#438 Brad Stulberg - The Way of Excellence
Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates
Stress, Purpose, and Social Inequality
Brad contrasts involuntary tedious stress with comfort-driven atrophy and urges building agency and access to meaningful challenges.
Brad Stulberg returns to the show to share lessons from his newest book, The Way of Excellence.
In this episode, Brad joins Andrew Coates to explore what excellence actually means for everyday people — not elite performers chasing perfection, but normal humans trying to live well, work with purpose, and avoid burning out in a noisy, overstimulating world.
This conversation unpacks the difference between happiness and fulfillment, the dangers of optimizing life around comfort and dopamine, and why choosing meaningful stress is often the path to a better life.
THIS EPISODE COVERS:
What “excellence” looks like for everyday people
How to set up your environment to support excellence
The critical difference between happiness and fulfillment
Problems with the Happiness Industrial Complex
Why bypassing the pursuit of instant happiness matters
Why stress with purpose is better than stress avoidance
What “Internet Brain” is and why it is harmful
What Zombie Burnout is and how it sneaks up on people
Why progress often feels mystical rather than linear
The role of community in sustained excellence
And much more
Brad’s new book The Way of Excellence is available now, everywhere books are sold.
Instagram: @bradstulberg
CHAPTERS
00:40 Defining Excellence
02:16 Fulfillment vs. Happiness
04:55 The Happiness Tube Hypothetical
10:12 Choosing Meaningful Stress
11:43 The Role of Stress in Growth
21:33 Personal Reflections on Deadlifting
25:17 The Mystical Journey of Progress
27:08 The Addictive Nature of Feedback
27:18 The Mystery of Mastery
27:35 Golf and the Flow State
27:55 Variable Reinforcement and Gambling
28:41 Periodization for Life
29:40 The Value of Novel Ideas in Books
33:46 Setting Up an Environment for Excellence
35:28 The Impact of Community on Success
39:39 Zombie Burnout Explained
40:56 Finding Purpose in Work and Life
44:25 The Dangers of Internet Brain
46:36 Reflections on the Pandemic
47:38 Conclusion and Book Recommendations
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