NEWSLETTER & ARTICLES
ARTICLES Archive
This is what I stand for. These are my principles, my values. A common line we’ve all heard, and probably said ourselves, many times before. We tend to think of principles and values as items that are stable and consistent. We…
Every year around January first, a popular notion of getting just a percent or two better every day spreads far and wide. It sounds great, but it’s often unrealistic, especially if you are already skilled to begin with. For example,…
In 1950, the average new home was 983 square feet. In 1960, that grew to 1,200 square feet. 1970? 1,500 square feet. Fast forward to 2018, and we’re at 2,300 square feet. The 1950’s version of ourselves would walk the…
A few weeks ago, Zappos founder and CEO Tony Hsieh tragically died in a house fire. It is unclear whether the death was accidental, if Hsieh was intoxicated at the time, or if he locked himself in a room. What…
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln ran for US Senator of Illinois against Stephen Douglas, a man who Lincoln held little sympathy for. About Douglas, he once remarked, “He does not quite know himself. Like a skillful gambler, he will play for…
My family just got a new puppy. An adorable, little—for now, anyways—German Shepherd. Sleep hasn’t been great. Ananda needs to go out at least once in the middle of night, and sometimes more. This is the first time since my…
When you are a writer and you sit down at your desk with a massive project ahead of you, all sorts of alternative items that you could work on arise. Your deadline isn’t for months, but you know you need…
Welcome to the annual reading list. If you’re familiar with our work, you’ll know that it integrates ideas, research, and practices from diverse domains. People always ask us how we do this. The answer is simple: We do our best…
Let’s start with a simple fitness story, and expand from there: About two years ago, for a wide variety of reasons—including time, mental energy, and a calf that becomes painful and explodes with repetitive motion—I decided to shift my armchair…
When it comes to exercise, we often get extremely complicated. For strength training, we get lost in the exercise type, the sets and reps, and the speed of the bar. In running, we look at different speed or intensity zones,…
Let’s start with some science: The athlete’s aerobic glycolysis occurs via mitochondrial biogenesis delivered via ATP phosphorylation… Wait, before you stop reading, what does that mean? Nothing. I threw together some exercise science jargon. Every field has its own jargon,…
One of my coaching clients, who I’ll call Jenny, is a 39-year-old entrepreneur. Lately, she’s been struggling with fatigue, nothing too severe but a general sense of exhaustion, or, in her words, “not feeling as sharp and energetic as I’d like.” The first solution that…
First off, rather than you make assumptions and have implicit bias, some facts: I’m an independent person who voted for Bush two; then Obama—barely the first time (Sarah Palin swayed me), and enthusiastically the second time. I would have voted…
In 1954, two separate groups of 11-year olds arrived at a sprawling 200-acre Boy Scout camp in Oklahoma. Both groups of children arrived at the camp, unaware of the existence of the other. For the first week, each group spent…
Imagine for a moment that you are sitting in a chair at the center of a room, with dozens of your peers surrounding you. All eyes are on you, as the boss-man standing across the way begins to speak. “You…
Essential Reading
What is The Growth Equation—and Why You Should Pay Attention.
Redefining Success So It Doesn’t Crush Your Soul
8 Simple Tips to Live Healthier and Longer
When a Stress Expert Battles Mental Illness
The Best Routine, According to Science
Performance, Health, and Well-being are Contagious
The Zen of Weightlifting
The Mastery Mindset
Consistently Good Enough Beats Occasionally Great
We Make Fitness Way Too Complex and That is Dumb
The Right Way to Strive
Do the Work, Do the Work, Do the Work
Tech Gurus and ALL CAPS Twitter versus Actual Science
Quit Being So Hard On Yourself: Self-Compassion and Performance
The Key to Sticking to An Exercise Program? It’s Supposed to Feel Easy!
How To Build High-Performance Habits
Step Away from the 24-Hour News Cycle