Peak Performance Book Quotes

Getting to the top should be a priority, but being aware of the reason for getting there should be the focus!

Until you get enough of enough, the "enough" that is never enough, you dare not quit! If your good is better, your better can be best; your best too can become excellent!

The happiest people on earth worked hard for their fulfillment. They didn’t just have the most peak experiences, they had devoted their lives to having these experiences, often, as Csikszentmihalyi explained in his 1996 book Creativity, going to extreme lengths to seek them out: It was clear from talking to them, that what kept them motivated was the quality of the experience they felt when they were involved with the activity. The feeling didn’t come when they were relaxing, when they were taking drugs or alcohol, or when they were consuming the expensive privileges of wealth. Rather, it often involved painful, risky, difficult activities that stretched the person’s capacity and involved an element of novelty and discovery.

It is true I have not seen the earth nor men, but in your books I have drunk fragrant wine, I have sung songs, I have hunted stags and wild boars in the forests, have loved women ... Beauties as ethereal as clouds, created by the magic of your poets and geniuses, have visited me at night, and have whispered in my ears wonderful tales that have set my brain in a whirl. In your books I have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc, and from there I have seen the sun rise and have watched it at evening flood the sky, the ocean, and the mountain-tops with gold and crimson. I have watched from there the lightning flashing over my head and cleaving the storm-clouds. I have seen green forests, fields, rivers, lakes, towns. I have heard the singing of the sirens, and the strains of the shepherds' pipes; I have touched the wings of comely devils who flew down to converse with me of God ... In your books I have flung myself into the bottomless pit, performed miracles, slain, burned towns, preached new religions, conquered whole kingdoms ...

If you don’t drink coffee, you should think about two to four cups a day. It can make you more alert, happier, and more productive. It might even make you live longer. Coffee can also make you more likely to exercise, and it contains beneficial antioxidants and other substances associated with decreased risk of stroke (especially in women), Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. Coffee is also associated with decreased risk of abnormal heart rhythms, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.12, 13 Any one of those benefits of coffee would be persuasive, but cumulatively they’re a no-brainer. An hour ago I considered doing some writing for this book, but I didn’t have the necessary energy or focus to sit down and start working. I did, however, have enough energy to fix myself a cup of coffee. A few sips into it, I was happier to be working than I would have been doing whatever lazy thing was my alternative. Coffee literally makes me enjoy work. No willpower needed. Coffee also allows you to manage your energy levels so you have the most when you need it. My experience is that coffee drinkers have higher highs and lower lows, energywise, than non–coffee drinkers, but that trade-off works. I can guarantee that my best thinking goes into my job, while saving my dull-brain hours for household chores and other simple tasks. The biggest downside of coffee is that once you get addicted to caffeine, you can get a “coffee headache” if you go too long without a cup. Luckily, coffee is one of the most abundant beverages on earth, so you rarely have to worry about being without it. Coffee costs money, takes time, gives you coffee breath, and makes you pee too often. It can also make you jittery and nervous if you have too much. But if success is your dream and operating at peak mental performance is something you want, coffee is a good bet. I highly recommend it. In fact, I recommend it so strongly that I literally feel sorry for anyone who hasn’t developed the habit.

For fifteen years I have been intently studying earthly life. It is true I have not seen the earth nor men, but in your books I have drunk fragrant wine, I have sung songs, I have hunted stags and wild boars in the forests, have loved women ... Beauties as ethereal as clouds, created by the magic of your poets and geniuses, have visited me at night, and have whispered in my ears wonderful tales that have set my brain in a whirl. In your books I have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc, and from there I have seen the sun rise and have watched it at evening flood the sky, the ocean, and the mountain-tops with gold and crimson. I have watched from there the lightning flashing over my head and cleaving the storm-clouds. I have seen green forests, fields, rivers, lakes, towns. I have heard the singing of the sirens, and the strains of the shepherds' pipes; I have touched the wings of comely devils who flew down to converse with me of God ... In your books I have flung myself into the bottomless pit, performed miracles, slain, burned towns, preached new religions, conquered whole kingdoms ...

social isolation is not the same as loneliness. Some studies have found that it’s loneliness—the feeling of being isolated—that puts people at higher risk of cognitive loss. For those who feel perfectly happy with a book and a cup of tea, more power to them.

By the time this book is published, I expect that the CAR T-cell study will have already begun, with myself as one of the three surgeons. The brain cancer we will be treating is not glioblastoma, as mentioned above, but a different kind that is much more common: brain metastasis from breast cancer.

