Optimal: How to Sustain Excellence Every Day by Daniel Goleman and Cary Cherniss presents a compelling guide to maintaining consistently high performance through emotional intelligence. Drawing on decades of research, the book outlines four core EI competencies - self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills - showing how they foster resilience, focus, and engagement both at work and in life . Far from chasing rare “flow” states, Goleman and Cherniss encourage readers to develop a sustainable “optimal” state: one where emotional balance, meaningful focus, and interpersonal empathy come together to fuel daily excellence and well‑being.