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Stillpower: Excellence With Ease in Sports and Life
Fuel Your Performance, and Life, with the Clarity of Stillpower
For years, athletes, coaches, parents, and organizations have searched for the secrets to optimum mental performance. However, in spite of a myriad of tools and techniques, success and contentment continue to be as elusive as ever, until now. Garret Kramer’s Stillpower offers a revolutionary explanation for this predicament and provides a basic, yet dynamic, approach for the future. In an accessible style, Kramer reveals the innate principles behind consistent achievement and highlights the misalignment between the experiences of all performers and the strategies of the coaches, psychologists, and experts who are hoping to help them.
Stillpower uses real-life examples to explore such questions as: What is “the zone” and what must we do (or not do) to get there? Why do we need to understand the difference between insight and intellect? Is goal setting really useful? Why doesn’t willpower work? And why do the best mentors focus on a person’s state of mind and not behavior? Virtually all of us—athletes and non-athletes alike—are looking outside of ourselves, trying to unlock the keys to happiness, freedom, and excellence with ease. Stillpower encourages us to look within to finally find the answers.
For years, athletes, coaches, parents, and organizations have searched for the secrets to optimum mental performance. However, in spite of a myriad of tools and techniques, success and contentment continue to be as elusive as ever, until now. Garret Kramer’s Stillpower offers a revolutionary explanation for this predicament and provides a basic, yet dynamic, approach for the future. In an accessible style, Kramer reveals the innate principles behind consistent achievement and highlights the misalignment between the experiences of all performers and the strategies of the coaches, psychologists, and experts who are hoping to help them.
Stillpower uses real-life examples to explore such questions as: What is “the zone” and what must we do (or not do) to get there? Why do we need to understand the difference between insight and intellect? Is goal setting really useful? Why doesn’t willpower work? And why do the best mentors focus on a person’s state of mind and not behavior? Virtually all of us—athletes and non-athletes alike—are looking outside of ourselves, trying to unlock the keys to happiness, freedom, and excellence with ease. Stillpower encourages us to look within to finally find the answers.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2012
32 people are currently reading
256 people want to read
About the author
Garret Kramer
4 books15 followersGarret Kramer is the founder and managing partner of Inner Sports, LLC. A former collegiate ice hockey player, Garret is credited with bringing the principles of mind, consciousness, and thought to the athletic community at large. He has worked iwth hundreds of athletes and coaches, including Olympians, the NHL and NFL, and collegiate players across a multitude of sports. His work has been featured on WFAN New York, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 3, 2012
First thoughts, 04.29.12: Just began this book on an airplane flight today - the author's perspective is intriguing, especially his view on flow/being in the zone and the premise that what's going on inside your life is much more influential on what happens than the other way around. It has already been a nice encouragement for me to step away even further from overthinking and forced focus.
Final thoughts, 05.03.12: Reading this early in the morning, in a motel room while on a trip to be with family for a funeral, gave me the opportunity to experientially put the principles/truths into play over the days I was there.
Flying home gave me two more hours to go through it, and a couple of late afternoon hours at a Starbucks the day after I got back gave me the chance to finish it.
This book rings true, especially in the places and times in my life that I forced myself to will my way through something. Something about that always did seem forced and untrue at deep levels - a clear contrast to the times that determination took the lead.
Forcing things got me through something; determination got me to something. There is a huge difference.
This book will help me both personally and professionally, because the essential message is one of freedom through recognizing "the difference between your 'life situations' and you 'life.'
If you coach or lead others, or even more importantly if you really want to coach or lead yourself more freely and more effectively, this is a book that will be a great help to you.
Highly recommended - personally and professionally!
Final thoughts, 05.03.12: Reading this early in the morning, in a motel room while on a trip to be with family for a funeral, gave me the opportunity to experientially put the principles/truths into play over the days I was there.
Flying home gave me two more hours to go through it, and a couple of late afternoon hours at a Starbucks the day after I got back gave me the chance to finish it.