If we are intent upon answering our most serious questions, from climate change to poverty, and curing diseases to designing new products, we need to work with people who think differently, not just accurately. And this requires us to take a step back and view performance from a fundamentally different vantage point. Consider an irony in the way we traditionally think about success. If you look at science or, indeed, popular literature, the focus is on individuals. How can we improve the knowledge or perceptiveness of ourselves or our colleagues? Fine books such as Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, Sources of Power by Gary Klein and Mindset by Carol Dweck have become bestsellers. All examine, in their different ways, how we can improve individual abilities through time.

Bizarre and Surprising Insights—Consumer Behavior Insight Organization Suggested Explanation7 Guys literally drool over sports cars. Male college student subjects produce measurably more saliva when presented with images of sports cars or money. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Consumer impulses are physiological cousins of hunger. If you buy diapers, you are more likely to also buy beer. A pharmacy chain found this across 90 days of evening shopping across dozens of outlets (urban myth to some, but based on reported results). Osco Drug Daddy needs a beer. Dolls and candy bars. Sixty percent of customers who buy a Barbie doll buy one of three types of candy bars. Walmart Kids come along for errands. Pop-Tarts before a hurricane. Prehurricane, Strawberry Pop-Tart sales increased about sevenfold. Walmart In preparation before an act of nature, people stock up on comfort or nonperishable foods. Staplers reveal hires. The purchase of a stapler often accompanies the purchase of paper, waste baskets, scissors, paper clips, folders, and so on. A large retailer Stapler purchases are often a part of a complete office kit for a new employee. Higher crime, more Uber rides. In San Francisco, the areas with the most prostitution, alcohol, theft, and burglary are most positively correlated with Uber trips. Uber “We hypothesized that crime should be a proxy for nonresidential population.…Uber riders are not causing more crime. Right, guys?” Mac users book more expensive hotels. Orbitz users on an Apple Mac spend up to 30 percent more than Windows users when booking a hotel reservation. Orbitz applies this insight, altering displayed options according to your operating system. Orbitz Macs are often more expensive than Windows computers, so Mac users may on average have greater financial resources. Your inclination to buy varies by time of day. For retail websites, the peak is 8:00 PM; for dating, late at night; for finance, around 1:00 PM; for travel, just after 10:00 AM. This is not the amount of website traffic, but the propensity to buy of those who are already on the website. Survey of websites The impetus to complete certain kinds of transactions is higher during certain times of day. Your e-mail address reveals your level of commitment. Customers who register for a free account with an Earthlink.com e-mail address are almost five times more likely to convert to a paid, premium-level membership than those with a Hotmail.com e-mail address. An online dating website Disclosing permanent or primary e-mail accounts reveals a longer-term intention. Banner ads affect you more than you think. Although you may feel you've learned to ignore them, people who see a merchant's banner ad are 61 percent more likely to subsequently perform a related search, and this drives a 249 percent increase in clicks on the merchant's paid textual ads in the search results. Yahoo! Advertising exerts a subconscious effect. Companies win by not prompting customers to think. Contacting actively engaged customers can backfire—direct mailing financial service customers who have already opened several accounts decreases the chances they will open more accounts (more details in Chapter 7).

I didn’t reach my athletic peak until I was 43. I didn’t write my first book until I was 44. I didn’t start my podcast until I was 45. At 30, I thought my life was over. At 52, I know it’s just beginning. Keep running. Never give up. And watch your kite soar.

Courage. A mentally tough athlete must be willing to take a risk. That’s what peak performers do. In the book Adversity Quotient author Paul Stoltz compares success with a mountain. Only climbers get to the top. The campers, those who get part of the way up and decide to stay where they are, will never feel as alive or as proud as the climbers. As the philosopher said, it takes courage to grow up and to achieve your full potential.

The message of the Inner Game is simple: focus. Focus of attention in the present moment, the only one you can really live in, is at the heart of this book and at the heart of the art of doing anything well.

Taking regular breaks from screens throughout the day can help people manage stress and remain productive. Scheduling specific times for these breaks on their calendars can be a great way of ensuring they don’t get lost in the digital world and neglect themselves.

The key difference being that we must delay gratification in order to experience success; by doing this, the reward centers are engaged, contributing to better focus and resourcefulness long term.

