Peak Performance

Some of my crazy experiments

- Jay Best

Jay Best

• I really love this sort of stuff!• Run 7 online businesses • Managed different teams• Love “Time Hacking”• Work = play

Dmitry Selitskiy

• From Thought-Wired (Direct brain interfaces)• We build and help others build solutions & experiences powered by direct brain Interfaces.• Building EEG for disabled• And other awesome stuff

Clearly defined problem statement

I am obsessed with Peak Performance and productivity.

I want to build ways to research and optimise – ideally discovering new methods that improve my performance and state of mind

Assumptions• Science can be done by civilians•Hacking doesn’t mean it can’t be done properly later•Every body is unique, so I am focusing on what tests work for my body - Placebo counts.•Emotions are a part of the mix

Vital signs - Measurements:• A multi test, timebased data recording of the following metrics

Emotional State (what current emotion)• Cognitive Function (How smart, alert, non fatigued etc)• Bio signs (HR, Breathing etc)• Energy levels (How energy / vitality do you have)

I then want to compare these results to everyday tasks "Work“• Sales / sales results• Emails• Programming quality• Design

Work Output Measurements

4 Main areas of work to measure• Sales• Email• Coding• Design

What to measure?

EMAIL / WRITING REPORTS

Keystrokes per minuteEmails / minute / hour% of emails not resulting in a reply (? is this even accurate).Reading level of the text?NLP emotional level of textHave written keystroke recorder.Mousetracking movement / accuracy?

SALES

Calls / hourYield / calls / bookings made (aka close ratio) / hourMaybe's / call me back later ratio also.

What to measure?

CODING• Fricken hard to measure this

quantitatively • Lines / hour (about the worst measure,

but an almost proxy for quantity).• Code quality by peer review (probably

a better way to measure)• Code quality by self review (eg "How

did you feel you coded today?“)• Self review weeks later (on Git checkin)

DESIGN• Self review• Design friends review• http://ratemysite.com/• Client customer satisfaction of logo /

design

• Survey monkey for all work + multi variable regression

Bio Measurement

4 Main areas of work to measure• Emotion• Bio signs• Cognitive Function• EEG (Brain wave scanner)

Emotions• Use Lucher color test eg• http://www.colorquiz.com/• Use Inkblot tests• Take randomised webcam shots as I work,

showing bodylanguage / attention etc• Could measure NLP of typing stream to

detect current emotional state• Output is an emotional graph over time• Self reporting

Modeling emotions

• Different emotions change decision

• Court case after lunch• Anger / Fear = quick

decision• Low energy =

conservative / safer

Bio Signs• Heart rate• Blood glucose (I have a $40 glucose

meter)• Oximeter $40 from Amazon• Breathing tempo and count• Maybe even source a lie detector test

to wire myself up to while working?• Electro conductance? Measures how

much you are sweating• Blood Pressure $140 from chemist

Bio Signs• VO2 measures?• Temp (can be used as a proxy for circadian

rhythm• Live blood -> Very high power USB microscope,

might be able to see dehydration etc.• Cortisol levels (probably via testing labs)

Vitamin / minerals / full blood work (via GP Dr)• How can I measure "how sick a person is"

maybe temp?• Weight per week / body fat / muscle / water

composition

Cognitive Function

• Cognitive Functionwww.quantifiedmind.com

• Reaction tests• Could use a randomised IQ test

question• EEG could also measure brain

activity (Concentration vs. Meditation)

EEG (Brain Wave Measurement)

Neurosky – Mindwave $165 Emotiv - Epoc - $800

Just about

heaven right

there..

More resources

@DSelitskiyhttp://www.thought-wired.com

@jaybestnzhttp://www.mybodylab.comhttp://www.quora.com/Jay-Best/Fun-Projects