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Overachievement: The New Science of Working Less to Accomplish More
Relax. Set goals. Focus on the outcome. Lose yourself to the Zone. All reasonable, sensible advice when you are facing a big presentation at work, a crucial point in the game, or any kind of career-launching performance. And all utterly, hopelessly, wrong.
According to John Eliot, Ph.D., “Such self-improvement balderdash will do nothing but relegate you to a career in mediocrity.”
As Dr. Eliot has discovered through his cutting-edge research and real-world coaching, techniques such as goal-setting, relaxation, visualization, stress management, and flow just don’t work for most people. Relaxing when the pressure is on is the wrong way to go. Instead, to really ratchet up your performance, you’ll need to change the way you think about pressure—and learn how to welcome it, enjoy it, and make it work to your advantage.
Mixing scientific insights with entertaining and inspiring stories, Overachievement will help you achieve spectacular success in any situation that demands you rise above and beyond what you ever thought possible. BACKCOVER: “The antithesis of every self-improvement guru.”
—Jim Pawlak, Chicago Tribune
“[Eliot’s] upfront conversational tone makes his advice not just palatable but convincing. Even if they don’t achieve superstar results right away, readers from all walks of life should find it easier to hone their concentration and work a little harder.”
—Publishers Weekly
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2004
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September 20, 2010Invaluable insights. Long-winded in the second half. Everyone in the world should read the chapter on dreams.
1. During performance, empty your mind and focus wordlessly on what you are doing. Thoughts, even those regarding what your performance, will rob valuable resources from your performing mind.
1a. Still, thoughtful training is valuable as preparation.
2. Feelings of pressure, stress, and butterflies in your stomach signal the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. It's arousal will enhance performance as your body mobilizes its resources for action.
3. Risk living in your own reality, the reality you like. People will say you're crazy until they say you're right.
4. Be unrealistic. Wild dreams will motivate wildly, and there is no shame in bold failure. "A dream is a feeling the sticks--and propels." Identify the thing in life that gets you so excited you can't sit still.
"No dream is impossible if it really gives meaning to your life. Even the dream with the lowest probability of being achieved can provide you with a lifetime of excitement, helping you step over the trivial disappointments in life, giving you something to work toward, making you feel content that you are living life to the fullest, right to the end of your days."
"When you have nothing to do, where does your mind wander? Chances are that's where your dream lies."
"... as soon as anyone starts telling you to 'be realistic,' cross that person off your invitation list."
5. Put all your eggs in one basket. Grab onto the thing that will separate you from the herd, something you love intrinsically, and go for it all out.
"If Plan A is what thrills you, don't waste your time ironing out the details for Plan B."
What if it's two things? "Easy. Go for both."
"He simply committed himself to one thing after another..."
6. Believe in yourself "utterly and without question."
"Confidence precedes success."
"Confidence is not a guarantee of success... but a tenacious search for ways to make things work."
"If what juices them might come true--somehow, someway, someday--they know they'll have a blast trying to figure out how to make that possibility happen. Whether it does or not is immaterial."
"You've got to rehearse it--a lot!"
Confidence is not arrogance. It is belief in success, not social superiority.
7. Focus on the actions of the moment utterly.
8. Choose a target and pursue it doggedly.
9. Develop a pre-performance routine to "make that transition into a state of intense, in-the-moment concentration, and to help you eliminate assessment, judgment, and critique."
10. Develop a philosophy of performance simple and personal to help remind you of the attitude you need.
1. During performance, empty your mind and focus wordlessly on what you are doing. Thoughts, even those regarding what your performance, will rob valuable resources from your performing mind.
1a. Still, thoughtful training is valuable as preparation.
2. Feelings of pressure, stress, and butterflies in your stomach signal the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. It's arousal will enhance performance as your body mobilizes its resources for action.
3. Risk living in your own reality, the reality you like. People will say you're crazy until they say you're right.
4. Be unrealistic. Wild dreams will motivate wildly, and there is no shame in bold failure. "A dream is a feeling the sticks--and propels." Identify the thing in life that gets you so excited you can't sit still.
"No dream is impossible if it really gives meaning to your life. Even the dream with the lowest probability of being achieved can provide you with a lifetime of excitement, helping you step over the trivial disappointments in life, giving you something to work toward, making you feel content that you are living life to the fullest, right to the end of your days."
"When you have nothing to do, where does your mind wander? Chances are that's where your dream lies."
"... as soon as anyone starts telling you to 'be realistic,' cross that person off your invitation list."
5. Put all your eggs in one basket. Grab onto the thing that will separate you from the herd, something you love intrinsically, and go for it all out.
"If Plan A is what thrills you, don't waste your time ironing out the details for Plan B."
What if it's two things? "Easy. Go for both."
"He simply committed himself to one thing after another..."
6. Believe in yourself "utterly and without question."
"Confidence precedes success."
"Confidence is not a guarantee of success... but a tenacious search for ways to make things work."
"If what juices them might come true--somehow, someway, someday--they know they'll have a blast trying to figure out how to make that possibility happen. Whether it does or not is immaterial."
"You've got to rehearse it--a lot!"
Confidence is not arrogance. It is belief in success, not social superiority.
7. Focus on the actions of the moment utterly.
8. Choose a target and pursue it doggedly.
9. Develop a pre-performance routine to "make that transition into a state of intense, in-the-moment concentration, and to help you eliminate assessment, judgment, and critique."
10. Develop a philosophy of performance simple and personal to help remind you of the attitude you need.
April 29, 2015
To quote the book blurb: "And all utterly, hopelessly, wrong."
Basic recipe: Eliot selects a few super-achievers, finds they do X, so if you do X you'll become a super-achiever. But no worries, there are several other types of grievous mistakes.
So yes, this is a fantastic book. But only if you use it to teach about logical fallacies. Despite its claim of scientificness (and boasting with the "PhD") it contains no real references, but a ton of sport-anecdotes.
Avoid!
Basic recipe: Eliot selects a few super-achievers, finds they do X, so if you do X you'll become a super-achiever. But no worries, there are several other types of grievous mistakes.
So yes, this is a fantastic book. But only if you use it to teach about logical fallacies. Despite its claim of scientificness (and boasting with the "PhD") it contains no real references, but a ton of sport-anecdotes.
Avoid!
July 7, 2016
Wow is the word I would use to describe this book. Very inspiring and very bold take on performance beyond ordinary. A must read for ambitious folks.
October 17, 2016
Awesome. Inspires an interesting change of perspective: when nervous, don't calm down. "Everything your body does to you when the pressure is on is for good performance". To calm oneself down in high-stress situations is to disarm oneself of optimum-performance fight mode. Trust your self, your skills, your dreams, and do it. Focus on the task at hand and release the need to control the outcome... Be clear on what you want to accomplish, and go for it. Waste no time calculating every step- trust the flow and move one step at a time. Waste no time evaluating probabilities- a possibility is good enough. Now is the time to perform. There will be time to evaluate your actions later. Put all your eggs in one basket. Give Plan A your all. Be unrealistic. Commit to your dreams. Revel in being weird- extraordinary people are away from ordinary.
January 7, 2013
One of my all-time favorites. Channel your inner-squirrel to tap into your true ability to kick butt. There is a difference between training mode and performance. When it's time to perform, the time for training is over. You must trust the training you've already done, and just do it.
May 9, 2019
Read this book for a class. I found it to be interesting and insightful.
November 3, 2012
Dr. Eliot's "Overachievement" is just the thing to read on the eave of one's 50th birthday. For me, the past few months have been a time of reflection about the things I have done and the things I want to accomplish in order to make my 50s the best decade of my life. With the desire to do things I was attracted to this book written by performance (in business, sports, entertainment, etc.) trainer Dr. John Eliot of the neuroscience department of Rice University.
Eliot challenges the reader to discover the thing he or she actually loves to do and to invest all of the self into excelling at it. This, as opposed to investing in a credential or career that will make one wealthy or that one 'ought' to pursue because it is the sensible thing to do. Eliot's reasoning is that success will come from the process of joyfully pursuing the thing one loves. The sensible course will be a drudgery all of the way. (The joyfully pursued process is the certain and immediate reward that one can count on. Anything more is gravy, but gravy is more likely to happen if one has the dedication found in this approach to anything.)