This book rings true, especially in the places and times in my life that I forced myself to will my way through something. Something about that always did seem forced and untrue at deep levels - a clear contrast to the times that determination took the lead.
Forcing things got me through something; determination got me to something. There is a huge difference.
This book will help me both personally and professionally, because the essential message is one of freedom through recognizing "the difference between your 'life situations' and you 'life.'
If you coach or lead others, or even more importantly if you really want to coach or lead yourself more freely and more effectively, this is a book that will be a great help to you.
Highly recommended - personally and professionally!
October 15, 2011
There are some interesting ideas in this book that I will mull over and look for as I continue coaching but overall I found the book to be overly simplistic and generalized. It appears to be more helpful for those that are wanting to learn more about managing athletes in performance but not very helpful for those that are teaching athletes new skills.
Perhaps a simplistic approach is precisely what the author desired but it left me wanting, not for fixes or how-tos but for more information; more meat on the bones of his "principles".
The author seems to draw his ideas from 2-3 mentors which makes the book seem to be a retelling of their ideas, which made me think I should read their books instead of this one. Also, I found the author's use of examples to be superficial. I felt that some of them almost begged for an ending of, "then everyone lived happily ever after."
I wonder if reading that source material would indicate a Buddhist influence because this book seems to echo many Buddhist tenets while never making that connection explicit. This lack of connection caused me to think less of the author's approach because it would allow readers to explore far more content relevant to his ideas rather than being limited to just the 2-3 aforementioned authors/thinkers.
Perhaps a simplistic approach is precisely what the author desired but it left me wanting, not for fixes or how-tos but for more information; more meat on the bones of his "principles".
The author seems to draw his ideas from 2-3 mentors which makes the book seem to be a retelling of their ideas, which made me think I should read their books instead of this one. Also, I found the author's use of examples to be superficial. I felt that some of them almost begged for an ending of, "then everyone lived happily ever after."
I wonder if reading that source material would indicate a Buddhist influence because this book seems to echo many Buddhist tenets while never making that connection explicit. This lack of connection caused me to think less of the author's approach because it would allow readers to explore far more content relevant to his ideas rather than being limited to just the 2-3 aforementioned authors/thinkers.
June 6, 2020
The book stimulates a curiosity about clarity and allowing calmness. Kramer's downplaying of other "outside" methods and techniques as less powerful does not strengthen his thesis.
On p.54, Kramer takes issue with Dr. Rotella's principle of thought"... you can think about the ball going to the target". Yet, on p. 64 Kramer appears to contradict himself "When a pitcher ... he has the ability to allow his thinking to make whatever type of mound he encounters into his favorite type".
"A soon as his mind-set changes, the player's view of life and his thoughts will change too" (p. 65). seems unsubstantiated.
The book would be more credible with stronger citations and less reliance on Syd Bank's philosophy.
On p.54, Kramer takes issue with Dr. Rotella's principle of thought"... you can think about the ball going to the target". Yet, on p. 64 Kramer appears to contradict himself "When a pitcher ... he has the ability to allow his thinking to make whatever type of mound he encounters into his favorite type".
"A soon as his mind-set changes, the player's view of life and his thoughts will change too" (p. 65). seems unsubstantiated.
The book would be more credible with stronger citations and less reliance on Syd Bank's philosophy.
January 18, 2013
Had realy been looking forward to reading this, but was very underwhelmed. Some good quotes, and some good "zen" thinking ideas, but nothing really groundbreaking. May need to re-read it sometime.
November 18, 2017
Easy read with idea's and concepts that are accessible to not only athletes
Extreamly impressed with the authors ability to share "conscious concepts" with such ease and transparency and how they can relate to not only sports but to life in general. Would recommend this book to all athlete's, and people alike who have a strong relationship to sports, as it has the ability to engage and bring understading to life changing concepts in a very accesaible way! Well done!