Taking the time each morning to view early morning sunlight for a period of ten to thirty minutes can have powerful effects on the regulation of dopamine in the body (Cawley et al., 2013). Not only can it cause an immediate release of dopamine, but when practiced consistently, this activity may even lead to a rise in the expression levels of certain dopamine receptors.

Attach Rewards to Your To-Do List Utilizing low-tech techniques is a great way to get started. For instance, assigning rewards to a to-do list can help make the necessary chores feel more enjoyable. With each task completed, you assign yourself points or another reward that incentivizes getting your list done quickly and efficiently. It’s a great way to not only motivate yourself but also involve the kids in the process, as it provides positive reinforcement. Get creative with novel mini games and see just how much fun tackling everyday tasks can be!

While it's normal to combine activities to make mundane tasks more exciting, it is important to be mindful of combining too many pleasurable activities, such as texting, listening to music, and exercising. According to Lembke, the brain needs time when it is not being stimulated in order to appreciate the true enjoyment that results from any activity people undertake. Too much pleasure at one time can lead people to become numb or take greater risks than people would normally take, so enjoying pleasures in moderation is an important exercise for everyone.

You can use this written record as a reference when feeling low or in need of new inspiration. Take a few moments to recall the emotions experienced during these moments and be intentional about savoring the feeling of being appreciated.

Taking a solitary walk every day can be beneficial for your physical and mental health. Referred to as "savoring walks" by the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley, this activity encourages people to take a break from their everyday life and focus on the little things that make up the world around them. During a savoring walk, consciously observe your environment as you go, taking note of sights, sounds, and smells unique to your location. At times, it might be difficult, but each step taken will help build within you a sense of greater appreciation for nature and all that is around you. Walk alone with intention and in gratitude; the world is beautiful and there are countless blessings to be thankful for.

Activities that individuals can allow themselves to partake in could include: writing (with pen and paper), meditating, going for walks, doing some deep thinking, inner child-work, visualizing, and replenishing with water. Individuals can devote one weekend day (spent outdoors on a Saturday or Sunday), one weekend per quarter (go on a trip), or one week per year (go on vacation!).

Adding friction to a task can be an incredibly successful way of changing our behavior. Humans tend to come up with the path of least resistance, and if you give us more work or make it difficult, we won't often go the extra mile.

Therefore, self-control is an important skill to master if we want to stay productive. One effective way of strengthening our self-control is to practice voluntary discomfort. This means deliberately subjecting ourselves to uncomfortable situations and avoiding the urge to give in easily to the comfort we could derive from easier solutions.

According to Dr. Huberman, research demonstrates that receiving gratitude has an even greater effect than giving it.

Multi-tasking and trying to do too many things all at once can be highly stressful. For those feeling stressed, it might be valuable to engage in an alternative activity that is incompatible with whatever is causing the stress (the stimulus); this could mean doing something physical instead of sitting in front of a screen all day, or going outdoors for some fresh air and sunshine instead of worrying about satisfying that “urge to indulge.

Refraining from quick hits and instead focusing on activities such as physical exercise, learning, working on long-term goals, and meditation can have a direct impact on our motivation levels and our ability to focus.

Creating and reinforcing new habits has never been easier than with celebrations. Research has revealed that when people find a celebration that resonates with them and deliver it immediately after or while performing the action, their brain will develop the pathway to help make it an automatic behavior in the future.

we become aware of this and take a moment to consider why this work is important to us and what would happen if we don't do it, we may turn our limbic system's fear of avoidance against it and beat it at its own game.

Learning immediately after engaging in new experiences capitalizes on our brain's inherent plasticity—its capacity for adaptation and modification. This neurobiological phenomenon can be heuristic for learning, enabling people to learn more quickly. When it comes to setting aside time for studying, consider the opportunities presented by the unfamiliar—for example, scheduling a coffee chat with someone outside of your circle or undertaking a weekend trip to a different city.

Once you have achieved each small section, you should reward yourself with something meaningful to you, like a five-minute break or the last slice of pizza.

According to research, dopamine influences how people choose between immediate rewards versus things that might occur in the future (Schultz, 2004). In other words, it forces individuals to focus on the here and now rather than how their spur-of-the-moment decisions may influence them in the future. This can lead them toward making unhealthy choices.

