NEWSLETTER & ARTICLES
ARTICLES Archive
“The athlete that dwells in each of us is more than an abstract ideal,” said George Leonard, the philosopher of human potential and Aikido master. “It is a living presence that can change the way we live and feel.” I love this…
At the Canadian Olympic marathon trials, the odds on favorite was Cam Levins, who had recently broken the 43-year old national record in the marathon. It wasn’t Trevor Hofbauer, a former basketball player who had risen through the ranks of…
Lots of people make things overly complex. Sometimes complexity is necessary but often it’s not. A lot of times people make things complex so they can sell them. It’s hard to monetize the basics, but come up with an intricate…
If you’ve ever pushed hard or cared deeply about something then you’ve probably experienced a feeling of being lost. Perhaps this manifests as being unsure of what to do next; unsure of how to do it; or even unsure of…
It’s been an interesting week. Nike coach Alberto Salazar was banned for cheating. For those who don’t know, I was a main whistleblower. That identity has consumed my life for the last 7 years, hovering over me like a cloud; occasionally…
Improvement is about planting seeds, nourishing them, and providing them with a safe space to grow.
ESPN recently published a story exploring how chess masters often lose 10-15 pounds during a week-long tournament. According to scientists, this is related to the human stress response. During tournaments—which can last 5 to 10 days—it is not uncommon for competitors to experience elevated heart-rates,…
Mention Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) to a group of sports-minded folks and their mind jumps to the illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs. In fact, according to the book Game of Shadows, these two drugs were prominent in the cocktail…
If you’ve ever been stuck with a crying baby you know that yelling back at it does not make matters better. It only makes them worse. There are two skillful ways of working with a crying baby: 1) Hold it,…
“I am sleeping and eating well and not commuting to work or worrying about getting dressed up in the morning and yet I still always feel so beat,” bemoaned Linda, a 40-year-old woman who lives down the street. “I am…
At 29 years old, in the prime of his career, coming off a pro-bowl season in which he won the NFL comeback player of the year award, star quarterback Andrew Luck retired. Much has been written about Luck’s decision to…
When you are leading a group of individuals — be it a team or a workforce — a lot of preparation goes into talks. What are you going to say during the meeting? What are the take home messages during…
The great irony is that those who are focused least on conventional success and most on being present in the process of their lives are the most likely to achieve conventional success anyway.
When the word toughness gets thrown around, we often imagine someone who is stoic, who can withstand enormous amounts of pain without displaying any signs of weakness. We think of the athlete playing through injury. The person who’s been beaten…
Fake toughness is easy to spot. It’s the guy picking a fight at your local gym. The anonymous poster acting like a hard ass on message boards. The bully at school. The executive who masks his own insecurity by yelling…
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.