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Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success

Brad Stulberg (Goodreads Author),

Steve Magness (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · Rating details · 5,380 ratings · 449 reviews

"It's about time a book was written that looks across disciplines, domains, and capabilities to uncover powerful pearls of wisdom applicable across all walks of life. Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness are a strong team to uncover the principles of Peak Performance - they're immersed in the science of success, and they draw upon their own experiences working with the best." "It's about time a book was written that looks across disciplines, domains, and capabilities to uncover powerful pearls of wisdom applicable across all walks of life. Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness are a strong team to uncover the principles of Peak Performance - they're immersed in the science of success, and they draw upon their own experiences working with the best." - Adam Grant, Wharton Professor and New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals

"Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness have written an essential playbook for success, happiness, and getting the most out of ourselves and our lives. - Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive and The Sleep Revolution

"Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness are one-percenters when it comes to skill in translating high performance science for the public. It's long past time for someone to distill principles of high-performance - in all disciplines, as diverse as running and painting - and present a coherent picture to everyone who wants to be better at absolutely whatever it is they do. I'm going to be one of the first in line for this book." - David Epstein, New York Times bestselling author of The Sports Gene

A few common principles drive performance, regardless of the field or the task at hand. Whether someone is trying to qualify for the Olympics, break ground in mathematical theory or craft an artistic masterpiece, many of the practices that lead to great success are the same. In Peak Performance, Brad Stulberg, a former McKinsey and Company consultant and writer who covers health and the science of human performance, and Steve Magness, a performance scientist and coach of Olympic athletes, team up to demystify these practices and demonstrate how everyone can achieve their best.

The first book of its kind, Peak Performance combines the inspiring stories of top performers across a range of capabilities - from athletic, to intellectual, to artistic - with the latest scientific insights into the cognitive and neurochemical factors that drive performance in all domains. In doing so, Peak Performance uncovers new linkages that hold promise as performance enhancers but have been overlooked in our traditionally-siloed ways of thinking. The result is a life-changing book in which readers learn how to enhance their performance via myriad ways including: optimally alternating between periods of intense work and rest; priming the body and mind for enhanced productivity; and developing and harnessing the power of a self-transcending purpose.

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. If you want to take your game to the next level, whatever "your game" may be, Peak Performance will teach you how. ...more

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Kindle Edition, 240 pages

Published June 6th 2017 by Rodale

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Feb 21, 2019 Riku Sayuj rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help, sports, science-sports, motivational

PEAK PERFORMANCE: All You Need to Know

The Summary at the end of the book is more than all you need from the book. So here goes:

1. SYSTEMATICALLY GROW BY ALTERNATING BETWEEN STRESS AND REST

Stress Yourself

A) Seek out “just-manageable challenges” in areas of your life in which you want grow
•Just-manageable challenges are those that barely exceed your current abilities.
•If you feel fully in control, make the next challenge a bit harder.
•If you feel anxious or so aroused that you can’t focus, dia ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Ying Ying rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: psychology, leadership-self-improvement, audiobook

The content could have easily been condensed to a blog post.

I have three main take-aways from the audiobook:
1) Use a good mixture of work and rest
2) Tap into the power of transcendental goals (that go beyond oneself)
3) Align your actions with your own personal values

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Jun 04, 2018 ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My thoughts on the issue:
> First, monotonous pursuit of excellence is not as cool as it's cracked up to be.
>> Second, succeeding at one thing doesn't readily mean we are going to succeed at every weeny thing we do.
>>> Third, young kids get into consulting and go on thinking: 'the world is my frigging oyster'. Then somethings goes not according to the plan and BAM! We have a kid researching 'peak performance'. Really, drawing cool presentations is no performance. Yes, it's a treasured skill in My thoughts on the issue:
> First, monotonous pursuit of excellence is not as cool as it's cracked up to be.
>> Second, succeeding at one thing doesn't readily mean we are going to succeed at every weeny thing we do.
>>> Third, young kids get into consulting and go on thinking: 'the world is my frigging oyster'. Then somethings goes not according to the plan and BAM! We have a kid researching 'peak performance'. Really, drawing cool presentations is no performance. Yes, it's a treasured skill in the modern world of infantile 'experts' but it shouldn't be confused with 'results results'.
>>>> Fourth, you try to turn into a machine, you might succeed for some time. Then you'll have your backlash. And you'll wish you were smarter from the start.
>>>>> Fifth, overmedicating is an evil trend. Uppers, downers, nootropics, all sorts of performance improvement substances are trash. None of us should be exposed to those.
>>>>>> Sixth, do different stuff. Do same stuff during enough time and with appropriate concentration. Then do something else.

