who are you
Aleksandrina Ikonomova - Allya
co-founder @rhea | event manager | efficiency & growth for event agencies | event tech | operations | sales & marketing
Human performance but with a philosophical twist. Dissecting obsession and peak performance to its fundamental components that boil down to one key question. Next week I'll dive deeper into the more scientific aspects of it.
Content I’ve consumed this week:
Podcast & Videos
Papers & articles
Books
My thoughts this week:
Human performance has been my lifelong obsession. I would go so far as to say it has been my “Why”, or raison d'être as the French would call it. I've always been captivated by what we can achieve at an individual and collective level, whether it's in sports, engineering, business, or arts. Specifically, I'm deeply curious about what motivates people to dedicate themselves so intensely to their pursuits—especially from psychological and philosophical angles, that they are willing to leave everything else behind. If there’s one common trade of highly performing people, it’s obsession. The question is what drives that obsession?
what is peak performance?
Achieving peak performance is quite a challenge. In some literature, peak performance is likened to being "in the zone" or "in the flow," but these are distinct concepts, though one can lead to the other. Flow occurs when you are so absorbed in your task that you feel merged with it, losing track of time and fully aligned with the activity. Peak performance, on the other hand, is about reaching optimal functioning, where being in flow is just one aspect of it.
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One fascinating insight from studying peak performance traits is that it is often described as a lack of fear of failure and detachment from personal ego. How can someone be fearless and egoless with so much at stake, after all that preparation and with the world watching? The explanation given in the literature that explores the matter is that it all boils down to unshakeable confidence in one’s abilities and the belief in achieving the goal, where failure becomes inconsequential as long as you give your all in this very moment. Imagine that.
Knowing this, it is no surprise that the most successful Olympians have mastered mental performance before achieving the peak physical one. Mental readiness was the highest significant predictor of Olympic percentile rank, with visualization being at the top of the practices that the athletes have practiced. This isn't to suggest that simply visualizing greatness suffices. It's about having absolute faith that you've done the work and believing without a shred of doubt that you can achieve what you set out to do. To achieve that level of confidence, you have to be sure that you’ve put in the work which demands dedication and sacrifice of epic proportions. The question I’ve asked myself is what can stimulate someone to be so devoted to their craft that they are willing to put the work into it?
what drives peak performance?
As it turns out, it's not just about results, but about the art of performance itself. When you're truly passionate about what you do, the priority shifts from outcomes to crafting the finest version of your creation or yourself. Results naturally follow this pursuit, validating that you've reached a certain level. However, there's always a new trophy to strive for so this doesn't serve much, at least in the long run, where we find the top peak performers. From the research I’ve done on the topic, the truly successful aren't driven solely by the desire for success, per se—although that thought might pop up now and then. They thrive on mastering their craft, fueled by a genuine love and respect for the game. This passion fuels their momentum. Being simply an overachiever with no understanding of what this achievement means to you, won’t cut it.
Having said this, a key aspect of human performance revolves around the topic of selecting your pursuit. How do you discover that passion that makes sacrifices and dedication feel trivial in the pursuit of creating your life's masterpiece?
Each person possesses a unique gift—a blend of specific talents and developed abilities—that is meant to be discovered and shared with the world. Whether this gift is used for creation or destruction is a matter of personal choice, but both sides exist as facets of the same potential. The challenge lies in uncovering this gift, often hidden within the routines of daily life. Through my own reflections, I've come to understand that true discovery occurs when one becomes sufficiently bored to seek out what truly excites them. This might and should occur during childhood when there's enough time for both boredom and freedom to indulge curiosity. However, this pursuit is made increasingly difficult by societal norms dictating behavior and preferences, combined with the ever-growing “opportunities” for distractions.
who are you
Nearly all of us have experienced, to some extent, the redirection of our interests by external pressures. Inevitably, we will be wasted before we really know who we are. On lovers, friends, family members, careers, ideologies, and political affiliations, there will be time wasted. That's just par for the course. Only a handful of individuals truly understand themselves and their life's desires from a young age so much so that they won’t be moved by the blowing winds of other people’s opinions. Even those who seem sure of themselves sometimes grapple with doubts, though they often resolve them quickly. For the rest of us mere mortals, uncovering the answers to the timeless questions "Who am I?" and "Why do I do what I do?" requires considerable time and effort. Sometimes it comes in the form of a midlife crisis when suppressed dreams and goals turn into nightmares that push us into the ruthless claws of self-pity. At other times, it manifests as a mother spending a lot of time with her newborn, as she realizes that she has to navigate another human being through life while, inevitably, questioning her own identity in the process.
Whatever the scenario might be, one has to manage to swim out of the self-pity pond, often following a period of self-identity crisis, and find enough space to hear their own thoughts. This is the crucial first step toward achieving peak performance; otherwise, there's no foundation to build upon.
This step is particularly crucial for overachievers, as previously mentioned, a trait commonly found in many women. We often pour our hearts into every pursuit, yet frequently feel undervalued because we haven't paused to reflect on whether our drive derives from a sincere belief in a greater vision or from a persistent feeling that our efforts are never enough. This pattern begins early in life when we're encouraged to follow rather than lead, without questioning the leader. Men face a different expectation: they're expected to lead their community but may not be encouraged to engage in introspection beyond surface-level considerations. This can lead to misguided decision-making, potentially damaging their reputations and putting others at risk. For different reasons but one goal, all should be aware of their own driving forces.
We all want unshakable confidence and fearless immersion in our craft, but are you willing to pay the price? Do you do the right thing even when no one is watching? Are you keeping the promises you made to yourself? Are you excited by your life, or are you just drifting through it on autopilot? Simply put:
Who are you?
Answer these, and then we can talk about human performance.
See you next week.
Yours truly,
A