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A Different Take on Excellent That Changes Everything | Brad Stulberg

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Feb 12, 2026

Guest

Brad Stulberg

Brad Stulberg, bestselling author and researcher on performance and wellbeing, offers a humane reframe of excellence as becoming, not perfection. He discusses reclaiming focus amid distraction. He highlights mastery and mattering, the role of joy and rest in growth, and practical trade-offs and routines to sustain meaningful effort.

49:45

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Episode notes

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INSIGHT

Excellence Redefined As Becoming

Excellence is involved engagement in something worthwhile that aligns with your values and goals.
The pursuit shapes your character as much as the result does.

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ANECDOTE

Idea Interrupted At The Gas Pump

Brad had a creative insight while at a gas station but was interrupted by advertising on the pump.
The moment illustrates how modern noise steals tiny windows of creative thought.

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ADVICE

Design For Attention Not Willpower

Design environments that protect attention by removing hyper-connected devices literally.
Rely on environment design rather than willpower to create space for focused work.

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Reclaiming Excellence from Perfectionism

01:19 • 2min

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Why the Process of Creation Matters

03:36 • 2min

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Fulfillment Versus Manufactured Success

05:55 • 3min

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Mastery and Mattering as Core Needs

08:40 • 4min

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Joyful Participation vs. Nonchalance

12:26 • 52sec

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Pursuing Excellence Without Being Elite

13:18 • 1min

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Excellence as a Lifelong Process

14:32 • 3min

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Modern Life Erodes Focus and Intimacy

17:20 • 6min

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Why Observing Excellence Matters

23:32 • 2min

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Finding Work That Truly Fits You

25:27 • 4min

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Trade-offs: Choosing What to Prioritize

29:38 • 2min

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Satisfaction from Deliberate Practice

31:09 • 3min

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Identity House: Manage Life's Rooms

34:19 • 4min

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Minimum Effective Dose to Preserve Life Areas

38:29 • 46sec

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Stress Plus Rest Equals Growth

39:15 • 7min

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Stepping Away Improves Creative Work

46:08 • 4min

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Community, Motivation, and Shared Excellence

50:37 • 3min

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Joy Trumps Angry Hustle

53:40 • 4min

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Live a Good Life: Pursue Excellence

• 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.

#994

• Mentioned in 37 episodes

The Way of Excellence

Brad Stulberg

#154

• 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 270 episodes

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley

Written in 1931 and published in 1932, 'Brave New World' is a dystopian novel set in a futuristic World State where humans are bred in vitro and predestined into a rigid social hierarchy. The novel explores themes of technological advancement, social conditioning, and the loss of individuality and freedom. The story revolves around characters such as Bernard Marx, an Alpha who questions the society, Mustapha Mond, the World Controller, and John, a 'Savage' from a reservation who introduces elements of emotion and individuality into the highly controlled World State. The novel critiques the optimism of technological progress and its potential to create a society that values stability and happiness over humanity and freedom.

What if excellence isn’t about winning, but becoming?

For so many of us, the word excellence has become tangled up with perfectionism, obsession, and relentless hustle. No wonder it feels heavy, triggering, or out of reach.

In this conversation, we explore a very different understanding of excellence, one rooted in meaning, care, and deep engagement. Together, we unpack why modern life makes it so hard to focus, why joy and rest are essential to growth, and how pursuing what truly matters can quietly reshape who you become.

Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author, writer for The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, co-host of the podcast Excellence, Actually, and faculty member at the University of Michigan. His newest book is The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World.

In this episode, you’ll discover

A powerful redefinition of excellence that frees you from perfectionism
Why mastery and mattering are essential for deep satisfaction
A simple way to reclaim focus in a world designed to distract you
How joy, rest, and renewal fuel long-term growth
A practical framework for balancing ambition with the rest of your life

If you’ve ever felt pulled to do meaningful work but exhausted by the way success is usually framed, this conversation offers a wiser, more human path forward. Press play to explore what excellence can become.

You can find Brad at: Website | LinkedIn | Episode Transcript

Next week, be sure to tune in for my conversation with Susan Piver about why love feels hard and how that discomfort can deepen intimacy. Follow the show in your favorite listening app so it’s right there when the episode drops.

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