🔥How to Reach Peak Performance🔥

written by JOSH GESSNER | The Athletter

Every human is built for peak performance.

Here's how to achieve it (on command):

You've probably been in this scenario:

You're engaged in an activity.

You're so focused, everything else seems to disappear.

5 hrs go by in 5 mins.

This is Flow State.

It's a mental state athletes describe as 'being in the zone'.

And It's been shown to increase:

• Creativity

• Well-being

• Physical performance

I've experienced flow many times as a professional athlete...

It feels like you play better, by trying less.

But it's not just for athletes - it can be applied to any pursuit.

The point: Flow State is a peak mental state for human performance.

It's a phenomenon that's been researched... for decades.

How do we enter flow state?

1) Pursue activities with 'Challenge Skill Balance'.

If it's too easy: Boredom.

If it's too difficult: Anxiety.

The sweet spot's in the middle.

I see this play out where I've experienced flow:

• Professional Baseball:

Definitely not easy. But not impossible to perform well.

• Reading & Writing:

I like to challenge myself to learn.

It should feed your genuine curiosity.

Focus comes easily when you're actually interested in something.

You can probably relate:

When I'm curious about something I can rabbit hole for hours on end.

2) Design an environment for deep concentration.

Create a consistent place, time or routine that lets you focus.

During my baseball career I created a 'flow' routine:

• Listen to dedicated play list

• Throwing program to loosen mind and body

Remove distractions - notifications are the enemy of flow state.

One study found that once you're knocked out of flow:

It takes at least 15 mins to get back.

3) Do things that produce dopamine.

Dopamine helps trigger flow states.

A couple ways I like:

• Music

• Have 'Fun'

• Risk taking

Music.

Listening to a playlist you like can produce dopamine.

I have a dedicated playlist to entering flow - I usually listen to either:

• Binaural Beats

• Lo-fi

Be willing to take risks.

The moments where I've felt the most flow was when I was willing to take risks.

There was no anxiety or doubt on if I'd fail:

I just did it- and had fun doing so.

Have 'Fun'.

It sounds weird, but I've found that consciously trying having fun...

Can actually make something fun.

And fun increases dopamine.

One of the most interesting findings from studying flow:

The people who have the most flow in their lives, reported the most happiness.

There's an interesting paradox:

What people think will make them happy:

e.g. Chillin on the couch watching Netflix...

Isn't what actually made them happy.

The secret to happiness... might be to include more flow into our lives.

Main Lesson:

We're all capable of so much more than we know.

Enter flow states by:

1) Challenging yourself

2) Make it easy to focus

3) Do things that produce dopamine.

That’s it for today, thanks for reading!