Growing up, my parents always encouraged hard work. I started my first job—a paper route—at age 12. I had to wake up at 5am and used my roller blades while my dad drove our...
Give Less Than Your Best
by Parker Houston | Jan 25, 2024 | Optimal Performance
*Photo by Charlie Hammond “Every dead body on Everest was once a highly motivated person…so maybe calm down.” –Anonymous I was recently talking with one of my team members...
Never Train It, Never Get It
by Parker Houston | Jul 13, 2023 | Optimal Performance, The Science of Mindset
I was recently mountain biking with several friends when my friend Kelly said something profound. One of my friends was asking him how he is able to remain standing (as...
Unjack Yourself—Eliminate Chronic Busyness To Improve Your Health, Your Relationships, and Your Thinking
by Parker Houston | Jun 15, 2023 | Mind and Body, Optimal Performance
“Who can make muddy waters clear? Let it be only still, and it will gradually clear itself.” –Lao Tzu, The Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu penned these words more than 2500 years ago,...
Deliberate Practice—Becoming a Master of Your Craft
by Parker Houston | Apr 27, 2023 | Optimal Performance, The Science of Mindset
“Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent.” –Author Unknown This post originally appeared in the Optimal Performance Series, but is also vital for a strong Mindset....
Mentors Help You Climb Higher and Go Faster
by Parker Houston | Dec 8, 2022 | Optimal Performance, Personal Leadership
“The first law of leadership is that people do what people see.” –John Maxwell The older I get, the more I realize how simple human behavior can be. To a huge extent—people...
Vacations are not enough, daily and weekly recovery is essential
by Parker Houston | May 26, 2022 | Optimal Performance
“A field that has rested produces a bountiful crop.” –Ovid I’ve shared a lot of research about how vacations are essential to keep you functioning optimally at work...
Could Taking More Vacation Days Help You Get a Raise?
by Parker Houston | Apr 14, 2022 | Optimal Performance
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it…including you.” –Anne Lamott According to Greg Mckeown, bestselling author and winner of the Young Global Leader Award...
In the Modern Era of Distraction Addiction, You Need This Skill
by Parker Houston | Dec 16, 2021 | Optimal Performance
“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” –Pablo Picasso We are only just beginning to see the long-term effects of our hyper-connected internet and smartphone...
Manage Your Energy—What Performance Psychologists Have Learned From Elite Athletes
by Parker Houston | Mar 12, 2020 | Optimal Performance
A few years ago, my friend Doug asked me a deceptively simple question—What good is your time if you bring no energy to it? At the time, I had become a time management...
At what point is working more hours counterproductive?
by Parker Houston | Mar 5, 2020 | Optimal Performance
“If you don’t have time, you don’t have priorities.” –Tim Ferriss Many high achievers put in well over 40 hours per week in an effort to get more results. But performance...
Perform like Lebron, make more money, and prevent Alzheimer’s—all by doing this
by Parker Houston | Feb 27, 2020 | Optimal Performance
“When I wake up, I am reborn.” –Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi said this about 100 years before the brain research could validate his claim but the science is clear—good sleep habits...
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