Extreamly impressed with the authors ability to share "conscious concepts" with such ease and transparency and how they can relate to not only sports but to life in general. Would recommend this book to all athlete's, and people alike who have a strong relationship to sports, as it has the ability to engage and bring understading to life changing concepts in a very accesaible way! Well done!
March 21, 2018
Powerful
This is a book that infuriated me at first, as it challenged almost everything I had been taught in terms of sports coaching. Luckily I was aware of the principles so continued through gritted teeth. And very pleased that I did, as it became crystal clear how fundamentally accurate this way of addressing our thinking truly is. Be patient reading this, and you will certainly be rewarded
This is a book that infuriated me at first, as it challenged almost everything I had been taught in terms of sports coaching. Luckily I was aware of the principles so continued through gritted teeth. And very pleased that I did, as it became crystal clear how fundamentally accurate this way of addressing our thinking truly is. Be patient reading this, and you will certainly be rewarded
August 1, 2018
Kramer has some good insights about the direction of the relationship between mind and body. However, his emphasis on not being held back by your own thoughts hits some outer limits and runs into the typical problems that any bootstraps myth does.
May 27, 2020
Very interesting. Goes against most other mental training books/philosophies. It's more so about being aware vs trying to apply any strategies or techniques.
May 5, 2021
Book good in its words , but may seem difficult to understand
April 12, 2022
Actually 3.5. I will need to read this again in 10-15 years when I have people that I “coach”, since this book is a 5/5 for coaches.
December 3, 2012
Are you looking for true success, but every time you try you end of failing or falling short of your goals? Stillpower, written by author and leadership trainer, Garret Kramer, is a thought-provoking read that will change what you have traditionally thought were the key ingredients to achieving optimal performance and success. Stillpower has a message that shows us what our lives could be if we operated from the quiet and clarity of our inner conscience.
Kramer has offered readers a new perspective for coaches, athletes, or anyone in a place of leadership in Stillpower, which truly transcends the mainstream philosophy utilized by pop psychology and meditational thinkers. His message is simple, yet so effective: Willpower does not create success. Stillpower, the simple and creative inner thoughts, does.
The book describes that inside a person's state of mind lies his or her outlook on life. Stillpower does not have to do with external factors such as fame, winning, losing, money, etc. Instead, it is our thoughts and inner conscious that influence our outcomes. Kramer emphasizes the instinct of the human mind, which knows how to self correct itself to clarity and consciousness. This is something that cannot be forced, which can negatively impact our creativity and performance and violates our free will.
Children are the perfect example of Stillpower – they operate from a place of freedom and passion where they can express themselves fully. With Stillpower, adults can experience this same contentment and operate in a place that is free from the fear of failure. The more we try to control our thoughts and actions the more we can get in our own way. Kramer's advice is to stop trying so hard and allow yourself to enter into what he refers to as the zone.
The zone is not a tangible place, and does not have to do with intellect. It is about what you are doing in the present without over analyzing the situation. Kramer points out that in this process of freedom you don't think, you know. You don't focus. You feel. You don't try too hard. You allow. This he says, removes the external limitations.
Stillpower offers a fresh idea for leaders, coaches, and parents to evaluated their own state of mind. That is to say a more grounded person will be able to be more successful in connecting with their team. Your mood, Kramer says, directly affects your outcome. True leadership encourages people and allows motivation to be born out of them individually, which then positively affects the entire team.
In an age where perfection and drive seem to be the prevailing thought of our society, Stillpower offers us a new alternative where we can return to uninhibited thinking, which provides a freedom and passion for what we chose to do in the first place. This allows us to take the limitations off of ourselves and to stop forcing our will on others. When we do this, we can experience new levels of achievement.
Reading Stillpower will encourage you to return to creativity and self expression, which is lacking in today's competitive environment. This is a must read book for any coach, athlete, leader or parent who would like to learn how to be more successful without striving and help others do the same.
Kramer has offered readers a new perspective for coaches, athletes, or anyone in a place of leadership in Stillpower, which truly transcends the mainstream philosophy utilized by pop psychology and meditational thinkers. His message is simple, yet so effective: Willpower does not create success. Stillpower, the simple and creative inner thoughts, does.
