The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life

By: Dr. Eddie O'Connor, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Dr. Eddie O'Connor

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice. Practice. Practice." Today, the relatively new science of performance psychology tells us that old answer is incomplete at best. In The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life, clinical sport psychologist Eddie O'Connor, PhD, shares the best ways for you to reach your personal Carnegie Hall based on the latest scientific research - whether your performance environment is music, dance, business, or sport. These often surprising research results will make you rethink your own performance strategies, offering approaches you might never have considered and busting myths you might have taken as truth.

As Dr. O'Connor explains, the work of a sport psychologist is not defined by sport, but by the science of performance psychology, the mental aspects of superior performance in settings where excellence is central - usually sports, the performing arts, business, and high-risk professions such as the military. In Dr. O'Connor's work and in this course, sport is a lens through which to view the issues of practice, anxiety, injury, confidence, and more - issues that apply to any performer.

We've always known that physical training can reshape our bodies. This exciting research reveals that mental training also can modify the structure and function of our brains, resulting in increased neurological ability to perform a particular skill. Purposeful practice gets you there. Learn why it's the only thing that can.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2017 The Great Courses

Good Performance, Got Lost in Content,

Would you try another book from The Great Courses and/or Dr. Eddie O'Connor?

Big fan of the Great Courses, would not purchase another book from this author.

Would you recommend The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life to your friends? Why or why not?

Marginal recommendation. Some chapters relevant. Would start with Chapter 3. Early part of book is history of sports psychology or interpreting psychological methods used in the past. I was looking for applications recommendations which are found in Chapter 3. Mid part of book was into meditation and positive thinking ... which started to lose me.

I felt like this was a 3 chapter book which was crammed into 12. Would only recommend if you ok skipping irrelevant content.

What about Dr. Eddie O'Connor’s performance did you like?

Pace and presentation are excellent. Dr. O'Connor is clearly an experienced and knowledgeable presenter.

Did The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life inspire you to do anything?

Helped me with some specific types of goal setting to achieve objectives.

This course helped me personally and professionall

Dr O'Connor's course was a great help to me. As an older dressage rider learning how develop my skill, this course helped me think through the steps I need to take to have my best outcome and quite frankly- fun- doing the sport I love. I learned how important clarifying my values and developing a mindfulness practice will help me act and react in ways that reflects those values. Even though as a psychotherapist, I know this in my daily life, I had not understood how it can change how I practice and how that will make me a better rider.
I have also used the information in this course to help my clients change their behaviors or at least understand why doing therapy along, without a daily practice of some kind, inhibits the progress they want.
Thank you Dr O'Connor and please do more.

Excellent Course

The instructor ensures all aspects of performance translate into athletics and work. It’s a comprehensive approach to the psychology of performance.

Will listen repeatedly and Thank You

Great Course, literally! Excellent content, presentation and years worth of understanding will listen time & again.

Pretty good, not all for me

I'm an artist and a student. I learned about this audiobook from the Draftsmen podcast. After listening to this, I feel that there was a good amount of stuff I could apply to my life as someone who doesn't play sports in the first 17-ish chapters. I enjoyed that and might go back to listen to some of it again. Every chapter after that was a little too focused on sports to feel relevant to my work and life. That's not bad, really since I'm sure it's useful for someone, but the book as a whole seems to be advertised for a broader audience than just athletes.

Perfect for athletes or parents of athletes

While this is a great course on performance, this would be more beneficial for those who are actual performers (athletes, stage life, etc.) or coaches or if you are a parent to a performer or you want to improve a sport you’re currently involved in.
The psychology he covers is still good information for performance improvement in other areas of life too, but a lot of his examples were of the athletes he was consulting and working with, which I felt like I didn’t relate with as much since I am an not a performer (unless we’re talking about the singing I do in the shower errrydayy)

Great for more than just sports

I enjoyed this book a lot. The explanations are clear and you can really tell that the author is knowledgable. I am no longer a competitive athlete but i found that much of what he talks about is still applicable to my work and daily life.

Highly recommended for all

The information is applicable to not just athletes but non-athletes and anyone associated with them. As a 62-year young powerlifter making my comeback after two shoulder surgeries I am anxious to break my 40+ year all-time PR…age is mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!

insightful and interesting

it was a self knowing experience. I love the way the author express possible course of action to several common problems

Good for those involved in sport, not much for me

Although it says it has something for everyone, this book is definitely a written for athletes and those involved with sport. There are nuggets of useful info but it's sandwiched in-between stories of athletes and clinical info. Hard for me, someone not involved with any sport, to stay interested.