Q:
Юный чудо-бегун так никогда и не смог пробежать ни на секунду быстрее, чем в тот летний день на Prefontaine Classic. А честолюбивый консультант не выдвинул свою кандидатуру ни на одну из выборных государственных должностей и не стал партнером уважаемой компании. На самом деле он ушел из Белого дома и с тех пор не добился никаких высот. Их звезды ярко зажглись лишь ради того, чтобы осветить пределы их возможностей, навредить их здоровью и истощить их силы. (c)
Q:
Но у этих онлайн-мегамагазинов есть и темная сторона: огромное количество уничтоженных ими рабочих мест. В действительности подъем Amazon означал падение и последующее банкротство некоторых из их конкурентов, например классической торговой сети книжных магазинов Borders. На пике своего успеха Borders давала работу примерно 35 тысячам человек. Теперь эти люди лишились работы. Но самая страшная часть истории в том, что сегодня Amazon – это куда больше, чем книги, а между тем компания начинает подумывать о том, чтобы доставлять товары с помощью не людей, а дронов. Ну и как? Вы все еще гордитесь своим статусом почетного клиента? (c)
Q:
И Вайцкин, и наиболее успешные студенты, и Лэмб практикуют то, что иногда называют «продуктивным провалом». (c)
Q: ...more

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Dec 04, 2017 Mehrsa rated it liked it · review of another edition

I should have known better than to think that this book would have anything new in it, but nope--it's all the same stuff, Flow, Growth mindset, sleep, deliberative practice, etc. I have read most of the source research for this book so it was just a compilation of stuff I've read a hundred times from a hundred different articles and books in this field. But really, it's my fault that I keep picking up these soft behavioral psych books that regurgitate the same studies (that may or not even be re ...more

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Aug 24, 2017 Travis Bow rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a fun, practical, short, inspiring book. Just enough research and storytelling to convince you that the few well-organized pieces of advice will really help you do better at life without burning out.

An ultra-condensed version of those pieces of advice:

To grow, you should alternate periods of stress and rest. Tackle "just manageable challenges" (you should not feel fully in control) on purpose, then rest on purpose.
-Work with single-minded focus in small time blocks (50-90 minutes ideal, ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Thomas rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: by-men, nonfiction, read-in-2017, audible

Wound up being a disappointingly shallow survey of a bunch of topics I'd mostly read about elsewhere in more detail. Might be a useful read for someone who hasn't run across a lot of these ideas before. ...more

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Aug 27, 2017 Tim Cigelske rated it liked it · review of another edition

There's a passage on page 130 of Peak Performance that summarizes pretty much the entire book:

"During the process of writing this book, whenever we hit an impasse that we couldn't overcome with a standard break or, even worse, felt writer's block looming, we turned to reading our favorite books in genres similar to this one. In particular, The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal, PhD, Give and Take by Adam Grant, The Sports Gene by David Epstein, Quiet by Susan Cain, Drive by Daniel Pink, and P ...more

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Sep 23, 2019 Stefan Kanev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I like this book for two reasons – (1) it's short and (2) it's an amalgam of other great books on the subject.

Some of the key ideas are:

* Stress is important, as it causes growth. It will be hard to improve without applying stress to yourself.
* Rest is equally, if not more, important. It's easy to overlook and it's easier to skip. "Have the courage to rest".
* Practicing requires deep focus ("just 'practice' makes permanent; perfect practice makes perfect").
* Sleep is super important.
* Design you ...more

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Jul 13, 2017 Bob Page rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned

The science of ego depletion was known to be very dubious in 2016, yet here a chapter presents it without any disclaimer in 2017. Another chapter has an overly optimistic summary of Dweck's mindset research. When you get dubious one social psychology theory after another, it's hard to trust anything else in the book.

