excellence, actually

With the 2020 Olympic Games coming to an end, we thought we'd recap some of the best moments and explore what we all can learn from them, regardless of whether you are an athlete, an executive, an artist, a consultant, a parent, or something else altogether. Themes include: accepting what is happening to get where you want to go, self-awareness, community, competing with instead of against, and th...

We're back with another AMA. We field a broad range of listener questions on diverse topics, ranging from the Olympics to nutrition to how to actually  implement a process mindset. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please  write a review on Apple Podcasts  and help new listeners discover the show ! Find Brad and Steve on Twitter:  @Bstulberg  and  @ste...

Many people are feeling a kind of languishing these days, a sense of stagnation and lethargy as if everything is a big effort. We dive into what is underlying this and, more importantly, how to work your way out. To do so, we draw upon all the latest evidence in motivation as well as plenty of concrete examples, practices, and tips. You can find the episode on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify An...

A few days ago, NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked about keeping his mind right during high pressure games. His answer, which this podcast opens up with, was a masterclass in high-performance psychology, and really, psychology for all of life. A short summary: “Focusing on the past is ego,” he said. “Focusing on the future is pride. Focusing on the present is humility.” In this episode...

One of the hardest parts of work and life is facing transitions. These are often periods of discombobulation, where we may feel like we are losing a part of our identity. Here, we'll explore the science and art of big transitions, and provide tips and practices on how to prepare for and work through, with grace and grit, the big transitions in your own life. You can find the episodes on: iTunes an...

We explore the illusion of trying to be “balanced,” and how a better aim to strive for is the self-awareness to prioritize and choose to focus on what matters most to you in a given season of life. From there, we discuss the various strategies and practices that can be used to cultivate this sort of wise perspective in your own day-to-day life. We'll learn how one of the biggest paradoxes of self-...

In the last round of Growth EQ Academy podcasts (Academy episodes #6 and #7) we explored the genesis of motivation, drive, and passion, and what happens when it goes astray — and also, how to prevent this from happening. In this episode, we turn to harmonious passion, or the kind of drive that can propel you to great heights, without losing a sense of yourself and what is important to you. You can...

Naomi Osaka recently withdrew from the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament. Mental health seems to have played a role. Osaka is not the first athlete and certainly won't be the last to struggle publicly and make big decisions as a result. In this episode, Brad and Steve dive into the topic of mental health in elite athletes. They discuss the wonderful impact of more awareness and less stigma around mental...

We go deep on the “bad” kind of passion, exploring how motivation and drive can become destructive — leading to burnout, angst, unethical behavior, and depression — and what you can do to stop this from happening in yourself and the teams in which you work. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Please  write a review on Apple Podcasts  and help new listen...

Intense motivation and drive — what we call passion — is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it can help you accomplish great things. A curse because it can narrow your world and get you to a point where you lose perspective and burn out. This kind of passion is like rocket-fuel: extremely powerful, but only productive when pointed in the right direction. That's what we'll explore in t...

Some people love to grind and work long days and on the weekends.  Some people like never to work outside of traditional hours. Some people  like to brag about how much they work. Other people like to brag about  how little they work. When should we work? Is there such a thing as too  much work? Too little work? Our good friend, colleague, and always  critical thinker Cal Newport (author of Deep W...

Motivation comes from diverse sources, but perhaps none is more powerful than purpose. Why is this the case? What happens in our brain and body when we are driven by a purpose? How can we all create more meaning in our own lives, not just so we can perform better, but also, and arguably more important, so we can be more fulfilled. Listen in to learn more and find out. You can find the episodes on:...

The first rule of routines is to have one and stick to it. The second rule of routines is to be able to let go. We explore the truth of this paradox, how to build the optimal routine for yourself given your current life station, the power of pre-performance priming, and when to use energy on decision versus when to automate them. You can find the episodes on: iTunes and Apple Podcasts Spotify Andr...

Forget about all the products and services that promise to help you recharge. You don't need all (or really, any) of that stuff. In this episode of the Growth Equation Academy, we detail the foundations of how to come down after challenging periods. Topics include breaks, taking an interval training approach to all of work, sleep, and other ways you can mentally and physically recover in a way tha...

While there are many definitions of stress, we like to think of productive stress as a stimulus that challenges you in a manner which promotes growth. In this episode of the Growth Equation Academy, we dive deep into productive stress. Topics include just-manageable challenges, how to determine the right amount of stress, what conditions create deep-focus work, and how productively stress yourself...

It's the universal equation to make sustainable progress in anything. In this episode of the Growth Equation Academy, we review what we mean by “stress” and “rest,” and discuss how the growth equation can be a valuable concept across diverse contexts—personally, professionally, and organizationally. Too much stress with not enough rest you get injury, illness, and burnout. Not enough stress with t...

Phil Mickelson just won the PGA Championship at age 50. That is no joke. In this episode of the Growth Equation podcast,  Brad and Steve use Mickelson's shocking victory as the basis for a  conversation on aging and performance. They discuss the importance of mindset and intrinsic drive; how to thwart the decline of raw talent that comes with aging while at the same time reaping the rewards of wis...

Why is it that so many people seem so out of touch with reality these days? In this episode of the Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve explore a new theory that argues the best way to stay grounded (and not become an ego-maniac) is to do real, concrete things in the world where you either succeed or fail. And, they argue, these successes or failures are best when they happen privately (or perh...

All the stars in the NBA are getting hurt. This comes off the coattails of a hyper-condensed season because of COVID-19, followed by a  shortened off-season that led directly into another condensed season.  The injuries, many of which are classic overuse issues, aren't a  coincidence. They are the result of lots of stress, not enough rest. In this episode of the Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and S...

Many were shocked to hear about Bill and Melinda Gates getting divorced. But some weren't. After all, they are both extreme pushers, those who care deeply about their mission and work. The cost of this deep caring is often making sacrifices in other areas of life. On this episode of the Growth Equation P odcast , Brad and Steve dive into what big drive, purpose, and motivation — all usually though...

One of the best ways to be smarter, kinder, and wiser is to read. Straight up. It's the truth. On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast ,  Brad and Steve dive deep into all things reading. They discuss deep  versus superficial attention, nonfiction vs. fiction, how to develop a  consistent reading habit that will work for you, and so much more.  Whether you are an avid reader or someone who...

There is infinite information out there. Every day, we are inundated with principles, concepts, and ideas. How does one wade through the deluge, let alone discern where to lean in and pay close attention versus where to lean out and ignore? On this episode of The Growth Equation Podcast, Brad and Steve dive into models for right thinking , or bringing deliberateness and skill to what we take in an...

On this episode of the  Growth Equation  podcast, Brad and Steve discuss the culture's obsession with idolizing certain people, and how thanks to the internet, everyone has a chance to win at this game. But is it a game that you actually want to win? Or are the forces of so-called celebrity (or going viral, or growing a personal brand, or becoming more influential, and so on) actually just making...

Hard work is often talked about as a be-all end-all when it comes to performance, and even personhood. On this episode of  The Growth Equation  podcast, we explore what hard work can (and can't do), what pursuits are more prone to be impacted by hard work, and the difference between hard work making you as good as you can be versus making you better than others. We also look at the history of hard...

The film  Operation Varsity Blues,  a chronicle of the massive college admissions scandal that occurred from 2011 to 2018, was just published on Netflix. It is a pretty damning (and tragic)film. In this episode of The Growth Equation  podcast, Brad and Steve use the film as a jumping off point to an in-depth discussion of everything that is wrong with higher education. Of course, they also offer s...