Way of Champions Podcast #466 Brad Stulberg, Author of The Way of Excellence, on Redefining Excellence, the Mindset of High Performance, Building Effective Habits, and Finding Meaning in it All
Excellence Defined As Meaningful Engagement
- Excellence is involved engagement in something worthwhile that aligns with your values and goals.
- That pursuit yields mastery (skill) and mattering (feeling important).
Flow Isn’t The Same As Excellence
- Flow is an acute, values-neutral state while excellence is a longitudinal, values-aligned process.
- You can experience 'shitty flow' that feels immersive but doesn't align with your values or long-term flourishing.
Feeling Like Michael Jordan Worked
- Jerry Lynch guided Chris Carwell to 'feel' playing like Michael Jordan and the player immediately improved and became a starter.
- The intervention freed Carwell to be and perform as he envisioned.
Brad Stulberg researches, writes, and coaches on performance, well-being, and sustainable excellence. He is the bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness and Master of Change, and coauthor of Peak Performance. Stulberg regularly contributes to the New York Times and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic, among many other outlets. He serves as the co-host of the podcast "excellence, actually" and is on faculty at the University of Michigan. He is also the co-founder with Steve Magness of The Growth Equation Newsletter. His new book is called The Way of Excellence, "a practical guide to realizing our potential amid the chaos of modern life and learning how to reconnect to ourselves by focusing on the pursuit of excellence. Combining modern science, timeless wisdom, and actionable strategies, Stulberg redefines excellence—not as a finish line to cross, but as an ongoing process of growth and becoming that allows us to reach our fullest potential while staying deeply connected to our values and what truly matters.
The book is inspired by research from diverse fields and grounded in real-world application, Stulberg frames excellence as the integration of mastery and mattering. He provides a clear, sustainable path for pursuing meaningful goals with focus and intention. Unlike "hacks" and the hustle culture of "pseudo-excellence," this book champions meaningful challenges that align with our values and goals and that foster deep satisfaction, fulfillment, and contribution.
For more visit: https://www.bradstulberg.com/ Instagram │X │LinkedIn
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