On the plus side, it did remind me that random reward reinforcement is really bad for me, and it's always good to be reminded. ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Santhosh Guru rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fantastic read about a topic of interest for me. Provides a lot of actionable tips and suggestions. Connects with all my favorite threads of Anders Ericsson, Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth in a science backed way.

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Dec 07, 2019 Willian Molinari rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, non-fiction

A great book. I felt like it's a compilation of some good books I read in the past years. It was not a life-changing book for me but it was great to review the important info I collected in the past years. I would totally recommend this book as the first book for someone looking for performance improvement.

Here are my notes about this book:

He was not going out to meet girls at night. He was not an average teenager. Of course, average teenagers don't run 4 minutes miles
Like many other good perfor ...more

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May 18, 2020 Radha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Everytime I read a non fiction book or self help book I start my reviews saying that I don't usually read this genre, and that most of the times what they offer is not groundbreaking, they're not reinventing the wheel, and this time is no different. But the way the content is presented, the theories, the examples and the parallels the authors construct between all different types of performance made this book particularly more interesting, memorable and digestible to me.

I really liked this litt ...more

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Dec 15, 2017 Peggy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, writing-non-fiction, 2017

This is one of the very best NF books I've ever read. I just kept thinking "I should have my son read this chapter." "I should have my daughter read this chapter." "This person would love this." By the end, I just decided that maybe everyone should read the entire book. It was very well researched, included all the right things, and presented perfectly.

Note to self: read yearly. ...more

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Jun 18, 2019 Hank rated it liked it · review of another edition

Kind of a mixed bag. I would suggest going straight to the summary and if there are subjects you want to know more about how they formed their conclusions, go read that particular chapter.

This was mostly information I have read in other books with uninteresting filler. There were a couple of a-ha moments but only a couple.

I would recommend Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin rather than this one.

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Jan 10, 2020 Gavin Prior rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Enjoyed this one, learned more than I thought I was going to and I'm already applying a good amount of it. ...more

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Feb 06, 2020 Claire Crums rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Take all the business and scientific books (and research papers) that have been written about drive, grit, stress, sleep, time management, etc etc... Here they are condensed into one succinct book that gets to the point. A good balance of practical advice and inspiring stories from a variety of fields, from athletics to art.

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Jan 31, 2019 Andreia Pires rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Summary -
Systematically grow by alternating between stress and rest. Stress yourself. Seek out just manageable challenges in areas of your life in which you want to grow. Just manageable challenges are those which lightly exceed your current abilities. If you feel fully in control make your next challenge a bit harder. If you feel anxious or so aroused that you can't focus, dial things down a notch.
Cultivate deep focus and perfect practice. Define a purpose and concrete objectives each time yo Summary -
Systematically grow by alternating between stress and rest. Stress yourself. Seek out just manageable challenges in areas of your life in which you want to grow. Just manageable challenges are those which lightly exceed your current abilities. If you feel fully in control make your next challenge a bit harder. If you feel anxious or so aroused that you can't focus, dial things down a notch.
Cultivate deep focus and perfect practice. Define a purpose and concrete objectives each time you set up to do meaningful work. Focus and concentrate deeply even if doing so isn't always enjoyable. Remove distractors, such as smartphones - remember that out of sight is truly out of mind. Do only one thing at a time - each time you feel like multitasking remind yourself that research shows it's not effective. Remember that quality trumps quantity. Work in discrete blocks - divide your work in blocks of 50 to 90 minutes - this may vary by task. Start even smaller if you find yourself struggling to keep focus and attention. If deep work is new to you start with shorter blocks of 10 to 15 mins, then gradually increase the duration. For almost all activities, two hours should be the upper most limit for a working block.
Nurture a growth or challenge mindset. Keep in mind that how you view something fundamentally changes how your body responds to it. In situations when you feel the sensation of stress, remind yourself that this is your body's natural way of preparing for a challenge. Take a deep breath and channel the heightened arousal and sharpened perception into the task at hand. Push yourself to view stress productively and even to welcome it. You'll not only perform better, but also improve your health.
Have the courage to rest. Grow your mindful muscle with meditation so that you can more easily choose rest. Find a time when the distractions are minimized such as first thing in the morning after brushing your teeth or before going to bed. Sit in a comfortable position and, ideally, in a quiet space, set a timer so you aren't distracted by thoughts about the passage of time. Begin breathing deeply in and out through your nose. Focus on nothing but your breath. When thoughts arise, notice them, but then let them go. Direct your focus back to the sensation of the breath. Start with just one minute and gradually increase duration, adding 30 to 45 seconds every few days. Frequency trumps duration - it's better meditating daily, even if you keep the sessions short. Apply your growing mindful muscle in your everyday life. Have calm conversations during stressful periods. Remember that you are separate from the sensations and emotions that you are experiencing. Realise when you want to turn it of and then choose to leave stress behind. Taking a few deep breaths helps because it activates the pre-frontal cortex, your brain's command and control center.
Take smart breaks and let your subconscious go to work. When you are working on a strenuous task, and find an impass, have the courage to step away. Step away from whatever it is you were doing for at least five minutes. The more stressful the task, the longer your break should be. For really challenging tasks, consider stepping away until the next morning. During your breaks, perform activities that require little to no focus - you should go on a short walk, sit in nature, meditate, recover socially, listen to music, take a shower, do the dishes. You may have an a-ha moment of insight during your break. If you do, great. Even if you don't have an a-ha moment when you're in your break, your subconscious mind is still at work. When you return to whatever it is you were doing, you'll be more likely to make progress.
Prioritize sleep. Reframe sleep as something that is productive and aim for at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. For those doing intense physical activities, 10 hours is not too much. The best way to find out the appropriate 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: 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 bed time. Limit caffeine intake and ban it completely six hours prior to bed time. 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 bed time. Limit blue light exposure in the evening. Don't start working on demanding activities (physical or mental) after dinner. If you struggle with a racing mind, try inserting a brief mindful meditation session prior to bed. When you feel yourself getting drowsy don't fight it. Whatever you are doing can wait until the morning. Keep your room as dark as possible, if feasible, consider blackout blinds. Keep your smartphone outside of the bedroom entirely. Try taking a nap of 10 to 30 minutes to help restore energy and focus if you get a mid-afternoon lul.
Take extended time off. Take at least one off day every week. Time your off days and vacations strategically to follow periods of accumulated stress. The more you stress, the more you should rest. On off days and vacations truly disconnect from work physically and mentally and engage in activities that you find relaxing and restorative.
Prime for performance. Optimize your routine - develop warm up regimens for important activities/performances. Determine what state of mind and body your performance demands. Develop a sequence of activities that puts your mind and body in that state. Be consistent, use the same routine each and every time you engage in the activity to which it is linked. Remember the impact of mood on performance. Positivity goes a long way. Create a place of your own. Find physical spaces to dedicate to unique activities. Surround yourself with objects that invite desired behaviours. Consistently work at that same place using the same materials. Condition yourself to perform. Link key behaviours to specific cues and/or routines. Be consistent and frequent. Execute the same cue/routine every time prior to the behaviour to which it is paired. If possible, link key activities to the same context, for example, time of day, physical environment, etc. If your pursuit requires variable settings, develop a set of portable cues/routines that can be executed everywhere, for example, a deep breathing routine, positive talk, etc. Consistency is king. The best routine means nothing if you don't regularly practice it.
Design your day - become a minimalist to be a maximalist. Reflect on all the decisions that you make throughout a day, identify ones that are unimportant, that don't really matter to you. To the extent that you can, automate those decisions that don't really matter. E.g.: clothing, what to eat at meals, when to complete daily activities - for example, always exercise at the same time of the day so you don't need to think about it, when to attend social gatherings. Don't devote brain power to gossip, politics or worrying about what others think of you. Consider the 2nd and 3rd order effects, for example commute, financial pressure, etc of larger life decisions such as where to live. Match activities with energy levels. Determine your chronotype (lark/night owl) and design your day accordingly. Be very intentional about when you schedule certain activities, matching the demands of the activity with your energy levels. Protect the time when you are most alert for the most important work. Schedule less demanding tasks during periods when you are less alert. Don't fight fatigue, rather use this time for recovery and to generate creative ideas you can act on during your next cycle of high energy and focus. Remember that working in alignment with your chronotype not only maximises performance, it also ensures an appropriate balance between stress and rest.
Surround yourself wisely. Recognize the enormous impact of the people with whom you surround yourself. Do what you can to create your own village of support so that you surround yourself with a culture of performance. Positive energy, motivation and drive are all contagious. Remember that by being positive and showing motivation you are not only helping yourself you are also helping everyone else in your life. Don't put up with too much negativity or pessimism. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link.
Show up - there is no replacement for showing up, day in and day out, to hone your craft. Remember that attitudes often follow behaviours. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply get started.
Harness the power of purpose. Transcend yourself. Overcome your ego, remember that your ego serves as a protective mechanism that holds you back from reaching your true limits. When faced with great challenges, your ego is biologically programmed to shut you down, telling you to turn in the other direction. By focusing on a self transcending purpose, or a reason for doing something beyond yourself, you can override your ego and break through your self imposed limits. To the extent you can, link your activities to a greater purpose. This way, when you are faced with formidable challenges and your mind is telling you to quit, you can ask yourself why you were doing it. If the answer is for something or someone greater than myself you'll be more likely to push onwards. Thinking less about yourself is one of the best ways to improve yourself.
Enhance your motivation - recall that you are constantly balancing perception of effort and motivation. This if you want to endure more effort you may need to increase your motivation. To increase motivation, link your work to a greater purpose or cause. Not only focusing on activities that make the world a better place, it will also make you a better performer. Think about why you are doing what you are doing, especially when you are feeling fatigued. Give back to avoid burnout. Find opportunities to give back in the context of your work (e.g. coaching, mentoring, writing about it). The only criteria is that the giving is closely linked to your work and that you give without the expectation of getting anything back. While giving is especially powerful for preventing and reversing burnout, you should still aim to avoid burnout by supporting stress with appropriate rest.
Develop and harness your purpose. Select core values -> personalize core values -> rank core values -> develop your purpose statement -> strategically call upon your purpose, use visual cues to remind yourself of your purpose when you are most likely to need a boost. Develop a mantra based on your purpose and use it for self talk when the going gets tough. Reflect on your purpose nightly by using expressive writing. Think about how closely you live in alignment with your purpose, striving to move closer to consistent alignment over time. ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Haley S rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-would-recommend, non-fiction