Holmes and Collins (2001) found that visualizing success involves creating internal cognitive representations that mirror actual action. This helps release dopamine, improve motivation, and build confidence while encouraging improved execution when performing outside of one’s imagination. As such, visualizing success can be an incredibly useful tool for any athlete or performer wishing to maximize their potential within a competitive environment.

many top athletes are taught to visualize their goals immediately prior to a competition. They see themselves winning the game, winning the race, or scoring the game-winning point. They are taught to "imagine" what they want to happen rather than what they don't want to occur. If they accomplish this, their chances of success skyrocket (Meyers and Schleser, 1980). Seeing themselves succeed helps people believe that they can.

Professor David Welch explains that people who don’t take the time for self-reflection tend to make bad decisions because they do not understand their own position. He encourages readers to ask themselves specific questions like: “Will the outcome of my decision move me closer to what I truly want? Does the benefit outweigh the cost? Is the level of risk worth the reward? How committed am I to this change?

Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”  -Angela Lee Duckworth

Random Intermittent Reward Timing (RIRT) If someone wants to stay motivated and have success in whatever pursuits they have, random intermittent reward timing (RIRT) could be their ticket.

Second example: You, with an emotional chain of thought: If I don’t get this done by tonight, I might fail this class! I will disappoint everyone I hold dear! This can’t be happening! I shall power through even if it takes me all night! It's so impressive that in both of these cases, the individual decided to pay attention to their emotions and take the time to explain to themselves why the fear of avoidance was greater than the fear of discomfort. They used this as a motivating factor and realized that not taking action was more terrifying than not doing what they said they would. As we all know, taking that first step toward a goal will always give us a hit of dopamine; if we just keep going and smashing out even more goals, it keeps on coming!

To maximize the benefits of this routine and add an extra layer of wellness, experts suggest taking a short cold shower—anywhere from one to three minutes in length—as cold as a person can reasonably tolerate. Research has shown that this simple addition can drastically raise people’s baseline dopamine level for multiple hours afterward. Appropriate sleep helps regulate the production and release of dopamine,

Caffeine can be a great way to boost your energy levels and productivity throughout the day.

Meditation is a great way to give your dopamine levels a healthy, natural boost.

Eric Garland, a professor at the University of Utah’s College of Social Work, created the program Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), which has been helpful in aiding those battling opioid abuse, chronic pain, and emotional distress. MORE involves teaching participants to process and cope with challenging negative emotions. Garland presumes “life includes triumphs and tribulations; mindfulness allows individuals to accept both outcomes while remaining in tune with their metaphysical alignment.

Studies have found that gratitude can do wonders for mental health. It's been associated with increasing levels of dopamine, and recent research suggests it can also naturally boost serotonin—that "happiness chemical." In his book The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time, researcher Alex Korb writes that being grateful activates production in the anterior cingulate cortex. This can help people feel good and relaxed, as well as stabilize their mood so they’re better equipped to manage difficult emotions

This is backed up by science; when people are doing something meaningful, the brain releases dopamine. So if people want to increase their happiness and contentment levels, they should consider spending time on activities that are closely tied to their core values. Not only will this make them a more fulfilled individual, it'll also give their mind and soul a much needed boost!

spotlighting. It involves focusing one’s visual attention on one specific point in the distance, which helps to reduce distractions.

Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: ‘Is this the condition that I feared?’” -Seneca

When it comes to internet use and video games, avoid anything designed by a company (movies/television) or requiring frequent input (scrolling/clicking), because such goods prioritize user engagement over user well-being.

Passage Five: From Business Manager to Group Manager This is another leadership passage that at first glance doesn’t seem overly arduous. The assumption is that if you can run one business successfully, you can do the same with two or more businesses. The flaw in this reasoning begins with what is valued at each leadership level. A business manager values the success of his own business. A group manager values the success of other people’s businesses. This is a critical distinction because some people only derive satisfaction when they’re the ones receiving the lion’s share of the credit. As you might imagine, a group manager who doesn’t value the success of others will fail to inspire and support the performance of the business managers who report to him. Or his actions might be dictated by his frustration; he’s convinced he could operate the various businesses better than any of his managers and wishes he could be doing so. In either instance, the leadership pipeline becomes clogged with business managers who aren’t operating at peak capacity because they’re not being properly supported or their authority is being usurped. This level also requires a critical shift in four skill sets. First, group managers must become proficient at evaluating strategy for capital allocation and deployment purposes. This is a sophisticated business skill that involves learning to ask the right questions, analyze the right data, and apply the right corporate perspective to understand which strategy has the greatest probability of success and therefore should be funded. The second skill cluster involves development of business managers. As part of this development, group managers need to know which of the function managers are ready to become business managers. Coaching new business managers is also an important role for this level. The third skill set has to do with portfolio strategy. This is quite different from business strategy and demands a perceptual shift. This is the first time managers have to ask these questions: Do I have the right collection of businesses? What businesses should be added, subtracted, or changed to position us properly and ensure current and future earnings? Fourth, group managers must become astute about assessing whether they have the right core capabilities. This means avoiding wishful thinking and instead taking a hard, objective look at their range of resources and making a judgment based on analysis and experience. Leadership becomes more holistic at this level. People may master the required skills, but they won’t perform at full leadership capacity if they don’t begin to see themselves as broad-gauged executives. By broad-gauged, we mean that managers need to factor in the complexities of running multiple businesses, thinking in terms of community, industry, government,