I was happy to see Eliot credit Mihály Csíkszentmihályi with ideas found in the earlier books "Flow" and "Finding Flow". In them Csíkszentmihályi described the phenomenon in which the pleasure one gets from doing a thing well causes the distinction between play and work to disappear. Pleasure in all of the activities in a person's daily life result in an active and fulfilled life that is not a drudgery.
Dr. Eliot draws from his research and practice to provide the reader with more tools for getting to the place he calls "The Trusting Mindset" and that Csíkszentmihályi called "flow".
Among these tools is the distinction between the acting or "Trusting Mindset" and the "Training Mindset". When it is time to perform the performer focuses only upon performance, everything else, including self-evaluation is a distraction that detracts from instead of adding to the action in hand.
He describes overachievers as exceptional thinkers. What he means by this is an overachiever has the ability to create his or her own lens by which he or she sees the world and self. This as opposed to ordinary people whose view of the world is distorted by the lens view of others.
Of particular interest to me is his claim that the physical feelings of nervousness or butterflies in the stomach are performance enhancers that we should embrace and come to love, instead of to avoid. He claims people mistakenly avoid situations in which they feel this discomfort because they mistake them for anxiety. He claims that to not have the discomfort is an indicator that the person is not engaged enough or that the challenge is not providing enough pressure to matter to the person. But, a person who takes on challenges that cause butterflies is engaging at a level that will give satisfaction during the process of performing and will be significant enough to lead to pride in one's skill and accomplishment.
The book provides more tools for the reader to move toward a life of overachievement. It illustrates its many points with examples from the lives of famous people.
Personally, I find this to be a convincing book that I intend to pursue over time, to think about how to incorporate the author's insights into my way of doing things. My ultimate goal is to be a person who steps up and does more things so that I will have fewer regrets whenever I come to the end of my life.
Eliot challenges the reader to discover the thing he or she actually loves to do and to invest all of the self into excelling at it. This, as opposed to investing in a credential or career that will make one wealthy or that one 'ought' to pursue because it is the sensible thing to do. Eliot's reasoning is that success will come from the process of joyfully pursuing the thing one loves. The sensible course will be a drudgery all of the way. (The joyfully pursued process is the certain and immediate reward that one can count on. Anything more is gravy, but gravy is more likely to happen if one has the dedication found in this approach to anything.)
I was happy to see Eliot credit Mihály Csíkszentmihályi with ideas found in the earlier books "Flow" and "Finding Flow". In them Csíkszentmihályi described the phenomenon in which the pleasure one gets from doing a thing well causes the distinction between play and work to disappear. Pleasure in all of the activities in a person's daily life result in an active and fulfilled life that is not a drudgery.
Dr. Eliot draws from his research and practice to provide the reader with more tools for getting to the place he calls "The Trusting Mindset" and that Csíkszentmihályi called "flow".
Among these tools is the distinction between the acting or "Trusting Mindset" and the "Training Mindset". When it is time to perform the performer focuses only upon performance, everything else, including self-evaluation is a distraction that detracts from instead of adding to the action in hand.
He describes overachievers as exceptional thinkers. What he means by this is an overachiever has the ability to create his or her own lens by which he or she sees the world and self. This as opposed to ordinary people whose view of the world is distorted by the lens view of others.
Of particular interest to me is his claim that the physical feelings of nervousness or butterflies in the stomach are performance enhancers that we should embrace and come to love, instead of to avoid. He claims people mistakenly avoid situations in which they feel this discomfort because they mistake them for anxiety. He claims that to not have the discomfort is an indicator that the person is not engaged enough or that the challenge is not providing enough pressure to matter to the person. But, a person who takes on challenges that cause butterflies is engaging at a level that will give satisfaction during the process of performing and will be significant enough to lead to pride in one's skill and accomplishment.
The book provides more tools for the reader to move toward a life of overachievement. It illustrates its many points with examples from the lives of famous people.
Personally, I find this to be a convincing book that I intend to pursue over time, to think about how to incorporate the author's insights into my way of doing things. My ultimate goal is to be a person who steps up and does more things so that I will have fewer regrets whenever I come to the end of my life.
September 1, 2013
This book is absolute must read if you want to maximize your potential and be at top of your game. I was blown away when John Eliot explains his research on why goal setting, relaxation, visualization, stress management, and flow just don’t work for most people. He offers counterintuitive and unconventional concepts which he calls "Definitely Put All Your Eggs in One Basket," "Think Like a Squirrel," and "Butterflies Are a Good Thing"—that teaches you to thrive on pressure and not just endure it.
