About
David Walker
What makes someone successful?
Why does success seem effortless for some people while others struggle and never seem to make it? These questions have always intrigued me and I have spent over two decades trying to find the answers.
When I was younger I used to read biographies of successful people. I have a whole bookshelf of famous faces – sports stars, entrepreneurs, military leaders, basically anyone who excelled at what they were doing.
In these books I was looking for patterns. What were these people doing that the rest of us weren’t? There were a few hints in there, but no magic formula.
How the brain works
At university I studied Biomedical Sciences and was fascinated by the brain and how it works. However, the focus was on “how it works” with no real distinction between why it seemed to work better in some people than others. So, I was no closer to finding out what made someone successful.
I then stumbled across the personal development movement. I read more and more books, hoping that someone else had figured out the formula for success and then all I needed to do was apply it to my own life. (Yes, lots of books here – this was back in the olden days before online courses existed and as a student I couldn’t afford the Tony Robbins CD’s being advertised on QVC!)
Whilst these books claimed to have the secrets I was looking for, putting their ideas into practice didn’t really work out. What they said made sense, but I certainly didn’t see the life changing results I was promised.
Working with (and studying) highly successful people
My career then moved away from science and I became a solicitor. I worked in private practice for a while, and then as an in-house lawyer for an international group of companies. After this, I set up my own legal practice, Grid Law Solicitors, which I have run for nearly 20 years alongside other businesses including a sports management business.
This allowed me to work closely with a number of highly successful people. Between them, my clients have won over 30 world championships across Formula 1, MotoGP and World Superbikes. I have also worked with very successful entrepreneurs and multi-millionaire business owners.
What I saw both surprised and confused me. My clients hadn’t achieved their results by following any of the “success systems” I had been reading about. They were also a diverse bunch of characters and I couldn’t see any patterns in what they were doing.
So, what was happening?
Finding flow
My breakthrough was discovering the work of Steven Kotler. Steven is one of the world’s leading authorities on human performance and co-founder of the Flow Research Collective.
Suddenly everything started making sense.
I was starting to see what all of these successful people had in common. They weren’t just relying on positive psychology, self-help or even just “hustling” harder than everyone else. When these people were performing at their best, they were “in flow” and this is what made the difference.
That was it. I was hooked. I studied everything I could on flow science, the neuroscience of peak performance and everything else related to it. But this opened up a whole new raft of questions.
- How do you get into a flow state?
- Are their certain activities where flow is easier to achieve than others?
- Can flow states be achieved more consistently?
- Why are some flow states deeper than others?
(Remember, I’m a scientist turned lawyer. I love asking questions and it’s essential to me that I have real answers backed up with credible evidence, not just a Wikipedia overview of a topic!)
Put more simply, what I really wanted to know was “can someone learn how to get into flow when they need to?”
And what did I find out? The answer was yes, absolutely they can!
Getting into the ‘flow’
For the past few years, I’ve been studying with Steven and his team at the Flow Research Collective.
First, I learned the neuroscience of peak performance and how to apply it to my life. I then dived even deeper, qualifying as a peak performance coach so that I could help others reach their full potential too.
So now, as an FRC Certified Peak Performance Coach, I’m offering you the opportunity for us to work together.
If you would like to find out how to build a high-flow lifestyle, how to achieve your goals in record time, and how to do so without burning out in the process, please get in touch.
I would be delighted to tell you more!
Book a free discovery call today
Away from the office
When I’m not working, you will usually find me involved in some sort of sporting activity – either helping to teach a martial arts class for kids or officiating at a swimming gala.
I’m also a keen archer and love to get out on my paddle board whenever I can.
I’m running the 2024 TCS London Marathon in support of Brain Research UK!
I’m running the 2024 London Marathon for a charity that is very close to my heart, Brain Research UK!
Brain Research UK (Registered Charity No. 1137560) is currently focused on three priority research areas: Brain tumours; Brain and spinal cord injury (including strokes); and Headache and facial pain.
All three of these areas have had a direct impact on the lives of my close family and friends and the more I speak to other people, the more stories I hear about how their families have had similar experiences too.
With each piece of research carried out, we’re increasing our understanding, improving diagnosis and treatment, and working towards the prevention of these neurological conditions. This is why it’s essential to support Brain Research UK and raise funds so that this vital research can continue.
Ultimately, we all want to help people suffering from neurological conditions live better quality lives and live them for longer.
So, please help make a difference by donating today. Here is a link to my fundraising page. You can also follow my journey on Instagram.
This research really is life-changing, not only for those suffering from the neurological conditions, but for those caring for and supporting them too.
Thank you!