Finding Your Zone: Ten Core Lessons for Achieving Peak Performance in Sports and Life

by Michael Lardon, David Leadbetter (Foreword by)

The first research-based program to offer concise, clear ways to realize your best performance.

As a therapist, physician, and mental coach, Dr. Michael Lardon has dedicated his career to helping athletes understand and better achieve peak performance. In Finding Your Zone , he shares with readers what he's discovered about reaching the state in which thoughts and actions are occurring in complete synchronicity, and how this state is accessible to all, not just the few.

In ten key lessons illustrated by personal anecdotes from his clients' Lardon teaches readers how to access the zone not only in sports but in all aspects of their lives, by understanding how

- Transform desire into will
- Channel emotions to victory
- Trust instincts and keep it simple
- Conquer fear through acceptance
- Perform under pressure

Genres: Psychology, Sports, Nonfiction, Basketball

193 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2008

About the author

Dr. Michael Lardon's Sport Psychiatry career was first catalyzed by his involvement in table tennis. In 1976 Michael Lardon was chosen by the United States Table Tennis Association as the country's most outstanding junior and sent to Japan to train with the World Champion. After a career of playing professionally in Europe and Asia he won a Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympic Sports Festival and subsequently retired from table tennis and focused on his academic career.

Dr. Lardon received a degree in psychology with honors from Stanford University, and received his medical degree from the University of Texas. After medical school, he completed an internship in internal medicine at UCLA. He then completed a psychiatric residency and a subsequent fellowship in psychopharmacology and psychobiology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). During this time he worked with and caddied for his brother, Brad Lardon in the finals of the PGA Tour Qualifying School. Team Lardon's quest for a fully exempt tour card was successful and this experience was well chronicled in the New York Times best seller, A Good Walk Spoiled and Golf Magazine.

In 1995, Dr. Lardon won the Judd Research Award at the UCSD for brain research on athletic peak performance. Dr. Lardon often collaborates with Dr. Eric Heiden, 1980 five-time Olympic Gold Medalist and United States Olympic Speedskating Team physician. In addition, Dr. Lardon works with a variety of Olympic, National Football League, Major League Baseball, and PGA Tour athletes. He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Diego and his private practice is located in San Diego, California. Please click here if you would like to see his curriculum vitae.

Dr. Lardon is a nationally recognized speaker and lectures on various topics including the Zone, Peak Performance, and Overcoming Mood Disorders. In addition to Dr. Lardon's clinical and research interests he often provides keynote speaking for large corporate groups. His lectures focus on Finding Your Zone and achieving peak performance in all domains of life with a specific interest in maximizing productivity in competitive business environments. Dr. Lardon is dedicated to educating the public about depression and anxiety disorders. He often volunteers his time in various media capacities championing this cause. He has been interviewed by the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and CNN regarding the recognition and treatment of depression among elite athletes. Most recently Dr. Lardon has worked on a de-stigmatizing depression campaign with Olympic Skeleton champion, Jim Shea, in partnership with Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceutical Company. Dr. Lardon's life-long goal is to help the general public conceptualize mental health to include not only the recognition and treatment of mental illness but the maximization of human potential.

To quote Dr. Lardon "this is a very exciting time in the field of sport psychiatry because of the tremendous advancements in neuroscience. It is the integration of research and clinical expertise that allows me to help facilitate performance in my clients. I now utilize everything from cognitive-behavioral strategies, medicine, hypnosis, psychotherapy, performance enhancement techniques and common sense. I feel very fortunate to have a profession that grew out of my life's experience and draws on the latest scientific breakthroughs in the field of neuroscience."

Reviews

[Phil Spitzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

He covers the same topics in multiple of the ten points. It's probably closer to seven or eight points. Also, doesn't really talk about the zone too much, it's more like ten points to achieve success (which isn't a bad thing, but call a spade a spade).

