05 Feb Becoming Our Best: A Checklist For Peak Performance And Peak Mindset
via Forbes by Brett Steenbarger
If there is one thing I’ve learned from very successful portfolio managers and traders, it’s that peak performance is a process, not an outcome. Every mountain climbed is the result of a successful ascent: one step at a time. But how can we ensure that we are truly engaged in a peak performance process? Some years ago, I offered a quick “checkup from the neck up” as a way of assessing our positive psychology. Based upon a survey of the most successful participants I’ve experienced in financial markets, here is a different checkup: one of lifestyle practices associated with peak mindset and peak performance. Together, they form a brief checklist that can guide your ascent, whether at work or in your personal life.
1) How much variety are you experiencing each day? – This has been a particular challenge for those of us working from home with fewer outlets due to the pandemic. A consistent finding in positive psychology research is that we feel best, maintain our best physical health, and are most productive when we are doing enjoyable things and when we’re actively engaged in meaningful pursuits. The opposite of happiness and meaningfulness is boredom. Yes, we need routine to live life efficiently, but when life itself becomes routine, we can no longer stay energized. If we are to be at our peak, we need fresh sources of stimulation on a regular basis. Those I see performing at their peaks are finding unique and creative ways of staying highly engaged from day to day. Going on hikes in safe ways with friends and loved ones; joining online book clubs with community members; tackling fun projects at home with children and spouses; and expanding professional networks and conversations are all ways of maximizing daily life experience…
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