Very interesting book to help you to do exactly what the title says: "Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success." This book will truly help you find your "Peak Performance."
Would definitely recommend to everyone! ...more

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Jul 04, 2017 Franta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Quite a useful book...

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Jul 25, 2017 Josh Mason rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I am finding it more and more shocking that editors are not monitoring misleading statements about poor science stated as fact. The scientists who are referenced in the book have received much appropriate criticism due to poor scientific rigor-Anders Ericsson, Amy Cuddy, Carol Dweck, and Angela Duckworth. For instance, by providing a platform for debunked scientists like Dr. Amy Cuddy and Dr. Angela Duckworth (among others in the book) the authors have demonstrated neither are content experts in ...more

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Nov 11, 2018 Lance Willett rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book describes three key principles underlying sustainable peak performance:

1. Stress + rest = growth. The scientific cycle of growth and development.
2. Develop optimal routines and design your day. Prime yourself for peak performance and daily productivity.
3. Harness the power of purpose. The power of purpose is a performance enhancer.

The power of mindset is important: how you view something fundamentally changes how your body responds to it. As in: “Pain is mandatory; suffering is optiona ...more

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Jan 25, 2018 Madhur Ahuja rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: stress_burnout_growth, read_again, self-help

Excellent book. Explains why right amount of stress along with rest is necessary for personal growth.

