Steven Kotler on The Art of Impossible

Mar 9, 2021

Steven Kotler, a New York Times bestselling author and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, dives into the intricacies of human performance. He discusses his book, examining how to break down the concept of 'impossible' into achievable components. Kotler shares personal anecdotes, including a mystical surfing experience during his battle with Lyme disease. He explores flow states, motivation's role in creativity, and the importance of curiosity in fostering passion. The conversation weaves together neurobiology and actionable strategies for personal growth.

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INSIGHT

Where You Look

Our biology is designed to "go where we look," meaning our attention directs our outcomes.
This principle applies to both physical actions, like surfing, and internal states, like our thoughts.

ANECDOTE

Lyme Disease and Surfing

Steven Kotler describes suffering from Lyme disease and experiencing quasi-mystical states while surfing.
These experiences, where time slowed and he felt clear-headed, led him to research flow states.

INSIGHT

Two Types of Impossible

Kotler distinguishes between two types of impossible: capital 'I' Impossible (never been done) and lowercase 'i' impossible (personal challenges).
He emphasizes that the biology of peak performance applies to both.

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Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. The author of 13 books, 9 of which best sellers, Steven is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into 40 languages, and has appeared in over 100 publications.

In this episode, Eric and Steven discuss his book, The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer. They break down the idea of “impossible” into its component parts that, when cultivated, come together to propel us towards states of flow and otherwise unattainable performance in any area of life.

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In This Interview, Steven Kotler and I discuss The Art of Impossible and…

His book, The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer
The fact that you “go where you look”, i.e. where you put your attention is where you end up
His experience having Lymes Disease and his mystical experience when surfing one day
The two types of impossible
The neurobiology involved in the state of peak performance called “flow”
How we can increase our motivation, learning, and creativity
The fact that more “meaningful” does not always mean more “pleasant”
The importance of getting very good at being uncomfortable when working towards our “impossible” goals
Exercises people can do to find their curiosity
That passion lies at the intersection of multiple curiosities
An unexpected way to cultivate grit
The five steps to learn anything
Learning means being uncertain
The process of “crawl, walk, run”

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