Coffee If you don’t drink coffee, you should think about two to four cups a day. It can make you more alert, happier, and more productive. It might even make you live longer. Coffee can also make you more likely to exercise, and it contains beneficial antioxidants and other substances associated with decreased risk of stroke (especially in women), Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. Coffee is also associated with decreased risk of abnormal heart rhythms, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.12, 13 Any one of those benefits of coffee would be persuasive, but cumulatively they’re a no-brainer. An hour ago I considered doing some writing for this book, but I didn’t have the necessary energy or focus to sit down and start working. I did, however, have enough energy to fix myself a cup of coffee. A few sips into it, I was happier to be working than I would have been doing whatever lazy thing was my alternative. Coffee literally makes me enjoy work. No willpower needed. Coffee also allows you to manage your energy levels so you have the most when you need it. My experience is that coffee drinkers have higher highs and lower lows, energywise, than non–coffee drinkers, but that trade-off works. I can guarantee that my best thinking goes into my job, while saving my dull-brain hours for household chores and other simple tasks. The biggest downside of coffee is that once you get addicted to caffeine, you can get a “coffee headache” if you go too long without a cup. Luckily, coffee is one of the most abundant beverages on earth, so you rarely have to worry about being without it. Coffee costs money, takes time, gives you coffee breath, and makes you pee too often. It can also make you jittery and nervous if you have too much. But if success is your dream and operating at peak mental performance is something you want, coffee is a good bet. I highly recommend it. In fact, I recommend it so strongly that I literally feel sorry for anyone who hasn’t developed the habit. Pleasure

One of the best, if sometimes bizarre, places to see the results of this sort of practice is in Guinness World Records. Flip through the pages of the book or visit the online version, and you will find such record holders as the American teacher Barbara Blackburn, who can type up to 212 words per minute; Marko Baloh of Slovenia, who once rode 562 miles on a bicycle in twenty-four hours; and Vikas Sharma of India, who in just one minute was able to calculate the roots of twelve large numbers, each with between twenty and fifty-one digits, with the roots ranging from the seventeenth to the fiftieth root. That last may be the most impressive of all of them because Sharma was able to perform twelve exceedingly difficult mental calculations in just sixty seconds—faster than many people could punch the numbers into a calculator and read off the answers.

those doing intense physical activity, 10 hours is not too much. •The best way to figure out the right amount of sleep for you is to spend 10 to 14 days going to sleep when you are tired and waking up without an alarm clock. Take the average sleep time. That’s what you need. •For a better night’s sleep, follow these tips, consolidated from the world’s leading researchers: Ensure you expose yourself to natural (i.e., non-electric) light throughout the day. This will help you maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. Exercise. Vigorous physical activity makes us tired. When we are tired, we sleep. But don’t exercise too close to bedtime. Limit caffeine intake, and phase it out completely 5 to 6 hours prior to your bedtime. Only use your bed for sleep and sex. Not for eating, watching television, working on your laptop, or anything else. The one exception is reading a paper book prior to bed. Don’t drink alcohol close to bedtime. Although alcohol can hasten the onset of sleep, it often

When we create a space in which to practice our craft, it is beneficial to surround ourselves with objects that invite desired actions and eliminate ones that do not. In his book The Evolving Self, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, writes that being intentional about our surroundings is essential to eliciting our best performance.

In his influential book House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth, the psychologist Robyn Dawes described research showing that licensed psychiatrists and psychologists were no more effective at performing therapy than laypeople who had received minimal training. Similarly, many studies have found that the performance of financial