In this engaging discussion, Alex Auerbach, a performance psychologist who has worked with NBA players, CEOs, and Olympians, shares his wealth of knowledge. He explores how to manage pressure and performance anxiety while emphasizing the importance of setting effective goals. Alex also provides insights on mental techniques used by paratroopers to maintain focus under stress. Listeners will learn to reshape intrusive thoughts into empowering affirmations and balance their passion with personal identity, crucial for any high-achiever.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
From Football Coach to Psychologist
Alex Auerbach's career began in college football coaching but transitioned to performance psychology.
He realized his passion lay in helping individuals with personal struggles rather than game strategy.
insights INSIGHT
Keys to Elite Performance
Self-regulated learning, deliberate practice, and self-regulation separate elite athletes from others.
These skills involve setting goals, creating plans, monitoring progress, reflecting, and adjusting.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Maximizing Your Strength
Identify your signature strength and maximize it through deliberate practice.
Combine this with physiological tools like mindfulness and breathwork for optimal performance.
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Called to Greatness offers a structured approach to high performance, synthesizing Dr. Alex Auerbach's experience in coaching elite athletes and business leaders. The book provides science-backed principles to enhance typical and peak performance, helping readers achieve their full potential and live a more meaningful life.
The Practice of Groundedness
A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul
Brad Stulberg
In this book, Brad Stulberg presents a healthier model for success that counters the 'always-on' hustle culture. Groundedness, the central concept, values presence over productivity, accepts nonlinear progress, and prioritizes long-term fulfillment. The book interweaves case studies, modern science, and ancient wisdom from Buddhism, Stoicism, and Taoism to teach readers how to cultivate a more grounded life. Key practices include accepting where you are, being present, developing patience, embracing vulnerability, building deep community, and focusing on the process rather than outcomes.
The Checklist Manifesto
How To Get Things Right
Atul Gawande
In 'The Checklist Manifesto', Atul Gawande explores the power of checklists in overcoming the complexities of modern professional work. He argues that despite advanced training and technology, professionals often fail due to the sheer volume and complexity of knowledge. Gawande illustrates how checklists, first introduced by the U.S. Air Force, have been successfully adopted in various fields, including medicine, to reduce errors and improve outcomes. He provides compelling examples, such as the reduction of fatalities in surgical procedures and the elimination of hospital infections, to demonstrate the effectiveness of checklists. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing autonomy and control, empowering frontline workers, and continuously improving checklists based on feedback and experience[1][3][5].
From years of experience working with NBA players, CEOs, para jumpers, and Olympians, performance psychologist Alex Auerbach has learned about the most effective strategies for giving some of the world's most elite performers a mental edge. Today, he walks us through how to use those tools in our own life: how to manage pressure, performance anxiety, and impostor syndrome; how to think through setting goals (including the difference between outcome, performance, and process goals—and which you should focus on); how to master the art of self-regulated learning through deliberate practice; and how to stay present and focused despite not being at full capacity.
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excellence, actually 
