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Brad Stulberg on How to Be Excellent Without Burning Out

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Feb 3, 2026

Guest

Brad Stulberg

Brad Stulberg, author and coach who studies sustainable peak performance, explains excellence as caring deeply and aligning with values. He breaks down zombie burnout, why chasing flow backfires, and how tools can help until they hinder. Short, practical ideas on balancing fierce discipline with fierce self-kindness.

51:42

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insights

INSIGHT

Excellence Is Caring Plus Worthwhile Work

Genuine excellence is caring deeply about something worthwhile that aligns with your values.
Excellence combines deliberate engagement with meaningful purpose, not perfectionism or hustle culture.

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ANECDOTE

The Seven-Pound, Ten-Year Deadlift

Powerlifter Layne Norton spent ten years improving his deadlift by seven pounds, showing mastery isn't always rapid.
Brad used this to challenge the 'get 1% better every day' myth and explain long plateaus in mastery.

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ADVICE

Pair Discipline With Self-Kindness

Combine fierce self-discipline with fierce self-kindness to sustain long-term work.
Take accountability while also treating yourself with compassion so discipline remains durable.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Defining Excellence as Caring and Value Alignment

05:47 • 3min

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Personal Limits: What Brad Isn't Great At

08:36 • 2min

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Applying Excellence to Parenting and Process

11:01 • 2min

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Why People Fear Caring and Vulnerability

13:05 • 3min

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Unexpected Research: The Powerlifter Plateau

15:43 • 4min

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Balancing Discipline and Self-Kindness

19:42 • 2min

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Redefining 'Better' Across Aging and Goals

21:36 • 3min

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Optimization Tools Help, Until They Hinder

24:08 • 3min

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Prioritization vs. Balance: Going All In Wisely

27:07 • 3min

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Zombie Burnout: Burnout From Apathy

29:50 • 4min

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Shitty Flow vs. Genuine Flow

33:36 • 3min

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Not Everything Needs Immediate Meaning

36:50 • 4min

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Evolving Views: Purpose, Values, and Tools

40:57 • 4min

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Creating an Ecosystem of Quality

• Mentioned in 38 episodes

The Practice of Groundedness

A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul

Brad Stulberg

In this book, Brad Stulberg presents a healthier model for success that counters the 'always-on' hustle culture. Groundedness, the central concept, values presence over productivity, accepts nonlinear progress, and prioritizes long-term fulfillment. The book interweaves case studies, modern science, and ancient wisdom from Buddhism, Stoicism, and Taoism to teach readers how to cultivate a more grounded life. Key practices include accepting where you are, being present, developing patience, embracing vulnerability, building deep community, and focusing on the process rather than outcomes.

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• Mentioned in 28 episodes

Master of Change

Brad Stulberg

Master of Change offers practical principles for cultivating a resilient mindset called 'rugged flexibility,' empowering readers to adapt, strengthen, and gain wisdom amidst life's constant fluctuations. The book describes change as an ongoing cycle of order, disorder, and reorder, and provides concrete habits and practices to implement this mindset. It emphasizes the importance of reflection, embracing feelings of sadness and loss, and taking productive action during challenges. Stulberg introduces the 4P framework: pause, process, plan, and proceed, to help readers respond effectively to change.

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• Mentioned in 38 episodes

The Way of Excellence

Brad Stulberg

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• Mentioned in 138 episodes

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Robert Pirsig

This classic novel by Robert M. Pirsig is a personal and philosophical odyssey that delves into the author's search for meaning. The narrative follows a father and his son on a summer motorcycle trip from the Midwest to California, intertwining a travelogue with deep philosophical discussions. The book explores the concept of 'quality' and how it informs a well-lived life, reconciling science, religion, and humanism. It also touches on the author's own struggles with his past and his philosophical quest, making it a touching and transcendent exploration of human experience and endeavor.

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• Mentioned in 44 episodes

Peak Performance

Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success

Brad Stulberg

Steve Magness

Peak Performance uncovers the common principles that drive success in different domains, from athletics to intellectual and artistic pursuits. The book combines stories of top performers with scientific insights into cognitive and neurochemical factors that enhance performance. It teaches readers how to optimize their performance by alternating between intense work and rest, priming the body and mind for productivity, and developing a self-transcending purpose. The authors provide practical advice on managing stress, prioritizing rest and sleep, and setting meaningful goals to avoid burnout and achieve peak performance.

Brad Stulberg co-wrote Peak Performance with Steve Magness and has spent over a decade studying what excellence actually requires. He joins Zoë and Brendan to dismantle the myths of hustle culture and explain why genuine excellence isn't about optimization, it's about caring deeply about something worthwhile. We dig into "zombie burnout" (exhaustion from doing too little of what lights you up), what Brad learned from studying Courtney Dauwalter and powerlifter Layne Norton, and why chasing flow states prevents you from experiencing them. A grounded, research-backed conversation about pursuing excellence without losing yourself.

Brad Stulberg is the author of The Way of Excellence, Master of Change, and The Practice of Groundedness. He's on faculty at the University of Michigan and hosts the podcast Excellence, actually.

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