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************

~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~
* -} ? {- *
~} * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * - * -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- * {~

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:- ? -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * /10 * -:}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = ? = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

[Ayilton Palate · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet and short . this guy hás a marvellous sense of humour

[Lily Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doctor Michael Lardon Is a sports psychologist who specializes in teenagers and sports. I picked this book up after my sister was forced to read it by my mom after she psyched herself out at an ice skating competition. All summer she complained about how boring the book was. At the beginning of August I picked it up in hopes to learn a little about sports phycology myself. As a tennis player I know the importance of staying focused and not getting over cocky or giving up after loosing consecutive games, but I had never read I book by a psychologist before so I though I would give it a try. At first it was slow because it was not a story so it became a little redundant and seemed as though it was stating the obvious. After forcing myself to continue to read I soon found it may be helpful to read. I soon began implementing the techniques taught by Dr. Lardon and found that it really improved my tennis game a lot. I would recommend this book to any athlete or coach. After reading this book you will begin to discover the effect of positive thinking and realize, once you start to implement his techniques how much of sports are really a mental game. This book would be a great book for teams to read together. The book is fairly short (196 pages) and easy to read. (My 6th grade sister read it).

[€ℒᓰzᗩßℯЋ ツ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I know it's weird that I like it, but let me explain why I like it first. In track, we were given this assignment to read this book and write lessons on every couple of lessons (which reminds me that I still need to write a couple) and we'd have it finished right around this date. Well, I just finished it and I actually liked it! Usually when the school or a teacher gives me a book that they say I must read, I don't like it. But my track coach told us that she really liked the book and we should start reading it with a good attitude and actually try and get all that we can out of it. Well, I took her advice and it was really good! I learned a lot about myself and learned a few tricks to help with the mental and physical part of my training. I've seen a large improvement in my attitude and goals and what I need to be focusing on to do my best and be in the Zone. It's a really good book and I am actually saying it here, but I suggest that other people read it as well that want to do better in sports. Even if you're not doing sports, he uses a lot of sport examples, but it can be related to life just as easily. I'm glad that she made us read it.

[brad thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I DEVOURED THIS BOOK IN SEVERAL DAYS. I HAVE READ it SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. EACH TIME I read it I learn more. Dr LARDON;S PULLS EXAMPLES FROM EVERYDAY PEOPLE DEALING WITH EVERY DAY PROBLEMS (CONQUERING A DRUG ADDICTION) TO SHARING HIS INSIGHT AROUND SOME OF THE WORLDS MOST ELEtE ATHLETES. THIS BOOK IS REAL AND RAW. IT SAYS FROM THE GET GO THAT THERE BE NO SECRET. NO SHORT CUT-BUT THERE IS A PATH TO GREATNESS THAT IS ATTAINABLE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE PROCESS. LEARD ABOUT HOW TO BUILD CONFIDENCE, LEARN HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED, LEARD WHAT PLACE THE EGO SERVES THE GREAT ATHLETE AND MANY OTHER THINGS
anyone serious about sports-this is a must read

[Luigino Bottega · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need to get used to focusing on what we want to accomplish, avoiding distractions and making sure that less important things don’t keep us from more important ones. We must put ourselves in an “operational mode” that helps achieve this focus; isolate ourselves from potential disturbances that keep us from entering a flow state in the activity we’re trying to complete. All our mental energy must be directed at the single objective of accomplishing the task at hand and, above all, we must focus on one thing at a time. This will strengthen the thought creation methodology in our minds, necessary to seize and concretely manifest opportunities.
Inspiring book!

[Jrt6 · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are lot of good book out there on how to become centered with a mantra, breathing, a touch and this bood dispenses with that What it does really well is explain the why of the what the other books are telling you to do. I can't say enough how this simple and short book has helped my anxiety by adding insight into what I was tryiing to achieve. This book is profound and makes for an outstanding companion read for those learning how to perform under pressure, relieve anxiety and better enjoy life.

[melissa schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

dr lardon is one of the coolest clients i've ever worked with. i photographed his headshot for the book and totally enjoyed talking with him about his contributions to the world. he is incredibly inspiring and his work reaches an audience that would otherwise overlook such insightful material.

fun sidnote, we both lived in the same dorm at stanford university...albiet he graduated a bit before i was there ;)

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, had to do it again for my sports psychology class. I liked quite a few of his actual methods and techniques for relaxation and letting go of negative emotions (important in any situation, not just a sport situation) but a lot of his prose was kind of dumb.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book with practical ideas for improving one's mental game in sports and life. I love the real examples he uses to make his points more clear. I imagine I will come back to this book again and again.

[Jeffrey Ning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found the answer to peak performance among others. You get nuggets of wisdom and secrets of success if capture the stories within each chapter or lesson. Definitely consolidate what I have been researching and learning about maximising your life potential.

[Lee Konecke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on that gives a nice outline on the psychology behind peak performance