Author: Steve Magness, Brad Stulberg
Synopsis |
Peak Performance (2017) is a book that highlights the most significant factors that contribute to delivering our best work: sleep, stress, rest, focus, and purpose. It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind of emails, meetings, and deadlines to find time to focus on the most important things in life. This can be especially challenging when you feel like there’s never enough time in the day. |
Detailed Summary of Peak Performance Book
From physically training your body to studying your craft, peak performance requires hard work and discipline. In the boardroom, it’s no different when you’re vying for the corner office or a bonus check. Making sure you’re at the top of your game is all about making intentional efforts to effectively deliver on key milestones.
How do you manage your work priorities around a jam-packed schedule?
Think about it this way: the one thing that we can all control is how hard we work. And how hard you work is exactly how you’ll get ahead of your competition in this competitive market. Rather than just working hard on tasks that don’t move the needle, here are a few ways to stay focused and keep you at the top of your game.
Focus on what really matters- Strategy and successful execution are critical components of peak performance. You may want to get ahead by doing more, but that rarely works out for the best. Take a deep breath, slow down, and think about what really needs to get done.
Peak Performance Book Summary Key Points
How to get the most out of your skills? How to perform perfectly and wonderfully?
The following lessons taken from the summary suggest that top performers set specific goals at work that are aligned with their roles and personal values, work to specific deadlines, and are independent and self-motivated. And they don’t allow distractions to stop their productivity. These lessons also mean that it is just as important to be at peak performance as an employee as it is to be an athlete.
Ready to achieve the best high level of performance? Let’s dive into the details.
You might like to read Born a Crime Summary.
Modern and globalized technology has Elevated the Competition
Increased technology and globalization have made it possible for people to search for and apply for jobs from anywhere in the world. This has increased competition, making it more difficult to be selected as a candidate for a job.
Another factor that makes the job market more competitive is the number of people who are out of work. This is especially true in countries where large numbers of people are unemployed, or where there are large-scale strikes or protests. There’s also an increase in the number of job-seekers applying for one position.
The advent of technology has globalized the job market and ramped up competition tenfold. While this is a good thing for employers, it’s a nightmare for job seekers. Hundreds of applications are usually required just to get an interview, and sometimes even then, the job still doesn’t go to the best candidate.
As more and more people from all over the world find themselves in the same job market, that changing landscape means that competition is fiercer than ever.
Technology has also played a huge role in leveling this playing field. And making it possible for potential employees to get exposed to many different jobs offers at once, from all over the globe.
Balancing stress with Rest is the Secret to Success
When you’re working to achieve something extraordinarily difficult and make a lasting mark, it can be tempting to put in overtime. But if you continuously put in more than 40 hours a week, you risk burning out. If you push yourself too hard, your creativity will suffer, and you’ll struggle to think of new ideas.
Rest gives your mind and body the chance to rejuvenate themselves and will help you stay creative. Studies have shown that giving your brain downtime can help you think more creatively and produce better work.
The secret to sustainable success is balancing stress and rest. Ideally, you’ll be able to replace some of your stress with rest, while preparing your body and mind to handle more stress. The goal is to balance the two so you can approach a problem without the fear of failure or the need to prove yourself. One of the best ways to ensure you’re resting well is to make sure you get enough sleep.
There are ways you can relieve stress and improve sleep, but the key is to make a habit of it. One of the best things you can do for your business is to make rest a priority! Research shows that taking time for self-nurturing activities like reading can help you de-stress.
A study done at the University of Sussex found that when participants read fiction, it led to a reduction of activity in their amygdala responses, which are responsible for triggering negative emotions like stress, anxiety, and depression.
Try to avoid Multitasking and Focus on one Task at a Time
Let’s begin with the quality issue. When we do multiple things at once, we have less brain time for each task, and therefore, our quality of work declines. Instead, we should narrow our focus to just one task at a time, then move on to the next one. What about the quantity issue?
The typical multitasking scenario (doing homework while browsing Instagram) means that you have less time for your homework. Ironically, research has found that people take longer to finish a task when they are doing two or more things at the same time.
So, if you really want to be productive and effective, try to avoid multitasking and focus on one task at a time. This can help you be more efficient and help you produce better work. When you multitask, you struggle to focus on one task at a time, which makes it harder to remember what you’ve done.
You also tend to be less efficient and make more mistakes than when you focus on a single task. Multitasking also hurts your relationships. When you’re constantly distracted, you can’t properly listen to someone or be present at the moment.
While multitasking may seem like a great way to get things done, that’s only true if you don’t have any problems with completing the tasks you tackle. However, research shows that when people do two or more things at the same time, their performance on all of them suffers.
Peak Performance Quotes
“Stress + rest = growth. This equation holds true regardless of what it is that you are trying to grow.” -Brad Stulberg
“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 feel like it. Call it drive, call it passion, or call it grit; whatever you call it, it must come from deep within.” –Brad Stulberg
Peak Performance Review
This is one of the fantastic books. Peak Performance book summary will help you perform at a high level and make you productive to achieve something extraordinarily difficult without burning yourself. Highly recommended.
To whom I would recommend Peak Performance Book Summary?
- Anyone wants to win any competition.
- Anyone who gets tired at work.
- Anyone who wants to achieve something great.
Link: https://amzn.to/3PPH1FB