Steven Kotler, a peak performance expert and author, dives deep into the science behind achieving optimal states of creativity and productivity. He shares fascinating insights on how to harness flow states to elevate performance in various aspects of life. The conversation includes tips on breaking and building motivation, using triggers to drop into flow, and the transformative power of art. Kotler also discusses the balance between challenge and skill to avoid anxiety and optimize creativity, making it a must-listen for anyone seeking personal improvement.
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insights INSIGHT
Flow as an Optimal State
Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best.
Many activities, like sports and art, are flow delivery mechanisms.
insights INSIGHT
Flow's Evolutionary Purpose
Flow's adaptive purpose might be linked to runner's high and its pain-relieving effects.
It may also be connected to interspecies cooperation during hunts.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Internal Locus of Control
Cultivate an internal locus of control.
Believe that you are in charge of your life to fully engage your brain.
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Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance
Steven Kotler
In this groundbreaking book, Steven Kotler delves into the science of 'flow,' an optimal state of consciousness where individuals perform and feel their best. Drawing on over a decade of research and firsthand interviews with top action and adventure sports athletes like Laird Hamilton, Jeremy Jones, and Danny Way, Kotler explains how these athletes achieve the impossible through flow. The book bridges the gap between extreme sports and mainstream life, offering insights on how to radically accelerate performance in everyday activities. It is a exploration of profound possibility, examining what is achievable for human beings and where our limits lie.
The Art of Impossible
Steven Kotler
Stealing fire
How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work
Steven Kotler
This book explores the revolution in high performance driven by four accelerating forces: psychology, neurobiology, technology, and pharmacology. It delves into how trailblazers like Eric Schmidt, Elon Musk, Navy SEALs, and maverick scientists are harnessing rare and controversial states of consciousness to solve critical challenges and enhance their lives. The authors, Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal, spent four years investigating these leading edges, from Silicon Valley to the Navy SEALs, and present a provocative examination of what is possible and how to radically upgrade one's life.
Range
Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
David Epstein
In this book, David Epstein examines the success of generalists in various fields, including sports, arts, music, invention, forecasting, and science. He argues that generalists, who often find their path late and juggle multiple interests, are more creative, agile, and able to make connections that specialists cannot. Epstein uses stories and research studies to show that wide sampling and late specialization can be more valuable than early specialization, especially in complex and unpredictable environments. He also discusses the distinction between 'kind' and 'wicked' learning environments and the importance of balancing specialization with range for long-term success[2][4][5].
Flow and Sport
Flow and Sport
None
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Steven Kotler is a peak performance expert, entrepreneur and an author.
The mystery of achieving peak performance is what many people are striving toward in life. Steven is a world expert in Flow and through years of cutting edge research, has finally created the recipe.
Expect to learn how to break & build your motivation, the best way to hack your creativity, why Salvador Dali literally WAS drugs, the universal triggers you can use to drop yourself into flow, how to integrate peak performance protocols into your routine and much more...
Modern Wisdom 
