Today on Passion Struck, I welcome the Flow Research Collective’s Executive Director, Steven Kotler. He is one of the top authorities on human performance and a multi-award-winning journalist. Eleven of Steven’s books have achieved bestseller status: The Art of Impossible, The Rise of Superman, Bold, and Abundance. We discuss Gnar Country: Getting Old, Remaining Rad, his most recent publication.
And in case you didn’t already know it, John R. Miles (@John_R_Miles) takes your comments and questions for Momentum Friday right here every week! If you want him to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Momentum Friday episodes, drop us a line at [email protected]. Now let’s dive in!
What is Peak Performance Aging?
“Peak performance aging” refers to the concept of maintaining optimal physical, mental, and cognitive performance throughout the aging process. It involves adopting healthy lifestyle practices and engaging in regular physical exercise, which can help improve physical strength, endurance, and flexibility and promote brain health and cognitive function.
Peak performance aging also involves managing stress levels, maintaining social connections, and pursuing meaningful activities that help to promote a sense of purpose and well-being. Additionally, proper nutrition and getting sufficient sleep are important factors for achieving peak performance aging.
The goal of peak performance aging is to maintain a high level of function and independence as one ages and to minimize the risk of developing chronic diseases and disabilities associated with aging.
If you want to understand peak performance aging, you’ve got to start with mindset. 50 years of research shows that aging is as much a mental process as a physical process.
Steven Kotler
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Enjoy!
In This Episode, Steven Kotler And I Discuss Peak Performance Aging, Flow and Being Rad
In our later years, we may be advised to slow down, but this doesn’t have to be the case. In the last 10 years, advancements across a dozen fields have challenged traditional views on aging and our capabilities. Research suggests that we can maintain peak performance much longer than previously believed. To validate these findings, our guest Steven Kotler took matters into his own hands and learned to park ski at 53, a feat considered nearly impossible for those over 35 due to various biological factors.
In this interview, Steven Kotler describes how he overcame expected boundaries with his own aging body. It is a novel on grit, progress, and goals. It is a motivating, useful, and frequently humorous antidote to weariness. It is about aging while maintaining your cool. Whether hurtling down a mountainside, finishing your first 10K race, or achieving new heights in your job, Kotler inspires us to put ourselves to the test, push past our boundaries, and accomplish our own impossible, whatever it is may be.
Kotler takes us on his punk rock, high-velocity joy-ride for a better life despite—and frequently in defiance of—the perceived restrictions. Part personal trip, half science experiment, and how-to guide, Kotler takes us on his high-velocity joy-ride for a better life.
Join us as we explore his journey captured in knowledge and surprising findings.
- Aging is not just a physical process but a mental one too, and changing our mindset can add seven years to our lives.
- Our abilities, including strength and stamina, can now be seen as skills that we can maintain and improve with proper training.
- As we age, our brains undergo positive changes that, if nurtured, can increase intelligence, wisdom, creativity, and empathy.
- Contrary to popular belief, older adults are often better at acquiring new skills than their younger counterparts.
- And lastly, far from being a time of solitude, depression, and cognitive decline, we will discuss why aging can be a fulfilling and meaningful experience.
- And much, much more!
- Have any questions, comments, or stories you’d like to share? Drop us a line at [email protected]m!
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More From My Interview With Steven kotler
During our interview, I asked Steven what advice he would give his 20-year-old self about peak performance aging.
Steven Kotler explains, “So, two answers here, one, I just want to point out, we were talking about a bit like, let’s just say that peak performance, aging starts young, The psychological identity has to be solved by 30. Or your 30s are going to suck, and your 40s are gonna be much more difficult because everything gets harder. There are these psychological developmental gateways that are really important.
Lifelong learning underpins peak performance aging. Expertise and wisdom are how we stave off cognitive decline going on. But in terms of general peak performance, one of the interesting things that we’ve learned over the past couple of decades is, there’s an order to the process.
From an evolutionary perspective, certain skills are designed to come online before certain skills. And I said, the top of the show that on the cognitive side of peak performance, and this is really across the board, it starts with motivation.
And when you talk about motivation, we actually know where does motivation start. And well, one motivation starts actually, with money and the safety and security side. What the research shows, if you cannot pay your bills, if you are living under fiscal stress, you have to solve that challenge before you can solve a lot of other challenges. But the research shows, you don’t have to make a lot of money. Research shows that you are literally like a little bit above the poverty line, you gotta pay all your bills, and have a little leftover for fun.
But you got to start there. But let’s say that’s taken care of, let’s say you can pay your bills, where do you go next? The research is unbelievably clear. You start with the foundational, intrinsic internal motivator, which is curiosity. Curiosity is where all of this starts including if you’re interested in shifting your mindset around aging gotta start with curiosity or it’s got to start with Oh wow, what might be possible in the second half mile right like that’s where all this starts.
And you really are want to go deeper into that you can I cover it in both in our country and art and possible.”
Thanks, Steven Kotler
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Resources From The Show Steven Kotler
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Website: https://www.stevenkotler.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/steven_kotler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenkotler
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-kotler-4305b110/
My solo episode on what it means to be a person of courage: https://passionstruck.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-person-of-courage/
My interview with Seth Godin on why we need systems to change to save the planet and address climate change: https://passionstruck.com/seth-godin-we-need-systems-change-save-planet/.
My interview with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman and Dr. Jordan Feingold on Choosing Growth and transcending self-doubt, fear, and anxiety: https://passionstruck.com/jordyn-feingold-scott-barry-kaufman-chose-growth/
My interview with NYU Stern School of Business Professor Scott Galloway on Why America is Adrift: https://passionstruck.com/scott-galloway-america-is-adrift/
My solo episode on why micro choices matter: https://passionstruck.com/why-your-micro-choices-determine-your-life/
About Today’s Guest, Steven Kotler
Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance.
Steven is the author of eleven bestsellers (out of fourteen books), including The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold, and Abundance.
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John R. Miles is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Passion Struck. This full-service media company helps people live intentionally by creating best-in-class educational and entertainment content. John is also a prolific public speaker, venture capitalist, and author named to the ComputerWorld Top 100 IT Leaders.
John is the host of the PassionStruckPodcast. The show focused on exploring the mindset and philosophy of the world’s most inspiring people to learn their lessons to living intentionally. Passion Struck aspires to speak to the humanity of people in a way that makes them want to live better, be better and impact.