The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life cover art

The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life

By: Dr. Eddie O'Connor, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Dr. Eddie O'Connor
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $38.99

Buy Now for $38.99

About this listen

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice. Practice. Practice." Today, the relatively new science of performance psychology tells us that old answer is incomplete at best. In The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life, clinical sport psychologist Eddie O'Connor, PhD, shares the best ways for you to reach your personal Carnegie Hall based on the latest scientific research - whether your performance environment is music, dance, business, or sport. These often surprising research results will make you rethink your own performance strategies, offering approaches you might never have considered and busting myths you might have taken as truth.

As Dr. O'Connor explains, the work of a sport psychologist is not defined by sport, but by the science of performance psychology, the mental aspects of superior performance in settings where excellence is central - usually sports, the performing arts, business, and high-risk professions such as the military. In Dr. O'Connor's work and in this course, sport is a lens through which to view the issues of practice, anxiety, injury, confidence, and more - issues that apply to any performer.

We've always known that physical training can reshape our bodies. This exciting research reveals that mental training also can modify the structure and function of our brains, resulting in increased neurological ability to perform a particular skill. Purposeful practice gets you there. Learn why it's the only thing that can.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great Courses
Education Inspiring Performance Psychology
All stars
Most relevant  
This lecture series gave me the tools I needed to re-engage with my sport and start training intensely again. Highly recommended.

A must have for the amateur athlete

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

this book is filled with a mixer of studies that back up the ideas snd practical information about how to apply the practice techniques. I read through it once but am very keen to revisit it soon!!

So far the best on this topic ive listen to

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

At first I was concerned that this would be mainly about sports (and about a quarter is only about sports), but a lot of the techniques and approaches can be applied to almost any area. Things such as goal setting, deliberate practice, commitment, self-compassion, mindfulness and routines help you perform well in any area. The course deals with overcoming mental barriers such as focus, anxiety, motivation, perfectionism, and burnout. I didn't fully realise how important these are. The course does a good job of introducing some ways to deal with these barriers effectively to perform your best.
This course is suitible for high performing professionals, athletes or coaches. I would recommend it. It is long, but interesting.

Another ourstanding course from the Great Courses

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This course has something for everyone - not just athletes.

The most generalizable content is at the start of the course, which was a great choice structurally. This means that there's no hunting for relevant information if you're listening for the advice on performance in general, not just performance in sport.

Probably the best advice I've ever heard on this topic. I'd highly recommend.

Useful and well-grounded

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Narrator/author was knowledgeable but kind of contradictory by emphasizing sacrifice/discipline then switching to well-being and health. The beginning lectures mention how training and dedication are absolutely imperative for high performance, but then he starts focusing on well being which obviously relates to sport but giving examples which are very counter towards discipline.

Reasonable Introduction

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.