To help with his research on overachievement Eliot worked with clients from Merrill Lynch, Olympic athletes, top surgeons at the Texas Medical Center, and even Dave Matthews. By mixing scientific insights with real-world stories of people who achieved more than they ever thought possible, he claims that anyone can achieve consistent success on the job, on the playing field, or in any stressful situation. As I got to the end of the book I definitely agreed him and he raised highly effective points.
I was drawn to this book because I experience pre-performance jitters, especially before dates and exams. Rather than spending mental energy trying to quash this reaction, Eliot says, I should stay focused on the task at hand, remaining confident in their abilities in order to rise to what the subconscious recognizes as a momentous occasion. Eliot has one broad goa in the book—"getting your mind ready to perform"—and he admits everyone will need to find an approach to what he calls "the Trusting Mindset" based on their unique passions and commitments. He does present compelling examples from his own career as a performance consultant as well as other tales from the worlds of business and sport.
His upfront conversational tone is what makes the book so convincing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to hone their concentration and work a little harder.
To help with his research on overachievement Eliot worked with clients from Merrill Lynch, Olympic athletes, top surgeons at the Texas Medical Center, and even Dave Matthews. By mixing scientific insights with real-world stories of people who achieved more than they ever thought possible, he claims that anyone can achieve consistent success on the job, on the playing field, or in any stressful situation. As I got to the end of the book I definitely agreed him and he raised highly effective points.
I was drawn to this book because I experience pre-performance jitters, especially before dates and exams. Rather than spending mental energy trying to quash this reaction, Eliot says, I should stay focused on the task at hand, remaining confident in their abilities in order to rise to what the subconscious recognizes as a momentous occasion. Eliot has one broad goa in the book—"getting your mind ready to perform"—and he admits everyone will need to find an approach to what he calls "the Trusting Mindset" based on their unique passions and commitments. He does present compelling examples from his own career as a performance consultant as well as other tales from the worlds of business and sport.
His upfront conversational tone is what makes the book so convincing. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to hone their concentration and work a little harder.
July 19, 2017
A counter-intuitive guide to achieving better performance in work and in life in general. Contains some very insightful advice for achievement-oriented people in particular, for instance the differences between healthy commitment and unhealthy commitment are good for anyone to assess themselves and their work against. In addition, the guidelines to concentrate on the process rather than the outcome are a useful reminder for professionals, whether the field is in athletics (where many of the examples in the book come from) or in working life in general.
Conversely, there are areas in the book that cause the reader some pause. For me, one of these were the examples from basketball: the text is rife with mistakes and over-simplifications when discussing Michael Jordan, yet the author drives forward with a confidence not supported by facts. If the book gets this area so wrong (most of this "case" is wholly inaccurate), then one tends to ask, where else in the book might there be such inaccuracies?
The other main question comes from the confidence part; for every example in the book on successful mouthy individuals, one can think of several to whom outspoken confidence or arrogance (the threshold is very subjective) was a major blow professionally; The environment matters, too, not just your own mindset.
Conversely, there are areas in the book that cause the reader some pause. For me, one of these were the examples from basketball: the text is rife with mistakes and over-simplifications when discussing Michael Jordan, yet the author drives forward with a confidence not supported by facts. If the book gets this area so wrong (most of this "case" is wholly inaccurate), then one tends to ask, where else in the book might there be such inaccuracies?
The other main question comes from the confidence part; for every example in the book on successful mouthy individuals, one can think of several to whom outspoken confidence or arrogance (the threshold is very subjective) was a major blow professionally; The environment matters, too, not just your own mindset.
March 27, 2018
Writing style lacked something
Interesting topics in the book, some I definitely whole heartedly agreed with while others I thought were just babble. He makes great points. Couple things I didn’t like though were how he wrote (just my preference) and the lack of follow up on the topic. I know he isn’t giving a 12 step program, but the examples were good not great, and definitely a little short on the clarification part.
A lot of his stuff though is well thought out and connects with a lot of the things most people are talking about in other “self help” books. However, the way he states it and talks about it seems more concrete than others. I would love to sit down with him and “argue” some of his points because I really think he would be able to back up everything he says with evidence.
