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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Boost! summary
Michael Bar-Eli
How the Psychology of Sports Can Enhance your Performance in Management and Work
19 mins
Brief summary
Boost! by Michael Bar-Eli, a sports psychologist, explores the psychology of sports, focusing on the impact of emotion, motivation, and confidence on performance. Through real-world examples and research studies, readers will gain insights on how to improve their own athletic abilities.
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Boost!
Summary of 7 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 7
Maximize motivation and productivity by setting specific goals.
In the winter of 1971, the author, Michael Bar-Eli, was in the Israeli military, undergoing a tremendously challenging basic training that included finishing a 3,000-meter run in under 12 minutes. Time and time again, Bar-Eli found himself running at the end of the pack during the practice runs. And then, the commanding officer threatened to punish him with four extra hours of night-watch duty if he didn’t shape up.
This proved to be just the motivation the author needed. Immediately, he set himself the goal of keeping pace with the front-runners who were always beating the 12-minute mark. And sure enough, when it came time for the official race, Bar-Eli managed to come in under 12 minutes.
This experience taught the author an important lesson about how goals can greatly influence outcome, as long as those goals are specific.
Being specific is crucial because it leads to a detailed action plan that you can focus on and measure yourself against – all of which will help you achieve your goal.
In the case of the author’s 3-kilometer run, the goal was specific – keep up with the front-runners – and this allowed him to plan, focus and measure his progress by comparing his pace against theirs. In tracking himself against their speed, the author knew precisely when and where he needed to adjust in order to stay on track.
If the author had settled on just “doing his best,” he wouldn’t have been so focused and motivated, since there wouldn’t have been anything to measure his progress against. The author’s “best” has no specific pace.
As for more long-term goals, you should use specific short-term goals as building blocks.
One of the greatest Olympic swimmers in US history was John Naber, and he used this incremental goal-setting strategy with historic success. His specific long-term goal was to cut four seconds off his personal best in the four years before the next Olympics. If he did this, chances were he’d win gold.
Now, to reach this primary goal, he set small, yet still specific, short-term goals of shaving off a fraction of a second in each practice swim. He knew that, by doing this constantly, he could reach four seconds by the end of his four years of training.
Naber’s strategy worked like a charm. The fractions of a second added up as planned, and his new time didn’t only win him the gold – it made him the holder of a world record.
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What is Boost! about?
In his book Boost! (2017), author Michael Bar-Eli uses decades of experience with world-class athletes, and the many hard-won lessons he’s learned along the way, to explain the dynamic power of sports psychology. The author not only shows how athletes can use psychology to their advantage, but how this element can be used to improve the performance of any team player, whether on the court or in the office.
Boost! Review
Boost! (2011) by Michael Bar-Eli is an insightful book that explores the psychology behind athletic performance and how to improve it. Here's what makes this book worth reading:
- The book is packed with research-backed strategies that athletes can implement to enhance their performance and achieve their goals.
- By delving into real-life examples and case studies, Bar-Eli provides practical insights that athletes from all levels can relate to and apply to their own training.
- With its engaging storytelling and fascinating anecdotes, Boost! keeps readers engaged and entertained, ensuring that the topic of athletic performance remains intriguing and never dull.
Best quote from Boost!
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream. – C.S. Lewis
—Michael Bar-Eli
Who should read Boost!?
- Leaders and aspiring leaders
- Readers interested in how psychology can improve performance
- Athletes and former athletes
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Boost! FAQs
What is the main message of Boost!?
The main message of Boost! is that by understanding the psychology of self-motivation, we can enhance our performance and achieve our goals.
How long does it take to read Boost!?
The reading time for Boost! varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Boost! a good book? Is it worth reading?
Boost! is worth reading as it provides valuable insights into the psychological aspects of motivation and success.
Who is the author of Boost!?
Boost! is authored by Michael Bar-Eli.
What to read after Boost!?
If you're wondering what to read next after Boost!, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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- In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Maté
- Sell Like A Spy by Jeremy Hurewitz
- Adaptability by Max McKeown
- Adaptive Markets by Andrew W. Lo
- Uptime by Laura Mae Martin
- The Art of the Tale by Steven James
- Healthy Kids, Happy Kids by Elisa Song
- Uncertainty by Jonathan Fields
- The Joy of Connections by Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer