Learned Excellence by Eric Potterat & Alan Eagle Summary
Overview of Learned Excellence
Discover the elite mental skills used by Olympic champions and Navy SEALs. Eric Potterat's game-changing guide helped Nathan Chen win Olympic gold and earned praise from Google's Eric Schmidt. What psychological edge transforms good performers into legends?
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The Elite Performer's Secret: Mental Mastery
What truly separates Navy SEALs, Olympic champions, and world-class surgeons from everyone else? It's not superhuman talent or genetic mental toughness - it's learned excellence. After decades as the performance psychologist for Navy SEALs and elite athletes, Eric Potterat discovered that mental performance isn't innate but systematically developed. We're all performers facing moments that matter deeply. Whether you're in an operating room, juggling parental responsibilities, or taking final exams, your performance depends on both "hardware" (physical abilities and technical skills) and "software" (mental approach). Most of us focus exclusively on improving our hardware through practice and education, while neglecting the software that ultimately determines our success. Most people unknowingly sabotage their potential by focusing on what might go wrong rather than who they are and what they want to achieve. This negative anticipation creates a self-fulfilling prophecy - our primitive brain's fight-flight-freeze response takes over during crucial moments, limiting access to our skills precisely when we need them most. We become preoccupied with reputation fears, worrying about others' judgments rather than acting from our core identity and values. Think of yourself like a smartphone - even the most advanced hardware becomes useless without properly functioning software. The concert pianist with exceptional dexterity still crumbles under pressure without mental fortitude. What distinguishes elite performers? They remain calm under pressure, maintaining access to their skills when others become overwhelmed. They act from identity and values rather than fear of failure. Most importantly, they've learned to control their focus, directing attention precisely where it needs to be at critical moments.
Values and Identity: Finding Your True North
Mindset: Your Performance Operating System
Process and Excellence: The Path to Consistent Performance
Building Mental Toughness Through Controlled Adversity
Sustaining Excellence Through Balance and Recovery
The Daily Practice of Excellence
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
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"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
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"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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