long-haul creativity and, 197–99
maximum, optimal performance in, 258
passion as, 74
struggle and, 260–61
fuel sources, psychological, 19
gamma waves, 227–28
gaps, between knowledge bases, 129–31
Gervais, Michael, 75, 77, 88
Gladwell, Malcolm, 152
goal-oriented behavior, 66
goals
aligned personal, 252
clear, 61–64, 238–39, 270–71, 272–73
differences among, 56, 58–59
to-do lists and, 62, 63, 70
as foundational “cause,” 55–56
high, hard (HHG), 59–61, 270
intrinsic motivations and, 58
keeping to yourself, 60–61
pattern recognition and, 57
power of, 57
setting, basics of, 55–59
stacking of, 271
types of, in goal setting, 63
goal setting theory, 56–57
good communication, 253
Google, “20 Percent Time” and, 44–45
Graham, Paul, 194
gratification, delaying, 69, 74, 153, 154, 242
gratitude practice, 78–80, 178, 179, 273
grit
about, 18, 65–67
to be your best when you’re at your worst, 89–92
to control thoughts, 75–77
developing, 139
enhanced, 155
to master fear, 83–85
to persevere, 67–69
to recover, 94–96, 181, 267
resting state activity and, 66
training for, 91
to train your weaknesses, 92–94
group flow, 230, 276
growth mindset
benefits of, 110
defined, 72
learning and, 109–10, 116
tolerance for negativity and, 74
Guilford, J. P., 164, 165–66
habit, 101, 146
habit of ferocity
application of, 101
cognitive load and, 102
defined, 99
developing, 102
energy from suffering and, 100
fight-back instinct and, 261
learning and, 157
peak performance and, 100
practice of, 101
Hamilton, Laird, 83–84, 87, 88
happiness, 21, 68, 140
Hemingway, Ernest, 197
high, hard goals (HHG). See also goals
alignment of, 60
clear goals versus, 61
defined, 59
example, 59–60
in goal setting, 63
guidelines for, 60–61
importance of, 59–61
moderators, 60
qualities of, 61
shrinking into clear goals, 270
high consequences, 244–46, 261–62, 265–66
history, 33–34
humor, 183
hunches, gap-driven, 129
illumination, in creativity cycle, 163
imagination
concept development, 163
expansion, 148–49
meditation combined with, 150
stretching, 249
imagination network, 170–72
immediate feedback. See also feedback
access to, 151
defined, 240
determining type needed, 240–41
as flow trigger, 233, 234, 240–41
good communication and, 240
impossible
author pursuit of, 1–14
capital I, 1, 2
as a checklist, 64
demand of, 18–19
emotional intelligence and, 144
as extreme innovation, 1–5
fear and, 84–85
formula for, 6–14
lowercase i, 2
path toward, 99
incubation period
defined, 33
exercise as, 179, 188
lightly stimulating activity as, 187
release as, 262
sleep as, 179
solitude and, 182
time in nature as, 180
walks as, 195
incubation stage, 163
inebriation, 182–83
inferiority, habit of, 12–14
infinite games, 12, 13, 14, 158
instant gratification, 154
intelligence testing (IQ), 164
internal triggers, 234–44
intersections
core passion with global challenges, 38
of curiosities, reading at, 186
emotional energy at, 35
hunt, 30–32
passion and perseverance, 67
playing at, 32–34, 269–70, 275
interviewing, 127–28
intrinsic drivers. See also specific drivers
alignment of, 19, 27, 50–51, 53, 271
defined, 20
extrinsic drivers and, 21
as flow triggers, 50
lists and, 29–30
stacking of, 29–30, 50
top five, 50, 52, 53
intrinsic motivation, 42–43, 58, 156, 248, 269
James, William, 12–13, 15, 90–91, 101, 146, 167–68, 242
Kaufman, Scott Barry, 170, 174, 186
Klein, Gary, 105–6, 138
Land, George, 205–7
Latham, Gary, 56–57, 58–60
learning
accelerated, 155 80/20
rule, 137–38
five steps for, 121–34
flow and, 157
growth mindset and, 109–10, 116
habit of ferocity and, 157
in infinite game, 14
interviewing and, 127–28
as invisible skill, 107
knowing you don’t know and, 134
lifelong, 106
making us feel stupid, 122–23
neurochemistry and, 229
pattern recognition and, 123
reading books and, 116–19
truth filters and, 110–13
to use strengths, 142
lifelong learning, 106
listening
active, 147–48
close, 252–53
lists, creating, 29–30, 70, 74, 270–71, 272–73
Locke, Edwin, 56–57, 59–60
long-haul creativity. See also creativity
about, 191–92