How to prevent burnout? Some people say that its just excessive stress. One must think that why the additional work / responsibilities as negative stress (which causes burnout) instead of positive stress (which helps in growth) . The key here is motivation and sense of purpose. The sense of purpose to do those tasks were not strong enough to endure the additional stress and hence it lead to burno ...more

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Aug 25, 2017 Jeff Vaughn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book! It took Stephen Covey's 7 Habits to the next level by helping you simplify your mission statement and put it into action through suggestions and good examples. I especially liked the suggestion to make your goals and life purposes focused on serving others. There were many other pearls as well. Enjoy the read and thank you Marty Vaughn for recommending it! ...more

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Jan 06, 2021 Aditi Jaiswal rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Following advice pretty much sums up the book.

Protect the time during which you are most alert for “the most important work".

Schedule less-demanding tasks during periods in which you are less alert.

‌There is no replacement for showing up, day in and day out, to hone your craft.

Remember that attitudes often follow behaviours; sometimes the best thing that you can do is to simply get started.

If you feel fully in control, make the next challenge a bit harder.

‌Remove distractions such as smartphones ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 J. Ryan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: psychology, audiobooks, nonfiction, reviewed, business, makes-me-better, science, 2020

I wasn’t sure about this one at the start, but once I got past the introductory parts, it really took off. This is another one that I’ll want to read a few times.

Key Points:
1) Real growth requires stress and rest.

“Stress + rest = growth. This equation holds true regardless of what it is that you are trying to grow.”

2) Prime for performance

“the real secret of world-class performers is not the daily routines that they develop, but that they stick to them. That they show up, even when they don’t f

...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Adam rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: listened

Science of performance
- How to reach peak performance while avoiding burnout?
- Currently a lot of pressure. See rise of anti-depressants in the US. And also raise of edge steroids/drugs, eg. adderall. But without proper sleep it is not sustainable.
- Typical american work week is 47 hours.
- Burnout is the reason for athletes quitting sports.

Healthy sustainable principles
- stress and rest
- seek for challanges that barely cross your boundary
- single task; always set your goals accordingly (this one ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Sebastian Gebski rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It's a book about many things.

About balance (however it's never stated this way), about essentialism, about grit, about rest, ...
Surprisingly, it doesn't mean that all of these "ingredients" are covered sloppily or via shortcuts - I've found this book quite comprehensive.

It's also a book about various kinds of performance - it doesn't necessarily focus e.g. on athletes. On one hand, it means no specific (or rather "activity-type-specific") hints, but it doesn't mean there are no useful suggestio ...more

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Mar 10, 2019 Tõnu Vahtra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A light half a day read that reminds you to focus on resting as much or even more than pushing you to the limit both physically and mentally. Not too much new information if you have read other books already on this topic but it was short enough to not become boring.

“Stress + rest = growth. This equation holds true regardless of what it is that you are trying to grow.”

“It isn't experience that sets top performers apart but the amount of deliberate practice they put in.”

“Even seemingly trivial ...more

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Sep 21, 2017 Nafeu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Incredibly powerful book with timeless advice. Each chapter is well paced and filled with strong references to scientific research and studies as well as humbling stories from high performance individuals. They also provide "performance practices" at the end of each section that provide useful suggestions in how you can apply the topics discussed in the book into your own life. That was one of my favourite things about the book. I also appreciated just how empirical and evidence based this book ...more

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Jul 08, 2017 Alex Devero rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science, self-development, psychology

Authors of Peak Performance truly stands on the shoulders of the giants. They created a framework, tips and suggestions for peak performance based on the work of Anders Ericsson, Carol Dweck, Angela Duckworth, Cal Newport and many others. This framework is based on topics such as positive (healthy) and negative stress, relaxation, growth mindset, grit, meditation, single-tasking, sleep, giving to others and finding a self-transcending purpose.

Authors outlined their framework in a simple and comp ...more

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About Brad Stulberg

Brad Stulberg

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Books by Brad Stulberg

The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life

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“simply telling yourself “I am excited” shifts your demeanor from what they call a threat mindset (stressed out and apprehensive) to an opportunity mindset (revved up and ready to go). “Compared to those who attempt to calm down,” the authors conclude, “individuals who reappraise their anxious arousal as excitement perform better.” Put differently: The sensations you feel prior to a big event are neutral—if you view them in a positive light, they are more likely to have a positive impact on your performance. These” — 5 likes

“Stress + rest = growth. This equation holds true regardless of what it is that you are trying to grow.” — 5 likes

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Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success

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