The Psychology of High Performance

Published: June 27, 2024, 11 a.m.

In this episode of the EZ Conversations Podcast, Dr. Eddie O'Connor, a clinical sport performance psychologist, discusses his work with high achievers, including athletes, musicians, and business professionals. He addresses common issues such as performance anxiety, perfectionism, and the importance of having purpose in adversity. Dr. O'Connor explains the concept of 'pain with purpose' and emphasizes the necessity of embracing challenges and discomfort to achieve excellence. He also introduces accepting anxiety as a regular part of striving for high performance and the importance of focusing on the present moment. Additionally, Dr. O'Connor offers resources on his website to help individuals overcome mental obstacles.\nDr. Eddie O'Connor is a clinical sport and performance psychologist specializing in performance anxiety, perfectionism and imposter syndrome. He is a Fellow and Certified Mental Performance Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and a United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry member. He is the author and host of "The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life" through The Great Courses. Dr. Eddie owns the Success Stories Community, an online platform where you can overcome obstacles to excellence.\xa0\nFind Dr. O'Connor online:\n\nwww.DrEddieOConnor.com\n\nSuccess Stories Community\n\nFREE VIDEO "What To Do When Positive Thinking Doesn't Work"\n\nhttps://linktr.ee/DrEddieOC\n\n\nTimestamps:\n03:33 Introduction to Dr. O'Connor\n03:56 Understanding High Achievers\n06:02 The Role of Anxiety in Performance\n11:02 Exploring Basic Human Emotions\n17:36 Perfectionism and Learning from Mistakes\n27:07 Commitment Over Motivation\n33:11 The Cost of Excellence\n33:36 Respecting Excellence and Sacrifice\n34:44 The Reality of Being Elite\n35:23 Commitment Over Motivation\n35:42 Debunking the 10,000 Hour Rule\n38:00 Getting into the Zone\n38:26 Handling Anxiety and Preparation\n40:29 Mindfulness and Present Moment\n42:28 Embracing Difficulty for Success\n43:59 Free Resources and Final Thoughts\n\nSponsors of the Podcast:\n\nBetterHelp: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://betterhelp.com/ez10\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\xa0for 10% off your first month of therapy\n\nWeShape: https://weshape.postaffiliatepro.com/scripts/dcfogwyuk?a_aid=FurkhanDandia&a_bid=d7508fa8 for 35% all plans.\n\nAura: https://aura.com/ez10 for a free two-week trial\n\nPlunge: https://plunge.com/ez\n\nMint Mobile: \u2060https://trymintmobile.com/ez10\u2060 for 15$ for an unlimited cell phone plan\n\nWe Are Wild for 25% off your first order: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://zen.ai/EZ23\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\n\n\nIf you would like to support EZ Conversations, here are all the ways you can do that:\n\nInstagram\u2060\u2060:\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://www.instagram.com/eunoiazen\u2060\u2060\u2060\n\n\u2060\u2060Facebook\u2060\u2060: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://m.facebook.com/eunoiazen\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060 \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\n\nYouTube\u2060\u2060: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrqBp_zdRiIfBRV4wURSZ2A\u2060\u2060\u2060\n\nLinkedIn: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://www.linkedin.com/in/furkhan-dandia-macp-mba-072a8a1ba/\u2060\n\nPatreon: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://www.\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060patreon.com/EzConversations\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\n\n\nOr find Furkhan's Book, Pursuit of Self Love: 30 Uplifting Messages and Reflections. The Kindle version is available on Amazon: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://www.amazon.ca/Pursuit-Self-Love-Uplifting-Messages-Reflections-ebook/dp/B0C4D1XYL1\u2060\u2060\u2060\nSubscribe to the EZ Reflections Newsletter: \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060https://ez-reflections-newsletter.beehiiv.com\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices