Peak Performance (book)
✒️ Note-Making
🔗Connect
⬆️Topic:: Mastery
💡Clarify
🔈 Summary of main ideas
- Growth is stress and rest - strong sustainable growth doesn't come from endless pressure, that leads to quick burnout. True growth comes from combining stress (pushing our limits) and rest (letting our body recharge)
- Stress is good if in moderation - too little stress won't cause us to improve. Too much would break us. We have to find the goldilocks level. One that is slightly outside of our comfort zone
- The higher the stress, the longer you rest - the simple rule is that the more we exhaust ourselves and push beyond our limits, the more time we need to recover and recharge. The greatest rest as they workout, they don't neglect sleep and mental relaxation
- Have a ritual, a place and a minimalist approach - performance is easier to optimize when we have a ritual. A repeated set of actions, preferably in a place dedicated for it, while narrowing down your agenda to only this activity.
- Have an other-focused purpose - Framing what we do in a "giving" way, finding how we can help or inspire others can let us overcome burnout and do the impossible
🗒️Relate
⛓ by following this method, what will happen? What is the goal of this book? You will find a way to improve in a sustainable, healthy manner
🔍Critique
✅ relevant research, metaphors or examples that helps to convey the argument
❌ the logical jumps, holes or simply cases where it is wrong...
🧱 Implementations and limitations of it are...
🗨️Review
💭 my opinions on the book, the writers style... The section about the ritual and the purpose, while related to performance, feels kinda out of place with the theme and the intro that focused heavily on the "stress + rest" theme (which also took the majority of the book), as if it was add-ons to make it book length appropriate.
🖼️Outline
📒 Notes
Introduction
Due to Globalization and AI, we are always under threat of competition. While it pushes us to do better, it has become so cut-throat that people are filled with Stress and Burnout.
We exhaust ourselves to the point of depression, using drugs, insomnia, bad health and so much more, just to level with others, we burn bright and fast. From teenagers to professionals, we all hurt ourselves in the hopes of outperforming others, or at least not being the worst.
This doesn't have this way, there is a way for sustainable, healthy growth.
- pressure to perform comes from all directions. As a result, more and more people are working themselves beyond the point of diminishing returns. (Location 345)
The Growth Equation
The Secret to Sustainable Success
growth = stress + rest
The key to growth (of any kind, either physical or mental), is a series of tough Challenges, followed by periods of Rest. This creates the process of Allostasis, where our body improves to match the current levels of challenges we face. Too strong and we burnout, too weak and we don't improve, but slowly over time as we increase the difficulty, our body gets stronger in kind.
What's true physically is also true mentally. The reason our Willpower is Limited is because we can overstress it by testing our Self-control without giving ourselves opportunities to rest and replenish our energy.
- The manner in which great intellectual and creative performers continually grow their minds mirrors the manner in which great physical performers continually grow their bodies. (Location 473)
Rethinking Stress
The only way to grow is through experiencing difficulties Adversarial Growth. Therefore stress can be a good thing, if it is in Moderation. Too much, and our body will collapse under the pressure, working on short-term survival rather than long-term growth, which is why chronic stress leads to burnout. Too little, and there will be no need for investing resources in long-term growth, as our body is supposably just fine as it is. What we need are challenges that are just outside of our comfort zone.
- stress isn’t just harmful; it can also serve as a stimulus for growth and adaptation. (Location 605)
- If you want to continuously improve in whatever it is that you do, you’ve got to view stress as something positive, even desirable. Although too much or never-ending stress can be dangerous, the right amount serves as a powerful stimulus for growth. (Location 691)
- What you’re after is the sweet spot: when the challenge at hand is on the outer edge of, or perhaps just beyond, your current skills. (Location 713)
Stress Yourself
Peak performance is based on Deliberate Practice, it is not a matter of how much experience you have, rather how you train. The key aspect is Focus, avoiding all Distractions and most of all avoiding multitasking. While it feels more productive, it's actually harmful for our productivity due to Task Switching and Attention Residue.
Avoiding distractions is hard, especially due to the dopamine spike our smartphones generate. That's why out of sight out of mind is the best policy. Keep it off, and in another room when you need to concentrate Visibility.
Concentrating for a long period is hard. Peak performance is working around a Pomodoro technique schedule, working in 90 minute cycles with 75 concentrated Deep Work and 15 minutes of rest.
