Peak Performance summary

What would you do to get a leg up at work? Well, for many people, intense competition is leading to some desperate measures. In fact, performance-enhancing drugs have become integral to academic, athletic and even professional life.

For instance, researchers estimate that 30 percent of students take the “study drug” Adderall, a toned down version of the street drug known as “speed.” Adderall is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. But according to the Center for Disease Control, just five to six percent of the population actually suffers from this condition. Most students take this drug to increase their attention span, concentration and focus.

We’ve all heard the classic saying “work hard, play hard.” But maybe it’s time to add “rest well” to this adage. After all, giving your body and mind time to rest and recover makes them stronger, which enables you to put in more effort in the future.

Just take Deena Kastor, a collegiate runner. She had never won a major race and so, hell-bent on achieving one, she went to train with the legendary coach Joe Vigil. Under his tutelage, she far surpassed her prior levels of success. When asked how she’d done it, she said the major impact was between training sessions – not the training itself.

In 1934, the endocrinologist Hans Selye did an experiment in which he injected ovarian extracts into rats. The rats reacted strongly, and he believed that he had discovered a new sex hormone. But he soon realized that he was wrong. In reality, the rats reacted exactly the same way to any injection. The experiment just shows that anything that shocks or causes pain and discomfort can trigger stress.

Interestingly enough, however, Selye observed that the rats adapted to the stressors over time. In fact, stress can actually be positive and spur growth.

Do you love multitasking and consider it the most efficient way to get things done? Well, if you do, it’s time to change your ways.

That’s because countless studies have found that both the quality and quantity of work suffers when people do multiple things at once. Just take research from the University of Michigan that found that multitasking can consume up to 40 percent of your productive time. Other research has found that multitaskers are worse at filtering out information, are slower to identify patterns and have diminished long-term memory.

Have you ever wondered why so many people have their best ideas while walking, showering or sleeping?

It’s in large part because such restful times allow the brain to step out of the linear thought process. After all, when you’re actively working, your conscious mind reigns supreme. It functions in a linear “if-then” kind of way. If this, then that. The issue is, you often fail to solve problems when you get stuck and begin obsessing about them.

Whether it’s a writer getting ready to type out a story or an athlete preparing for a race, a great performer will never just hope to be at the top of her game. Instead, she’ll actively cultivate an environment that will help her do her best.

That’s why having a solid routine is paramount. Just take Matt Billingslea, the drummer for pop star Taylor Swift. Before every sold-out show, he takes 30 minutes to hop rhythmically from side to side. He then does some exercises, making wide circles with his arms and activating his core and back muscles. Finally, he shifts his focus to his mind, taking deep breaths and visualizing each move while getting into the zone. This routine helps Billingslea stay focused and perform at a top level, despite the pressure of playing in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

It’s every kid’s dream to be a superhero with incredible strength and dazzling powers. And, as it turns out, the realization of such a dream might not only belong to science fiction.

That’s because fatigue and the physical limits of your body actually only exist in your head. In other words, you’re capable of actions that go beyond your normal abilities.