So I love to read. My mom’s mom was a librarian, and my dad’s mom was an English teacher. My dad was a songwriter. My mom was an accountant, but in her retirement, she reads at least two books a week. All that to say, I come by my love of literature honestly.
I love to read on planes and trains, and we are going to be on a lot of them over the next year. My biggest challenge: lugging around all of the books I want to read in a 40L backpack. I know, I know– that’s why there’s a Kindle. My loving husband bought me one. I love him, but I don’t love the Kindle. It’s just not the same.
Anyway, I’m hoping to read A LOT, and I’m hoping to share what I read too. Even though we haven’t left yet, I’m going to go ahead and kick this section off.
I started following Brad Stulberg on Twitter a few months ago, and I was really struck with his stress + rest = growth equation, which is the premise of Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success by Stulberg and Steve Magness. I have been in some challenging and stressful professional roles, and I know the difference between feeling overwhelmed and burnt out and feeling successful comes down to whether I am exercising, getting rest, and feeling excited about the work.
I picked this up after reading several great novels consecutively, and I found the opening a little slow. However, I’m glad I stuck with it because there was some really great practical, research-based advice that resonated with me during this time of preparation, especially as Rich and I continue to work in demanding roles in public high schools, spend time planning for leaving the country, and exercise regularly to ensure we are physically prepared for travel.
First piece of advice: no one is a good multi-tasker. And our phones only make it worse. Stulberg and Magness recommend working, and sleeping, with your phone out of the room since even seeing your phone can be a distraction. Rich and I are pretty good about focusing on how we are going to spend a block of time and getting in the zone, but this was a good reminder, accompanied by practical ways to do this.
Second, rest and sleep are just as important to growth as working and applying yourself are. The authors talk about how often we are most creative in the shower or when doing the dishes. I know that is true for me– I have often found the best solution for a problem when I have been thinking about anything else. Rich came up with the idea for this trip when we were both zoned out on a long car ride. So why do we feel guilty about taking some down time? Down time may be breakthrough time!
If you are into reading about ways to be your most efficient, most effective, best you, pick this up. The authors did a lot of research, and multiple times, there were paragraphs I felt compelled to read out loud to Rich. I’m hoping I try half of all of the practical suggestions that I read and thought seemed worth trying.
Final note: After buying the book but before finishing it, I saw an article on Twitter that Stulberg has been managing a major anxiety disorder over the past few months. Mental health disorders are real, and this is a good reminder that mathematical equations cannot predict or determine human outcomes. Stulberg deals with his experiences honestly and directly, which is how Peak Performance is written as well. You can read more here.