The book describes that inside a person's state of mind lies his or her outlook on life. Stillpower does not have to do with external factors such as fame, winning, losing, money, etc. Instead, it is our thoughts and inner conscious that influence our outcomes. Kramer emphasizes the instinct of the human mind, which knows how to self correct itself to clarity and consciousness. This is something that cannot be forced, which can negatively impact our creativity and performance and violates our free will.
Children are the perfect example of Stillpower – they operate from a place of freedom and passion where they can express themselves fully. With Stillpower, adults can experience this same contentment and operate in a place that is free from the fear of failure. The more we try to control our thoughts and actions the more we can get in our own way. Kramer's advice is to stop trying so hard and allow yourself to enter into what he refers to as the zone.
The zone is not a tangible place, and does not have to do with intellect. It is about what you are doing in the present without over analyzing the situation. Kramer points out that in this process of freedom you don't think, you know. You don't focus. You feel. You don't try too hard. You allow. This he says, removes the external limitations.
Stillpower offers a fresh idea for leaders, coaches, and parents to evaluated their own state of mind. That is to say a more grounded person will be able to be more successful in connecting with their team. Your mood, Kramer says, directly affects your outcome. True leadership encourages people and allows motivation to be born out of them individually, which then positively affects the entire team.
In an age where perfection and drive seem to be the prevailing thought of our society, Stillpower offers us a new alternative where we can return to uninhibited thinking, which provides a freedom and passion for what we chose to do in the first place. This allows us to take the limitations off of ourselves and to stop forcing our will on others. When we do this, we can experience new levels of achievement.
Reading Stillpower will encourage you to return to creativity and self expression, which is lacking in today's competitive environment. This is a must read book for any coach, athlete, leader or parent who would like to learn how to be more successful without striving and help others do the same.
July 18, 2014
This is a deceptively simple book and I wonder if I would have given it fewer stars had I read it several years ago. I think I would have been screaming, "give me the strategies, the tactics, the techniques...!"
But I realised at some point that despite knowing a great deal, I was still under-performing and not terribly happy.
I now see the value in having significant shifts in perspective, getting deep insights and having a more thorough understanding of how we actually operate and what gives us clarity and results. And even when results are slow to come, perhaps due to insufficient experience or unfavorable situations for instance, the day-to-day journey to better results is far more pleasant.
Asking better questions, changing/testing our assumptions and looking at experiences from different angles can go a long way towards making satisfying progress. Early on in the book, the author says that children yearn to produce, not to consume. This is interesting because most adults treat children like they were consumption machines.
The overall notion of the book is that using willpower (which is defined as "the strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes or plans", is not a very productive strategy because although it helps to get off the sofa to go for a run, it won't help us get into "flow" or "the zone", which is where we perform at our best.
"It's when we act on a thought, by attempting to suppress or replace it, that we bring it to life."
So the author suggests that we still our minds instead and allow the thoughts to settle (like fine sand in water) so that we can see things more clearly again rather than the futility of trying to fight the thoughts.
I'm not sure how open one has to be in order to accept the suggestions in this book - perhaps the author is preaching to the choir - but I think it has some helpful stories, prompts and questions even for the uninitiated.
But I realised at some point that despite knowing a great deal, I was still under-performing and not terribly happy.
I now see the value in having significant shifts in perspective, getting deep insights and having a more thorough understanding of how we actually operate and what gives us clarity and results. And even when results are slow to come, perhaps due to insufficient experience or unfavorable situations for instance, the day-to-day journey to better results is far more pleasant.
Asking better questions, changing/testing our assumptions and looking at experiences from different angles can go a long way towards making satisfying progress. Early on in the book, the author says that children yearn to produce, not to consume. This is interesting because most adults treat children like they were consumption machines.
