Why I Started Peak (Some Background)

Ten to fifteen years ago, I was flying by the seat of my pants. I ran an SME in the construction and technical service industry, and business was booming. But I was under constant pressure from client demands, staffing issues, financial commitments, daily operations, sales, marketing, and, of course, my own expectations of myself... it was a real struggle. Sleepless nights, pressure, anxiety, and stress were constant companions, and I kept it all to myself.

Friday afternoon was two bottles of wine and a release from the pressure of work. Sunday evening was the route back to a place I hated. Exercise took a back seat, and I lived inside my own head for several years. I had no one to talk to. I knew I needed help, so I hired coaches. They were all good in their own right and had certain abilities every business needs, but they lacked the knowledge and skills (psychological and emotional) I needed to master. As such, I wasted money I didn't have. They focused on the business systems and functions when, really, I needed to master myself and didn't know it.

Now that those days are gone, and maybe I'm a little wiser for the experience, I understand that the key ingredient to success in daily work and business is understanding oneself (as far as that is possible). We must master ourselves and then everything else can begin to fall into place. Today, I am a work and business psychologist, I am in the business of people, and I consider my work vocational. But not everyone can afford one-to-one coaching and training, so I realise that to reach the greatest number of people with this material, I must create a secure, low cost or even free space where we can gather, share our experiences, and help one another.

Developed from psychological theory and practice, the primary focus of Peak is to provide you with the concepts and systems you need to master yourself and find success in work and business. I have found that there is so much potential for personal growth when we choose to command our own work. It is a challenging endeavour, but for those already on this pursuit, commanding our own daily work becomes less a conscious choice and more a natural consequence. I hope you'll enjoy your time here, and if you decide at any point it's not a fit for you, please feel free to exit the community.

What's Peak all about?

Process over Outcome – a focus on certain daily practices rather than imagined or hoped-for results. Peak is where people like you can train and develop the psychological skills necessary for success in your work, business, and career. Other communities on the internet focus on business functions – Peak focuses on you, the person.

So, who are you, and why should I trust you?

My name is Larry Maguire. I am an organisational psychologist, lecturer in psychology, and private practitioner with 20+ years of business ownership behind me. I earned my MSc. in Work & Organisational Psychology from Dublin City University and my BA in psychology from Dublin Business School. I am a graduate member of the Psychological Society of Ireland, an ordinary member of the Association for Coaching, and a Registered Psychometric Test User with BPS.

My research interests focus on the well-being of self-employed workers and the nature of motivation and behaviour of people at work. My time in business and amateur sports has taught me many lessons, and coupled with the psychology of performance, I want to share what I've learned with you. You also have experiences worth sharing that will benefit others, so I'm hoping you'll join me in developing this community and, indeed, ourselves.

My Philosophy on Work

My philosophy on work is grounded in the idea that work, first and foremost, must be done for its own inherent enjoyment and fulfilment. Without this intrinsic motivation, our efforts often come to nought. This aligns with Aristotle's concept of Eudaimonia (Flourishing well-being), Abraham Maslow's concept of "Peak Experience", Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi's concept of "Flow", and Ryan & Deci's theory of "Self-Determination".

These theorists and philosophers recognised that to be creatively successful, human beings must be fully integrated, independent, yet interdependent in their work. For our work to make a difference, in other words, we must transcend the self-oriented, narcissistic motivations that dominate the world of business and work.

A New Definition of Work

Work, as defined here, is that thing we do in our waking hours - it's how we expend energy getting things done. It doesn't necessarily have to be paid work; it can be voluntary work, hobbies, amateur sports, and so on. The only requirement for membership of Peak is that you want to command your own work and perform it to a high level. If that's you, then Peak is your place.

This is a private space where you can ask questions, get answers to burning questions, and share advice on achieving higher-quality results in your work. If you want to be part of a close-knit and private community dedicated to a successful and fulfilling work experience, then I think you'll like it here.

Who Is Peak For?

Peak is for executives, consultants, small business owners, coaches, solo workers, freelancers, and people who aspire to work for themselves. But Peak is not like other communities focused on development. Rather than focusing on functions and structures, Peak is focused on aiding the development of the person that underlies the performance.

So that's it...you're up to speed on what Peak is all about, who I am, and my motivation behind this space.

I hope you'll obtain value from the community and the content here.

In the meantime, reply below and let me know what you need most

Slán for now, Larry