Episode 367: Peak Performing Flow with Steven Kotler

If you want results, you need to play the long game. Flow expert Steven Kotler shares what peak performers do to achieve their goals – and what you can do.

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Steven Kotler is a New York Times-bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and the founder and executive director of the Flow Research Collective. He is the author of thirteen books, including The Art of Impossible and The Future is Faster Than You Think. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and has appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Wall Street Journal, TIME and the Harvard Business Review.

In this conversation, we explore his latest book, The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer. We talk about outcome versus process goals, what is the flow state and why it’s trainable, running towards yourself – and Steven being an old school punk rocker.

Talking PointsWhy you need to be more specific with your goals (11:34)Stepping away from ‘hacks’ (17:54)The habit of ferocity (20:33)Work schedules and autonomy (34:36)Gmail frustrations (44:58)Embrace your creativity in all situations (49:01)What is a flow state and its primary activities? (54:57)

“People can’t make work for you before you do your work first.”

– Steven Kotler

Helpful Links‘The Art of Impossible’ by Steven Kotler‘Flow in Sports’ by Susan Jackson and Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiDerek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (2020)Andrew D. HubermanFront‘The Rise of Superman’ by Steven KotlerFlowResearchCollective.comStevenKotler.com

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