asking a better question and, 195–96
as collaborative, 199–200
exercise and sleep and, 194
frustration and, 197–99
“full quiver” and, 192–93
keeping your word and, 201–3
maker schedule and, 194–95
momentum and, 196–97
skills, 192
“someone’s always chasing you” and, 200
Tim Ferriss on, 194–96
walks and, 195
MacGyver method, 186–87, 263, 275
macroflow, 223
magazines versus books, reading, 116–17
maker schedule, 194–95
manager’s schedule, 194
Márquez, Gabriel Garcia, 196–97
marshmallows, in excellence and achievement, 153
massively transformative processes (MTPs), 38–39, 59, 63, 270
mastery
accelerating progress to, 157
defined, 41–42, 48
fear, 136
feeling of, 20
five-chord approach, 137
as flow trigger, 50–51
harnessing, 52
need for, 48–49
pursuit of, 48
in stacking practices, 276
traditional paths to, 153
match quality, 155–56, 157
McClelland, David, 48
McConkey, Shane, 26, 93, 155
meaning, as driver,
27
medial prefrontal cortex, 170
medial temporal lobe, 170–71
meditation
combined with imagination, 150
compassion-enhancing, 149–50
ecstatic, 215
self/other boundary and, 215
memory, dopamine and, 32
microflow, 223
mindfulness practice, 80–82, 178, 179, 273, 275
mindset
approach, 110, 113
defined, 71
fixed, 72, 109
growth, 72, 73, 74, 109–13, 115
learning and, 109–10
minimal feedback for flow (MFF), 241
momentum, 196–97
mood, 47, 69, 180, 183, 214, 226
mothers, in excellence and achievement, 153
motivation
autonomous, 43
biggest drain on, 49
controlled, 43
drive and, 18–21
extrinsic, 42
goals and, 18
grit and, 18
hierarchy, 21
in infinite game, 14
intrinsic, 42–43, 58, 156, 248, 269
neurochemistry and, 22–26, 30
positive feedback and, 35
quantity, measurement of, 42
self-determination theory and, 36, 42
stacking, 32
musicians, in excellence and achievement, 153
Musk, Elon, 8, 112–13, 118
mystical experiences, 214
narrative
construction, 33–34, 133
finding, 132–34
history as, 33, 34, 124
neurobiology and, 33–34, 133
problems, 133–34
NASA, 97–98, 205–6
natural environments, 247
negative thinking, 264–65
networks
about, 23
co-activation, 172
creativity and, 167
default mode, 171, 208
defined, 23
executive attention, 167–70, 207
flow and, 207, 230–31
imagination, 170–72
salience, 172–74, 176–78, 207–8, 231
neuroanatomy, 22–23, 224–26
neurochemistry. See also specific neurochemicals
active listening with empathy and, 150
autonomy and, 44
chemicals, 24
creativity and, 229–30
flow and, 51–52, 157, 228–30
learning and, 229
messages and, 22
motivation and, 30
of reward, 22
neuroelectricity, 22, 224, 226–28
Newberg, Andrew, 214–16
Nietzsche, Friedrich, 216, 217, 218–20, 242
nonoptimal arousal, 265
non-time, 181, 194
no one, 181–82, 194
norepinephrine, 24–27, 49–51, 123, 133, 179, 229–30, 235, 265–66
note taking, 124
novelty, 246, 249, 275
ontological anxiety, 235
open-senses meditation, 82
orbitofrontal cortex, 169
order, 269–70
originality, 164
outside assistance, 36, 37–38, 144
oxytocin, 24, 35, 133, 150, 229–30, 255
Pandora’s Box, 118–19
parietal cortex, 168–69
participation, equal, 253–54
passion
agony of, 73–74
with curiosity and purpose, 236–37
as driver, 36
early-stage, 73
norepinephrine and dopamine and, 25
public success and, 35–36
recipe, 29–39
transforming into purpose, 36–38
Patagonia, schedule autonomy and, 45–47
pattern recognition
brain and, 183
creativity and, 185–86
in daily practice, 273
defined, 31
dopamine and, 132, 185–86
feeding of, 185–86
as foundational, 185
learning and, 123
in stacking practices, 275
peak performance
biology and, 9–12
burnout and, 94
as a checklist, 203
as compound interest, 276
exercise and, 47, 179
fear and, 85, 89, 90
field of, 9
fundamentals, harnessing, 277
gratitude and mindfulness and, 179
as infinite game, 12–13, 14
personality and, 9–10
recovery and, 63–64
resetting willpower and, 71
sampling period and, 154, 155
skills critical to, 12
sleep and, 179
suffering and, 219
sustained, 155
ten roadblocks to, 278
training and, 151
performance deficits, 71
perseverance, 67–69, 71, 74, 90, 99
