NEWSLETTER & ARTICLES
ARTICLES Archive
Last year, on November 5, I watched the end of the New York City Marathon on television. I got chills as Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line, becoming the first American woman to win the race in 40 years. I…
Thanks to the proliferation of digital technologies, never has it been so easy and inexpensive to reach — pretty much anywhere and at any time — family, friends, and colleagues. I regularly Facebook-message with a Sherpa friend who lives in…
Here’s a modern paradox: People report that they feel significantly happier outdoors than they do indoors, yet we spend less than 5 percent of our waking hours in nature. Such were the findings of a recent study published in the journal Global Environmental…
One of my favorite inspirationalbooks is The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion, byElle Luna. The basic premise goes like this: Far too many people stick to “should” — the safe route, what they feel they ought to be doing…
(Note: The below is excerpted from our book Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success) It was the 2015 IAAF World Championships, and Ashton Eaton was dead tired. Eaton, as you may know, is…
If you want to get better at what you do — whatever that may be — a good place to start is by looking to the world’s best, and for good reason. It turns out that the mind-sets and practices of…
It’s well established that intrinsic motivation promotes long-term performance and protects against burnout. Whether it’s on the playing field or in the workplace, the more that your drive comes from within and the more you perceive your work as an end in itself…
A while back, I sent a tweet out into the internet that read: “Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself to prior versions of yourself.” It spread far and wide, but not everyone loved the message. A handful of folks questioned whether we should be…
Marathon season is here, which means runners across the country are obsessing over how they can make even the most marginal performance gains. Although I’m skeptical of supplements, there is one that boasts a strong record of effectiveness, carries virtually…
Recently, there’s been a surge in the popularity of workout programs, like P90x and ClassPass, which are based on “muscle confusion,” or the premise that constantly switching up your workout routine — i.e., “confusing” your muscles — is the pathway to fitness…
Perennial Super Bowl–winning hero Tom Brady is merely the latest in a long line of sporting legends — including Steve Kerr, Pete Carroll, and Billie Jean King — who credit a little book about tennis with helping them to stay cool, calm, and collected under pressure. The book, called The…
I make a living coaching and writing on passion and peak performance. I know that medals won, deals closed, and promotions earned all feel nice. But I’m increasingly coming to think that if your primary goal is a long, happy, and…
It’s one thing to reach the top of a mountain. It’s another thing to stay there for a long time, through good weather and bad. Serena Williams, Tom Brady, Lebron James, and Diana Taurasi are all notable examples of elite performers…
As an athlete, if you want to continuously improve, then you have to change up your training on a somewhat regular basis.But, equally problematic, if you introduce too much stimulus and challenge too frequently, you’re liable to get injured or burn…
Buddhism, Stoicism, and Taoism all teach adherents to repeat particular chants or mantras to steady the mind. Only recently, though, have researchers begun to look into the power of this practice. A 2015 study published in the journal Brain Behavior described research in which participants…
Essential Reading
What is The Growth Equation—and Why You Should Pay Attention.
Redefining Success So It Doesn’t Crush Your Soul.
We've Reached Peak Wellness—Most of it is Nonsense; Here's What Actually Works.
When a Stress Expert Battles Mental Illness.
The Best Routine, According to Science.
Performance, Health, and Well-being are Contagious.
Practicing the Mastery Mindset, a Path to Long-Term Progress.
Consistently Good Enough Beats Occasionally Great.
We Make Fitness Way Too Complex and That is Dumb.
Languishing and the Art of Showing Up.
Quit Being So Hard On Yourself: Self-Compassion and Peak Performance.
The Key to Sticking to An Exercise Program? It’s Supposed to Feel Easy!
How To Build High-Performance Habits.