Content alone would have gotten between a 4 and 5 star. Writing style for me was about a 2, just a little dry and boring. However, I do recommend this book if you can get through it. He knows his stuff.
Interesting topics in the book, some I definitely whole heartedly agreed with while others I thought were just babble. He makes great points. Couple things I didn’t like though were how he wrote (just my preference) and the lack of follow up on the topic. I know he isn’t giving a 12 step program, but the examples were good not great, and definitely a little short on the clarification part.
A lot of his stuff though is well thought out and connects with a lot of the things most people are talking about in other “self help” books. However, the way he states it and talks about it seems more concrete than others. I would love to sit down with him and “argue” some of his points because I really think he would be able to back up everything he says with evidence.
Content alone would have gotten between a 4 and 5 star. Writing style for me was about a 2, just a little dry and boring. However, I do recommend this book if you can get through it. He knows his stuff.
January 2, 2014
When I was in high school and ski racing, I used to refer to this book jokingly as my "bible." I didn't feel a lot of the other books on sports psychology really got it right, and didn't make me preform better. When I started reading this book, I realized it was a continuation of a lot of the ideas that my coach and I had been discussing. A lot of the newer sports psychology I read about seems to align with many of the ideas in this book. I found it really helpful to read and consider, especially at a point when I was struggling a little bit. I also found it particularly useful for thinking about pitching and performing in front of an audience. I'm curious to see, how people not using competitive sports to learn and evaluate the mental strategies presented in the book, whether they can really understand what the book is saying.
February 21, 2013
Excellence starts with the state of one's mind, and the points laid out in Overachievement are simple, to the point, no nonsense, and poignant. The author's voice is positive, encouraging, and inspiring as well. I felt I could put into practice what I read without feeling overwhelmed or confused. I appreciated the plethora of examples in this book, but I must admit, I got lost with all the sports references. I know nothing about baseball, golf, and football so I had to rely on context to make sense of the significance surrounding the scoring, impressive stats, plays, and so forth. So, the book caters more to a male audience who is familiar with all these sports and their logistics. Nonetheless, I valued the information I gained from reading it.
August 4, 2014
Desde Leader Summaries recomendamos la lectura del libro Logros extraordinarios, de John Eliot.
Las personas interesadas en las siguientes temáticas lo encontrarán práctico y útil: habilidades directivas, gestión del tiempo y técnicas de productividad.
En el siguiente enlace tienes el resumen del libro Logros extraordinarios, La nueva ciencia de trabajar menos y rendir más: Logros extraordinarios
Las personas interesadas en las siguientes temáticas lo encontrarán práctico y útil: habilidades directivas, gestión del tiempo y técnicas de productividad.
En el siguiente enlace tienes el resumen del libro Logros extraordinarios, La nueva ciencia de trabajar menos y rendir más: Logros extraordinarios
Want to read
December 28, 2010This book features in Marc & Angel's 40 modern non-fiction books everyone should read, which is a good list. I made the list in Goodreads here: Marc & Angel 40 NonFiction.
January 24, 2008
This is a great book! The mentality that this book talks about applies to everything from business to sports to every day life. It's about doing the things that make you uncomfortable and going the extra distance to be great at whatever it is you do. I definitely recommend this one!
November 17, 2009
Absolutely inspiring. By Dr. John Eliot of Rice University. Want to know how Tiger Woods is different than you? Read on.
October 11, 2011
so far so good. interesting. it is about how you need to change the way you think about pressure, learn how to make it work to your advantage.
February 19, 2010
Mostly an Awesome book with interesting ideas. Kinda *self-help*ish at times, but overall some interesting insights, and well worth the read.
April 22, 2010
I can't even begin to describe how awesome this book is. I've read it twice and will probably read it again within a year.
May 15, 2012
This is an excellent book that talks about how overachievers break from the crowd, and how conventional wisdom keeps us
August 5, 2014
Great book on the science of performance. Breaks down how the brain functions under pressure and how high performers execute.
December 4, 2015
Operate with a trusting mindset as a routine. Dream big and catch you will. Do not be afraid to fail. Set yourself big hairy audacious goals. You will overachieve as a routine.
Go grab the book.
Go grab the book.
August 13, 2025
Overachievement is the rare performance book that flips the usual “stay calm, visualize success” advice on its head, and actually makes it work. John Eliot draws from cognitive neuroscience and his experience coaching Olympic athletes, Fortune 500 executives, surgeons, and musicians to show that high pressure isn’t the enemy, it’s the fuel.
Instead of chasing relaxation, Eliot urges you to “Think Like a Squirrel”, trust the skills you’ve trained without overthinking. He reframes butterflies in your stomach as a good thing, a sign you’re doing something meaningful. He champions putting “all your eggs in one basket” when focus is critical, and building routines that can trigger your best mental state on demand.
What I loved most is that it’s grounded in science and real-world examples, not motivational fluff. It’s a refreshing, empowering read for anyone whose performance matters under pressure, whether that’s a big presentation, a tight launch deadline, or a critical negotiation.
If you’re tired of the same recycled productivity mantras, this book gives you a completely different mental model: don’t fight the pressure, train for it, embrace it, and let it work for you.
Instead of chasing relaxation, Eliot urges you to “Think Like a Squirrel”, trust the skills you’ve trained without overthinking. He reframes butterflies in your stomach as a good thing, a sign you’re doing something meaningful. He champions putting “all your eggs in one basket” when focus is critical, and building routines that can trigger your best mental state on demand.
What I loved most is that it’s grounded in science and real-world examples, not motivational fluff. It’s a refreshing, empowering read for anyone whose performance matters under pressure, whether that’s a big presentation, a tight launch deadline, or a critical negotiation.
If you’re tired of the same recycled productivity mantras, this book gives you a completely different mental model: don’t fight the pressure, train for it, embrace it, and let it work for you.
November 16, 2019
Great read. Definitely worth multiple reads over time to truly embrace the principles in this book:
1) Being superbly confident, both during the good times and the bad.
2) Living in the moment and controling when we enter these moments of hyper-focused concentration through practice.
3) Evaluating only those factors you can control, qualitatively and subjectively. You know yourself best.
4) Having fun and learning from failure.
While these are cliches, Eliot is able to present real, logical examples in a manner that differs greatly from conventional self-help books.
1) Being superbly confident, both during the good times and the bad.
2) Living in the moment and controling when we enter these moments of hyper-focused concentration through practice.
3) Evaluating only those factors you can control, qualitatively and subjectively. You know yourself best.
4) Having fun and learning from failure.
While these are cliches, Eliot is able to present real, logical examples in a manner that differs greatly from conventional self-help books.
July 16, 2019
This is a great book! The mentality that this book talks about applies to everything from business to sports to every day life. It's about doing the things that make you uncomfortable and going the extra distance to be great at whatever it is you do. I definitely recommend this one!
July 28, 2019
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ~Apple~
November 6, 2023
An incredibly fun, inspiring read—with articulate and brilliantly blunt explanations of what makes the great performers perform greatly.
“Overachievement is aimed at people who want to maximize their potential. And to do that, I insist you throw caution at the wind, ignore the pleas of parents, coaches, spouses, and bosses to be ‘realistic.’ Realistic people do not accomplish extraordinary things because the odds of success stymie them. The best performers ignore the odds. I will show that instead of limiting themselves to what’s probable, the best will pursue the heart-pounding, exciting, really big, difference-making dreams—so long as catching them might be possible.”
~ Dr. John Eliot from Overachievement
If you’re into achieving greatness and love to see the hero in action—whether it’s Tiger Woods coming back for the playoff win or a great rock star performing live—you’ll love this book.
John Eliot, relative of T. S. Eliot and a long line of Harvard Presidents, is brilliant. He’s one of the world’s leading authorities on peak performers and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo of high performance. He’s also a great writer. And, this book is an incredibly fun, inspiring read—with Eliot’s articulate and brilliantly blunt explanations of what makes the great performers perform greatly.
You’ll learn to kick the deep breathing relaxation habits during pressure situations and, instead, to eat the stress like a Power Bar. You’ll learn how to turn your cerebral cortex off like a squirrel scurrying across a high wire (who doesn’t want that, eh?! :) and a bunch of other tricks of the Overachieving trade.
The book has two parts: 1. The “what” of Overachievement where we get “Inside the Minds of the Overachiever”; and, 2. The “how” on “Becoming an Overachiever.”
Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:
1. The Trusting Mindset vs. The training mindset.
2. Eat Stress - Like an energy bar.
3. Bill Russell & Barfing - Butterflies are good!
4. Pressure & Anxiety - Know the difference.
5. Ultimate Knowing - Absolute confidence.
6. Positive Thinking vs. Positive action.
7. Super Pilot - Beats autopilot.
8. Let It Happen - Just let it rip!
9. Nuts & Geniuses - Often one before the other.
10. Incredible Dreams & Being unrealistic.
I’ve summarized those Big Ideas in a video review that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/QnYNBHWoKI0?feature=...
I’ve also added Overachievement by John Eliot, Ph.D. to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at https://heroic.us.
“Overachievement is aimed at people who want to maximize their potential. And to do that, I insist you throw caution at the wind, ignore the pleas of parents, coaches, spouses, and bosses to be ‘realistic.’ Realistic people do not accomplish extraordinary things because the odds of success stymie them. The best performers ignore the odds. I will show that instead of limiting themselves to what’s probable, the best will pursue the heart-pounding, exciting, really big, difference-making dreams—so long as catching them might be possible.”
~ Dr. John Eliot from Overachievement
If you’re into achieving greatness and love to see the hero in action—whether it’s Tiger Woods coming back for the playoff win or a great rock star performing live—you’ll love this book.
John Eliot, relative of T. S. Eliot and a long line of Harvard Presidents, is brilliant. He’s one of the world’s leading authorities on peak performers and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo of high performance. He’s also a great writer. And, this book is an incredibly fun, inspiring read—with Eliot’s articulate and brilliantly blunt explanations of what makes the great performers perform greatly.
You’ll learn to kick the deep breathing relaxation habits during pressure situations and, instead, to eat the stress like a Power Bar. You’ll learn how to turn your cerebral cortex off like a squirrel scurrying across a high wire (who doesn’t want that, eh?! :) and a bunch of other tricks of the Overachieving trade.
The book has two parts: 1. The “what” of Overachievement where we get “Inside the Minds of the Overachiever”; and, 2. The “how” on “Becoming an Overachiever.”
Some of my favorite big ideas from this book include:
1. The Trusting Mindset vs. The training mindset.
2. Eat Stress - Like an energy bar.
3. Bill Russell & Barfing - Butterflies are good!
4. Pressure & Anxiety - Know the difference.
5. Ultimate Knowing - Absolute confidence.
6. Positive Thinking vs. Positive action.
7. Super Pilot - Beats autopilot.
8. Let It Happen - Just let it rip!
9. Nuts & Geniuses - Often one before the other.
10. Incredible Dreams & Being unrealistic.
I’ve summarized those Big Ideas in a video review that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/QnYNBHWoKI0?feature=...
I’ve also added Overachievement by John Eliot, Ph.D. to my collection of Philosopher’s Notes--distilling the Big Ideas into 6-page PDF and 20-minute MP3s on 600+ of the BEST self-development books ever. You can get access to all of those plus a TON more over at https://heroic.us.
April 1, 2020
My mother, father and I have decided to start a book club for what they call self-help books and what I call psychology books :). This book was the first one in the club for us. I've never been into self-help books because I've never liked being told what I should and shouldn't feel or what I should or shouldn't do to be a certain way. I wasn't that excited about this book as a result. But I was nicely surprised. Eliot doesn't want to tell his readers a 12 step plan to success. He doesn't believe there is such a thing. Instead he says it's the individual's choice on how they change, he just gives the reader examples of how other people think exceptionally. I liked his gist: don't think negatively, act in the moment, crazy is not bad, being overly-committed can be as bad as being under-committed, be passionate about something and then work towards it, love your life, etc. Eliot himself is great writer as well. There were moments where he made me laugh out loud. It is definitely outside of my normal reading genres, but I don't regret reading it.
August 2, 2014
This book does well to eliminate false, yet commonly-held ideas referencing peak performance; from the waves of sickeningly redundant self-improvement maxims, Eliot pinpoints the most effective frameworks to function in. The ideas can be distilled and skimmed (and still fall into the almost-cheesy category at times), but overall, one of the better books on achievement.
March 18, 2010
Eh, it didn't inspire me to overachieve.
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