Peak Performance by Daniel Goleman response

By Muthahar Nasim

5 observations

1. Olympics have become more and more competitive so the athletes have to more lifetime hours on practicing to compete
2. Extensive practice can break through barriers in mental capacities.
3. Coaching method became more sophisticated and the equipments improved
4. The ability to increase memory in a particular areas depends on wide range of high level of activities.
5. Repeatedly practicing chess can results in exceptional memory.

Compelling moments:

It,s incredible how chess masters are able to look at a chess board in mid game for as little as five seconds and repeat the position of every piece on the board.

The marathon gold medalist’s time in the 1896 Olympics Games won’t be able to compete in the qualifying round by 1990.

Question:

1. How long does the chess masters have to play chess to acquire such skills?

Purpose:

To send a message to everyone out there who’s trying to make it is that “ The more you practice the better you get a something”.

Vanessa Espin

In the Article “Peak Performance” Daniel Goldman writes about the importance of practice, what it takes to be the best at what one does, and how nowadays one has to live their sport to surpass what once has been thought as impossible. The author gives very valuable facts to support his thoughts on self-improvement. This article was written for a very wide audience. Almost everyone can benefit from his research and personal opinion. We all have dreams and goals we want to achieve and practice is fundamental. Goldman writes that the more one practices the bigger chance one has at being the best. He gives facts about the most talented people in the world and how the one thing they all have in common is the amount of time and dedication they have put into their carriers or goals. But to be a Star, more than practice is needed. Passion and talent need to be involved too. When this three come together, one will be able to overcome any mental or physical obstacle.

I founded interested when he said “ Perhaps the most surprising data show that extensive practice can break through barriers in mental capacities, particularly short term memory.” The more a person practices the better it gets, its fascinating to see how people over the years keep getting better and better and to imagine what a future holds for future generations. What now is considered excellence one day will be perhaps, simply “good”.

I also found interesting when he mentioned that “ One student, a business major not especially talented in mathematics, was able to remember 102 digits. The feat took him more than 400 hours of practice.” Meaning that a person who simply gives more dedication, and practice to something that they might not be talented at, can perform much better than someone who is talented, but lacks on practice and dedication.

The purpose of the article is to inform the reader that there is no such thing as talent vs. hard work. It takes both and more to achieve excellence. Anyone with passion and hard work can become talented and break barriers. It proves its point by informing the reader how times have changed, how practice has made the impossible possible. Humans seem to be achieving incredible mental and physical capacity through hard work and dedication.

It’s a universal fact that if one wants to get better at anything they must practice, The Article “Peak Performance: why records fall”, by Daniel Goleman shows evidence how much an individual can improve their abilities through practice. According to the article individuals who holds world records in their respective area of competitions goes through intense training for years. World records in all areas been shattered in the last 100 years because of such intense training. The article states that the “marathon gold medalist’s time in the 1860 Olympic games is only about as good as the qualifying time for the Boston marathon”, these shows how much of a difference can practice make.
The most compelling moment in this article is when it states that the Marathon gold medalist’s time in the 1860 Olympics games, was by 1990, only about as good as the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon, and Dr. Ericson taught college students to listen to listen to a list of as many as 102 random digits and then recite it correctly. This is compelling because it shows how much we as human can improve our skills at anything, and anything we consider impossible today can to achieve in the near future.
The authors purpose for writing this article would be to motivate ad inform the readers that anything is possible through hard work and dedication. Any barriers can be broken if we work hard enough.

The article talks about how practice makes perfect and how the need for practice has progressed from time to time. Records being broken because of the focus and dedication towards the sport. I was always told growing up that practice makes perfect and this article provides facts of how universities have conducted research to prove that point. Then it goes into specific sports such as chess to prove their points specifically within certain sports.

compelling moment within the text would be the experiment done to break through memory barriers where Dr. Ericsson and others were able to prove that the amount of hours dedicated to memorizing random numbers was a key factor in being able to actually recite all 102 numbers. It just helps to prove that idea that practice makes perfect.

could not think of a question.

The author’s purpose would be to inform readers of how practice does help break limit barriers and proves this by using actual facts like the Olympics and other sports. Also to inform the reader that with a limit barrier could be broken it only takes the sheer determination and dedication one has to put in hours of practice in any activity because everyone knows there is always room for improvement.

                           As the saying goes practice makes perfect. In the article “Peak Performance” Daniel Goleman gathers some research information, facts and study experiments on people deliberately practicing if its for sports, or a competitive game such as chess. He goes on to  explain that studies has shown, chess masters, musicians and star athletes show “that the relentless training routines of those at the top allow them to break through ordinary limits in memory and physiology and so perform at levels that had been thought impossible” (Daniel Goleman).  People who routinely practice and practice they may have break through on things that they never thought was possible.

                            As time and the years past and the more competitive the game become, the more one must practice. You must convert your love of sport into a skill with sheer practice. Studies has shown the more hours of practice may lead to a break through to mental capacities on memory, particular short term memory.

                           This article stood out to me, because as a child and even as an adult all you ever hear is practice makes perfect, I preach this to my son till this very day. With any skill you chose to embrace it must follow with practice to perfect that skill. I believe the author purpose was not only to give you facts on the importance of practice, but to inform people that  no matter how good you are at something you can always prefect it with practice. Life is all about perfecting yourself for greatness.

Practice, practice, practice all I ever heard in my childhood days. The author definitely caught my eye with this compelling idea in this article. My father use to say this everyday, when I would say what I wanted to be or dream of, anything is possible once you practice at it. He was right, but as a child it goes in one ear and eventually goes out eh other.
Another thing that stood out to me was the whole idea of short term memory. I feel that is the worst, when it comes to certain things you need to remember but falls in the short span of memory.

This piece was mainly facts, so there is little to none for me to argue against.

A question I would ask the artist would be, “What did you not practice at earlier in your life that you wish you had?”

The main idea I think the author was trying to relay to the reader was in order to succeed at a sport, instrument, or anything in life you have to exhibit passion and practice but mainly love what you do. Even a blindfolded chess master can win do to the love and dedication of the game.

While reading the article one thing that made sense to me as a  reader was breaking barriers in order to perform better from practicing with top sports people. Using practice can lead you pass what you want to achieve in life whether sports or remembering something .I can relate to this because practice is a mind game to enhance your learning of a certain objective . In the article using many references with sports to in the book study or practice. Everything that you want to perform better in you need practice. It matters how hard you practice because you can practice for 10 years just as hard as somebody who practiced for 15 years and still be as good .It also matters on the amount of time you practice that can make you better than you once were ,all with experience. I agree with the purpose of the article to practice to maintain and achieve .

The very first line caught my attention as it has been constantly repeated to me throughout my life in all my endeavors. The author is consistent in his use of statistics and facts to prove points. He compares Master chess players to Olympiads in their large focus on training and practice. The author used the word chess only twice in the first 12 paragraphs, and an additional 10 times in his final 4.

There weren’t really any compelling moments in the piece as it was mostly factual in it’s concept.

My question to the author would be; What sort of adverse effects do you think extensive practice has on Chess players?

The author’s purpose was to bring to light the similarities that Chess players and Olympic athletes share in their dedication to the craft they have chosen. Both require a balance of talent and acquired skill.