EZ Conversations

The Psychology of High Performance


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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.

Dr. 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. 

Find Dr. O'Connor online:

  1. www.DrEddieOConnor.com
  2. Success Stories Community
  3. FREE VIDEO "What To Do When Positive Thinking Doesn't Work"
  4. https://linktr.ee/DrEddieOC

  5. Timestamps:

    03:33 Introduction to Dr. O'Connor

    03:56 Understanding High Achievers

    06:02 The Role of Anxiety in Performance

    11:02 Exploring Basic Human Emotions

    17:36 Perfectionism and Learning from Mistakes

    27:07 Commitment Over Motivation

    33:11 The Cost of Excellence

    33:36 Respecting Excellence and Sacrifice

    34:44 The Reality of Being Elite

    35:23 Commitment Over Motivation

    35:42 Debunking the 10,000 Hour Rule

    38:00 Getting into the Zone

    38:26 Handling Anxiety and Preparation

    40:29 Mindfulness and Present Moment

    42:28 Embracing Difficulty for Success

    43:59 Free Resources and Final Thoughts


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