When you're feeling stress, don't try to shut down the feeling. View it as a challenge, as a positive thing, as a preparation of the body and mind for the challenge to come Growth Mindset. Say "I'm excited", instead of "I'm stressed". Both experts and novices feel stress, the latter fight it, the first use it.
- It isn’t experience that sets top performers apart but the amount of deliberate practice they put in. (Location 783)
- In the midst of stress, those who demonstrate a challenge response proactively focus on what they can control. With this outlook, negative emotions like fear and anxiety decrease. This response better enables these individuals to manage and even thrive under stress. (Location 1043)
The Paradox of Rest
There are two ways of resting, one more conscious, the other subconscious.
To rest "consciously", we can practice Meditation, which increases our mindfulness skill. The largest benefit is that mindfulness gives us the power of Cognitive Distancing. For example, when we experience stress, experts have a shorter and smaller crisis because they notice their pain as an observer, and maintain calmness despite the pressure. Novices on the other hand, experience Emotional hijacking, they are consumed by their stress, surrendering to the pain, unable to function.
The other form of resting is by activating our downtime brain, which is essential for creativity. In general, the bigger the problem we face, the longer we should rest in order to let our minds subconsciously process it.
- it’s only when we turn off the conscious mind, shifting into a state of rest, that insights from the subconscious mind surface. (Location 1314)
Rest like the Best
Not all rests are created equal. The best forms of rest are:
- Taking a walk - moving, especially outside, even for just a few minutes can be refreshing for mind and body, and even negate effects of repeated sitting and looking at a screen.
- Meditating - as mentioned previously, it's good for attention and relaxation
- Sleep - most of us Sleep less than 7-9 recommended hours. Blue light and social media erode our circadian rhythm. The longer we sleep, the more beneficial REM ratio we get. Sleep is essential for growth, processing emotions, cleaning and fixing the body, and regaining clarity
- Napping - not an alternative to sleep, but it is essential.
- Socializing - spending quality time with close ones is rejuvenating
In general, have at least 1 day off a week, and try to take week long vacations once in a while. The harder you work, the more rest you need. Remember that a vacation is a temporary solution, if the reasons for burnout are still there, the symptoms will return. Rest without guilt, rest with intention.
- Sleep is one of the most productive things we can do. (Location 1562)
- resting hard often takes more guts than working hard. (Location 1774)
Priming
Optimize Your Routine
Using Rituals is useful for Priming yourself for the activity ahead and get into the zone. It doesn't matter what the routine is, warmups can be as good for writing as for physical activity. The only thing is that you remain consistent. Although, it seems that Optimism is always a good mood to be in when priming yourself for something.
Rituals put you in an automated state that removes chatter and grants focus.
While some rituals are dependent on you alone, some are tied to the environment. We are constantly affected and interact with the environment around us Extended Mind. For example, having a "writing only" computer helps put you in "writing" mood. Therefore use Environmental design to your favor. Surround yourself in the environment that will optimize your routine.
- You can improve performance by priming yourself into a positive mood prior to important work that involves problem solving and creative thinking. (Location 1923)
Minimalist to Be a Maximalist
To maximize your outputs:
- Say no - being a Minimalist,i.e Saying no to everything that is not essential, and reducing Decision points throughout your day will reduce decision fatigue and make sure you preserve your mental capacity and energy for what matters
- Connect to your internal clock - build your schedule based on your energy levels throughout the day. For example, if you're a morning person, reserve time in the morning for your most important work
- Surround yourself with good people - we tend to imitate those around us. That's why it's important to surround ourselves with like minded people with the motivation and energy to do what we want to do
- the makeup of your social circle has profound implications for your own behavior. While what you do and when you do it is important, so is who you do it with. (Location 2280)
Purpose
Transcend Yourself
When we focus on just ourselves, our capabilities are limited. Our ego will usually let us succumb to failure, stopping before reaching our limits. However, if we focus on a purpose that transcends ourselves, like doing things for others, we can go that extra mile, to do what we thought was impossible.
Purpose, specifically through Giving gives us the Intrinsic Motivation and Grit to push beyond our limits
Fatigue and burnout is at least partially mental. That is why a sense of purpose can allow us to overcome it.
- Purpose fosters motivation; motivation lets us endure a greater perception of effort; and enduring a greater perception of effort often results in better performance. (Location 2561)
Develop Your Purpose
You can develop your purpose by listing, describing and prioritizing your core values, and see what comes out of it.
Once you find it, constantly remind yourself through visual cues, periodical review and self talk. Let it become an inseparable part of your life. self talk