How can I produce my very best performance?

How can I produce my very best performance? I have just watched this wonderful TED talk by Steven Kotler. He talks about how extreme sports athletes have learned to harness flow to perform at their very best.

When we are in the state of flow our prefrontal cortex deactivates, turning off our higher cognitive functions. This is why time seems to pass unusually while we are in flow, because this part of the brain is used to calculate time. It also determines our sense of self, so during flow our inner critic shuts down and gives us peace.

During flow states our risk taking and creativity increase, and five potent neurotransmitters flood the brain. This enhances our physical performance by increasing muscle reaction time and strength, and reducing our sense of pain. It also massively increases cognitive performance as the neurotransmitters affect motivation, creativity and learning. They create pleasurable sensations, which makes the flow state highly addictive, giving us intrinsic motivation.

When in flow, we are 500% more productive and 400% more creative. We take in more information, and are better at both pattern recognition and lateral thinking. We are also much more motivated. Because of the large number of neurotransmitters present during flow, it is more likely that our experiences move from short to long term memory, so flow also helps us to learn up to 500% faster.

Flow is ubiquitous, and anyone can experience it if certain conditions are met. These triggers help us to focus on the here and now, and are things that our brain has evolved to pay attention to. The main conditions that will trigger flow states are purpose, risk, novelty, complexity and unpredictability. Any extreme sports enthusiast or high performing individual regularly experiences these triggers, and so can you. If you base your life around these triggers, you will maximise your flow and your own performance. This fascinates me, and I intend to focus on increasing these areas in my own life!

Project 365

I set up this website after deciding that I want to build a more creative life for myself, so I can give up my job and be in control of my own destiny.

I have set myself a goal of publishing an article on my website every day this year, to document my journey from employment to self-employment.

The name I chose was Project 365 because I see this as a year that I have dedicated to learning and self-development, as I countdown to freedom. It started on 1st January 2021, so I have 289 days to go!