#6: How to Become a World-Class Expert with Dr. Anders Ericsson

People have said that the science of peak performance can be divided in two eras: Before Anders Ericsson, and after Anders Ericsson. It`s rare that someone shapes our understanding of psychology and human potential in such monumental ways, and yet that`s exactly what Dr. Anders Ericsson did.
Dr. Ericsson is Professor of Psychology at Florida State University and the world`s leading expert on what it takes to become the best in the world in domains like sports, arts, music, medicine, and many more. For the last 30 years, he has studied the most accomplished people on the planet to uncover their “secrets”. What he has found is a message of hope and inspiration for anyone seeking to be great, no matter what age or background. According to his research, the right kind of practice (or, as he calls it, deliberate practice) enables even people with less obvious signs of talent to become world-class and develop expertise in their chosen profession.
Dr. Ericsson has been a personal hero of mine for almost a decade, and it`s so much fun to meet your heroes in person and realise they are even cooler than you thought they`d be!

Max Out Insights:
We all have a special gift: The ability to adapt to the demands that are placed upon us
Adaptations can range from physical (heart) to mental (focus) characteristics
Virtually any skill or attribute with the exception of your bone length can be improved through the right kind of practice
Setting goals outside your comfort zone and engaging in deliberate practive is required to improve performance
It`s not enough to mindllessly practice the same things over and over again, you have to deliberately seek out new challenges if you want to make use of the adaptation response
True learning only occurs when you change your behavior
Practicing with the intent of gaining new expertise is different from performing at the best of your current skillset. You have to stretch yourself in new ways
Experts have control over their performance, meaning they can perform at peak levels reliably
Sufficient sleep is critical for your ability to show up at your best day after day – the best performers in Ericsson`s studies slept between 8 and 9 hours every day, including a long nap in the afternoon
The best performers are religious about protecting their practice time. No matter what happens or who calls, they show up every day to do the work
Pursuing life projects where you will never run out of space to grow into is an excellent way to find purpose and gain expertise
For some people, planning for the worst possible outcome lets them forget about it

Max Out Quotes:
„Living in a cage does not make you a geologist.“
„Do your very best, and that`s all you can do. Once you have done that, you can sit back and see: What could I have done better?“

[vijaymore]

Thanks for excellent questions. Thanks for this conversation with Dr. Anders Ericsson. I found it valuable and want to explore more in his book "Peak...".

[aidan_waine]

Enjoyed it, thanks for the hope of better golf in under 10, 000 hours!

Also, thanks for the unexpected new Zen about my office :o)

[lukass]

really enjoyed listening to you both, good sound quality! :)