The overall notion of the book is that using willpower (which is defined as "the strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes or plans", is not a very productive strategy because although it helps to get off the sofa to go for a run, it won't help us get into "flow" or "the zone", which is where we perform at our best.
"It's when we act on a thought, by attempting to suppress or replace it, that we bring it to life."
So the author suggests that we still our minds instead and allow the thoughts to settle (like fine sand in water) so that we can see things more clearly again rather than the futility of trying to fight the thoughts.
I'm not sure how open one has to be in order to accept the suggestions in this book - perhaps the author is preaching to the choir - but I think it has some helpful stories, prompts and questions even for the uninitiated.
May 24, 2015
From a conventional standpoint, this book is difficult to absorb and accept. We (most humans) are predisposed to a certain kind of thinking and Kramer challenges that thinking with a sharp paradigm shift. Don't get me wrong there are many salient points to consider here, but this is a book that, if you are dedicated to its thesis, will take time to master. This is not an instant fix book.
Originally, I bought this book to perhaps help my son, who is a college kicker/punter, in dealing with the pressures of the moment. Kickers and punters are under a lot of pressure because everyone sees what they do. They see the results. It is one of the few positions on the field that is strictly statistic driven. There are highs and lows of this profession, so I set out to help him deal with the "noise" of outside distractions and to concentrate solely on what he is doing, "in the moment." In that regard this book does have some helpful information. We worked on just playing, as a game, and not so much as a job. Yes, my son has a job and he is being judged on his performance, but in trying to establish more of the "game" attitude, it hopefully allowed him to be just him.
The part of this book I find difficult is how Kramer emphasizes that external motivations are not the key to success, but that success, "springs from the highest level of human psychological function: the feelings of cooperation, resilience,, and compassion. It came from love." I am not sure if J.J. Watt, Peyton Manning, Lebron James, or Bryce Harper would go along with that.
I guess this is my endorsement to at least attempt to read this book and understand it on your level. Part of me is torn. I can see implementing parts of this, but Kramer seems to asking that there be a whole commitment to his ideas, and with someone who comes from a rather conventional athletic mindset, that is not easy to do.
Originally, I bought this book to perhaps help my son, who is a college kicker/punter, in dealing with the pressures of the moment. Kickers and punters are under a lot of pressure because everyone sees what they do. They see the results. It is one of the few positions on the field that is strictly statistic driven. There are highs and lows of this profession, so I set out to help him deal with the "noise" of outside distractions and to concentrate solely on what he is doing, "in the moment." In that regard this book does have some helpful information. We worked on just playing, as a game, and not so much as a job. Yes, my son has a job and he is being judged on his performance, but in trying to establish more of the "game" attitude, it hopefully allowed him to be just him.
The part of this book I find difficult is how Kramer emphasizes that external motivations are not the key to success, but that success, "springs from the highest level of human psychological function: the feelings of cooperation, resilience,, and compassion. It came from love." I am not sure if J.J. Watt, Peyton Manning, Lebron James, or Bryce Harper would go along with that.
I guess this is my endorsement to at least attempt to read this book and understand it on your level. Part of me is torn. I can see implementing parts of this, but Kramer seems to asking that there be a whole commitment to his ideas, and with someone who comes from a rather conventional athletic mindset, that is not easy to do.
February 4, 2015
Couldn't decide whether to give this 4 or 5 stars. Will definitely be re reading in a few months. Have also been following Garret Kramer on twitter and find him insightful, giving me perspective, or at least making it easier to find the view I already have without allowing thoughts to run away.
Will update when re read!
Will update when re read!
June 25, 2011
This book completely changed my thinking about sports psychology. Garret has a very fascinating theory that can be used beyond athletics.
March 1, 2012
Different perspective
February 11, 2013
Simple book with some very good pointers for anyone mentoring, teaching, or coaching.
August 16, 2015
Great midlife book, encouraging one to calm the mind and look inward.
November 6, 2016
Great read for someone looking to get over a hump in training, competing, or in life. The examples given and stories shared make the lesson(s) of each chapter clear and relatable!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews