplash
Photo by Lê Tân on Unsplash
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