logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2021
54m 12s

Steven Kotler || The Art of Impossible

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Today it’s great to chat with Steven Kotler on the podcast. Steven is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of nine bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the cofounder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary.

Topics

[4:04] Understanding human potential

[9:58] Why not going big is bad for us

[11:22] Insights into the flow state

[15:06] "Biology scales, personality doesn’t"

[18:44] The importance of confidence and grit

[19:05] Physical vs. psychological recovery

[20:51] Conscious vs. unconscious self-esteem

[22:49] The difference between impossible and Impossible

[25:21] How to get to Impossible

[27:39] Reflections on failure

[31:14] Steven’s thoughts on bravery

[32:51] Fear as a compass

[33:44] Exercising clarity of vision

[34:37] Confronting physical barriers to performance

[36:57] Steven's dimensions of grit

[40:51] How practice makes confident

[43:31] How the "courage to be” may be a form of grit

[44:54] Steven’s thoughts on passion

[49:34] The role of purpose in peak performance

[53:16] How to be a high performer

[55:09] The "habit of ferocity"


Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Why Brains Need Friends w/ Dr. Ben Rein
This week, Scott sits down with Dr. Ben Rein, a Stanford neuroscientist and one of today’s most engaging science communicators. Dr. Rein has spent over a decade studying the neuroscience of social interaction, and his new book, Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social ... Show More
1h 3m
Sep 25
Busting Viral Mental Health Myths w/Joe Nucci
This week, Scott speaks with psychotherapist and writer Joe Nucci, whose work tackles the intersection of mental health, misinformation, and pop psychology. Joe has built a large following by debunking viral myths and bringing nuance to conversations that are too often oversimpli ... Show More
1h 8m
Sep 11
The Psychology of Athletic Excellence w/Dr. Alex Auerbach
This week, Scott Barry Kaufman sits down with Dr. Alex Auerbach, a licensed counseling and sport performance psychologist who works with some of the world’s top performers—from Olympic champions to NBA, NFL, and MLB athletes, as well as elite military units, Fortune 500 companies ... Show More
55 m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2021
Get Your Biology to Work for You Instead of Against You | Steven Kotler on Conversations with Tom
Check out our sponsors Butcher Box: New members will get 1 rack of St. Louis style ribs, one pack of bacon, and a pack of pulled pork for free in their first box by going to butcherbox.com/IMPACT Podcorn: Learn more at https://podcorn.com/podcasters/ Athletic Greens: Go to athlet ... Show More
1h 38m
Jan 2021
Steps to Achieving the Impossible with Steven Kotler
What does it mean to be doing the impossible? If you're looking to push the limits of your capacity to do what others perceive to be impossible, then this one is for you.  I'm thrilled to welcome back our exceptional guest, Steven Kotler, to the show to discuss his new book, The ... Show More
19m 45s
Mar 2021
Steven Kotler on The Art of Impossible
Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. The author of 13 books, 9 of which best sellers, Steven is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. His work has been nomina ... Show More
52m 43s
May 2023
How To Sustain High Performance As You Age | Steven Kotler
This week’s conversation is with Steven Kotler, a best-selling author, journalist, and one of the world’s leading experts on flow and human performance. Steven has spent three decades teaching people how to achieve peak performance, and of late, putting his own advice into practi ... Show More
1h 10m
Jun 2021
How To Achieve The Impossible with Steven Kotler #189
CAUTION: This episode contains swearing and themes of an adult nature.  Today’s conversation is about unlocking your full potential, striving for peak performance and ‘going big’. My guest, Steven Kotler, lives and breathes ‘flow’. He’s an expert in this optimal state of consciou ... Show More
1h 41m
Mar 2021
How A University Drop Out Became a Self-Made Millionaire | Steven Bartlett on Impact Theory
Check out our Sponsors LMNT: Go to drinkLMNT.com/Impact to get your sample pack for the cost of shipping. Only $5 for U.S. orders. MindPump: Download their FREE guide at fatlossimpact.com Blinkist: Go to https://blinkist.com/impact Try it FREE for 7 days and save 25% off your new ... Show More
45m 34s
Jan 2019
Steven Pressfield: Unlock Your Creative Genius
New York Times best-selling author Steven Pressfield discusses his book "The War of Art." Steven offers practical steps on how to "unlock the creative genius" he believes lives inside all of us. He reveals four questions that can help you identify your true calling in life. Wheth ... Show More
34m 11s
Nov 2021
3 Triggers To Maximize Your Focus And Creativity - Steven Kotler
After Lyme disease attacked Steven Kotler’s neurological system, he decided to commit his life to the scientific study of enhanced cognitive states like flow. Steven has been able to automate and articulate this previously mysterious state of productivity, and in this episode, he ... Show More
52m 32s
Aug 2023
Steven Kotler: Peak Performance and Getting Older (for humans and for dogs!)
When life feels hard, does “peak performance” mean anything? Steven Kotler is known as the NYT best selling author of books like Stealing Fire and The Rise of Superman, but can the science of stretching limits apply to grief of any kind? If you look beyond the slick language of b ... Show More
1 h