personality, peak performance and, 9–10
Peterson, Christopher, 139–41, 143–44
play/social engagement system, 23–24
Poincaré cycle, 163, 165
positive feedback, 35
positive self-talk, 77–78, 79
possible, ingredients of, 105–7
posterior cingulate cortex, 171
practice. See also specific practices
adding in, 271
daily, 272–73
deliberate, 151
stacking, 275–76
weekly, 273–75
precuneus, 171
prefrontal cortex, 23, 66–67, 145, 168–70, 207, 225–27
preparation, 163, 265
prestidigitation, 6, 7
problem identification, 187–88
psychology
drive and, 18–21
flow, 221–23
public success, 35–36
purpose
benefits of, 37
brain alteration and, 37
curiosity and passion with, 236–37
as driver, 27
as level of well-being, 68
outside assistance and, 37–38
putting into practice, 38–39
relatedness and, 36–37
transforming passion into, 36–38
questions
better, asking, 195–96
drive, 19
interview, 128
next, always asking, 131
rausch, 220
reading books, 116–19, 124, 186
recombinatory process, 167
recovery
active, 95–96
active protocol, 267–68
in flow cycle, 267–68
grit for, 94–96, 181, 267
learning to use, 268
mindfulness practice and, 275
peak performance and, 63–64
sleep and, 95, 267
strategies, 94–95
total reset and, 96
in weekly practice, 274
reflexive behavior, 166
relatedness, 36–37
relationship management, 146
relaxation, 180
release practice, 262–64, 273, 275
remote association puzzles, 182–83
repetition suppression reflex, 174
reward
dopamine and, 22, 25–26, 27, 31–32, 51, 132
flow as, 157–58
neurochemistry of, 22–26
rich environment, 246–48
Rise of Superman, The, 117, 118, 152–54, 157, 234, 243, 246
risk, shared, 252
risk-taking, 48, 87, 88, 230, 245, 262, 275
Robinson, Ken, 198–99
Ryan, Richard, 36, 42–44, 48, 57, 58
Salanova, Marisa, 254–55
salience network, 172–74, 176–77, 178, 207–8, 231
sampling period, 154, 155
Sawyer, Keith, 184, 250–51
schedule autonomy, 46–47
Schultheis, Rob, 214
seeking/desire system, 23, 25
self-awareness, 146
self-determination theory, 36, 42
self-management, 146
self-restraint, 266
self-talk, 77–78, 79, 110, 147
Seligman, Martin, 139, 140–41
sense of control, 254 “sensory gating,” 140
serotonin, 24–25, 133, 150, 179, 229–30
shared clear goals, 251–52
shared risk, 252
Sharpless, Burk, 200
single-point mindfulness, 81, 82
sleep
benefits of, 179
in daily practice, 273
as incubation period, 179
recovery and, 95, 267
slow hunches, 129, 130
social awareness, 146, 147–48
“social reality,” 50–51
social risk, 245
social support, 143–44, 274–75
social triggers, 250–55
solitude, 181–82
specialization, 152, 155, 186
sports athletes, 4–5, 7–8, 152–54, 156–57
“state shifting,” 71
strengths
core, 139–40, 142, 274
identifying, 139, 156
intersections, 141
learning to use, 142
not able to predict, 156
at psychological level, 140
in sensory gating, 140
training, 140–42
Strengths Profiler, 140, 141
stress
deadlines and, 181
negative thinking and, 79
the present and, 225–26
struggle
as a conversion, 261
examples of, 259–60
in flow cycle, 258–62
frustration of, 260
getting up for, 268
high consequences and, 261–62
as loading phase, 258
as not all the same, 263
stupid, five books of, 122–27
subconscious, as problem solver, 187
subthalamic nucleus, 168
suffering, peak performance and, 100, 150, 219
surfing, 47, 212–13, 214, 216
ten-thousand-hour rule, 151, 152, 153, 154
theta waves, 227, 228
“This Is Water,” 76
thought control, 75–77
three sources make a fact, 131
time, 185, 222, 225
Tim Ferriss Experiment, 136. See also Ferriss, Tim
to-do lists, 62, 63, 70
Tomorrowland, 8
training
creative brain, 172
grit, 91
peak performance and, 151
strengths, 140–42
trusting, 263
weaknesses, 92–94, 274
transient hypofrontality, 225
trial and error, 156
truth filters, 110–13
“20 Percent Time,” 44–45
Übermensch, 217, 219
Ulmer, Kristen, 85–87
unpredictability, 246–47
verification, in creativity cycle, 163
Waitzkin, Josh, 89–90, 93–94
walks, taking, 195
Wallace, David Foster, 76, 77
Wallas, Graham, 163
weaknesses
cognitive, 93–94
fear and, 92
identifying, 93