“When you reach the top of the mountain, keep climbing.”

Zen koan (according to Jack Kerouac)

I am not excellent by any means; but I, like many of you, am on the path in the pursuit of excellence.

I lecture to a variety of audiences about excellence in clinical practice and in operational environments, in addition to performance under stress. Afterwards, I’m often approached by some motivated hard-chargers in the room, who are not only really driven to be better, but who are also seeking additional resources to improve themselves and their practice.

In this blog, I’ve compiled a repository of the podcasts, blogs, video lectures, and books to which I most often refer excellence-seekers, posting them here for everyone’s invigoration.

Although there are innumerable amazing sources out there in the universe, I am focusing on those which I find most inspiring, those which get my heart pumping and my brain ticking despite having read/seen/listened to them dozens of times. These are truly the brightest stars in the sky, which stand out from all the rest.

(This is a living document; if you have additions which belong on this list, please put them in the Comments or drop me a note.)

Motivation

I don’t normally care for motivational speakers or motivational speeches, but this audio came across my radar and it resonates, really sets the tone for the pursuit of personal excellence, and what it takes to get there.

Video Lectures

Advice to a Young Resuscitationist - Cliff Reid

How to Be a Hero - Cliff Reid

More Cases From the Races - John Hinds

I encourage you to listen to the John’s prior talk on this subject (in podcast form only, but well worth it), which provides some context to this lecture, and exemplifies the passion and excellence of John Hinds. http://ragepodcast.com/cases-races/

Making the Call: Enhancing Cognition, Critical Thinking, and Decision Making in Resuscitation - Mike Lauria

All In Your Mind: How Mental Models and Mental Practice Can Improve Resuscitation Performance - Mike Lauria

When that 1% Makes All the Difference - Brian Burns

Into the Deep: Pushing the Limits of Human Performance for Resuscitation Teams - Chris Hicks

Podcasts

Tim Ferris Show – How to Succeed in High Stress Situations: Readings by Ryan Holiday from his book The Obstacle is the Way on the subject of “How to succeed in high stress situations.” High yield and eye opening Stoicism perspective and strategies for controlling yourself and performing better when it matters. Skip the introductory commentary and ads by jumping to minute 7.

The Jocko podcast – New podcasts weekly, many with applicability to performance, excellence, and leadership in medicine and prehospital care. Check the titles for what floats your boat. You’ll find some of the most insightful / intense interviews and book readings anywhere. Some of my faves are episodes 135, 114, 107, 101, 80, 75, and 69.

EMCrit Podcast 179 - An Interview with Gary Klein - A broad ranging interview with the renowned cognitive psychologist. This is the ultimate primer on human decision making from the man who did much of the relevant research, and literally wrote the books on the subject matter. A real gem if you want to understand how we can think and make decisions better when it really matters.

EMCrit Podcast 177 - Fog of War: Training the Resuscitationist Mindset - Dr. Chris Hicks’ incredible lecture on team based resuscitation, mental models, performance under stress, and much more. Check the show notes for additional resources, videos, and the slides for the talk (beautifully visual).

EMCrit Podcast 99 - Combat Aviation Paradigms for Resuscitationists - Dr. Joe Novak, a former F-15 pilot turned Emergency Physician, discusses combat aviation concepts in relation to medicine and resuscitation. Lots of fascinating overlaps, and lessons translated. You can also watch video of this lecture - link at the bottom of the show notes.

Books

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance

Josh Waitzkin

Insightful and practical lessons in learning and performance from a seasoned expert. This book breaks down the author’s mental processes, both rigorous and intuitive, in a goldmine of performance psychology.

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me about Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything

Col. Chris Hadfield

An inspiring tale of personal excellence, service to country and mankind. Learn from the drive, dedication, attention to detail of these astronauts.

Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era

Eiji Yoshikawa

A lone swordsman’s journey to humility, mastery, and success. A riveting tome, with lessons about learning, training, leadership, and life in general.

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s 14 Highest Peaks

Ed Viesturs

Lessons and tribulations of this top mountaineer translate well to any of our goal-seeking or pursuits of excellence. “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”