NEWSLETTER & ARTICLES
ARTICLES Archive
Complexity is a way to avoid facing the reality that what really matters for most things in life is simply showing up and doing the work. Not thinking about it. Not talking about it. Not dreaming about it. But doing…
In the late 1990’s, there was one constant in America, an item you could find just about anywhere: from grocery stores to Barnes and Noble, from the back of cereal boxes to attached to steaks. Over one billion America Online CD’s…
Hardiness is a psychological trait that motivates you to respond to stressful circumstances in ways that produce resiliency. It is a key to cultivating the existential courage that facilitates the ongoing search for meaning in life. Hardiness has three major components.…
It was 46 degrees. I had athletic pants with running tights on underneath, a thermal long sleeve top with another long sleeve shirt and a hoodie over the that, two pairs of socks, and about three blankets over that. My wife…
Something I see all the time in my research and writing and talk about frequently in my coaching practice is the need to marry fierce self-discipline with fierce self-compassion. Self-discipline is pursuing what one thinks is right despite temptations to…
Competing is easy when you’re in the mix. When your goal is within reach, when you have a shot at winning, finding that extra ounce of energy, that burst of motivation, comes naturally. It’s not hard to be a ‘tough’…
Goals are helpful—so long as you can kill your attachment to them when you need to. Having a plan is good, but being able to evaluate that plan and change it—or even leave it altogether if necessary—is critical to well-being…
“You’re lazy.” I heard this a lot growing up. My older brother, who was much more academically inclined, would constantly get on me about rushing through my school work and doing the bare minimum to get by. For example, in…
Intellectual humility is understanding that you don’t know everything, that you are often wrong, and that it’s okay, even a good thing, to change your mind when new evidence presents itself. Needless to say, intellectual humility is a quality that…
Whenever a new season of The Crown drops, Wikipedia searches for Queen Elizabeth and associated Royal family members increase by five-fold. A tsunami of google searches about Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and specific historical circumstances washes over the…
Heading into the NFC championship, one win away from the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator sat his team down and made them watch last year’s championship game; a game in which the defense had been embarrassed by…
Throwing yourself into an activity and gradually pursuing concrete, tangible progress is good for your brain. Many people discovered this firsthand during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as they took up gardening, baking, and exercise. What all of these…
I had written two books and hundreds of articles and blogs in a coffee shop. I had a routine. It was dialed in and led to predictable performance outputs: Go to the coffee-shop. Order something good. Open my computer. Write.…
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,…
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