Optimal State of Being

Operating at peak performance requires work.

The optimal state includes physical, emotional, mental, and psychological input.

Physical includes your health, conditioning, rest, and nutrition. In “The Winner’s Brain” the authors include rest, exercise, mental stimulation, and nutrition as critical factors. Adolescents function best with a minimum of eight hours sleep. Mental stimulation is not television. Yoga, playing a musical instrument, and learning a language are. We are what we eat. Fruits, especially two apples a day or a half cup of berries seem to have special benefits.

Emotional health includes emotional intelligence, how we see ourselves and how we interact with others. Daniel Goleman includes five components - self awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social interaction. The first three apply to us andg the latter two reflect our response to others. Self-regulation defines the theoretical space between inputs and our response. Those who lash out at others reflexively lack self-regulation skill...and it is a skill.

Intelligence is part of mental states...and as previously discussed, is constantly modified by study, experience, and training. Mindfulness improves attention, awareness, confidence, and habits. That can lead to better recall, grades, problem solving, creativity, and standardized test scores. Alcohol degrades short-term memory, not only immediately but for three to five days.

Psychology includes our attitude, outlook (e.g. optimism), and behaviors in context of given situations. Our capacity to play to win reflects attitudes toward risk and loss aversion.

We make our habits and our habits make us. Champions have championship habits. To operate at
your best, you must optimize what you control, your attitude, your choices, and your purposeful, nonjudgmental efforts.