IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Brad Stulberg became obsessed with the pursuit of excellence
• Why excellence requires a combination of guts & vulnerability
• How “algorithmic mass distraction” blocks us from a life of excellence
• Why the best performers lead lives that often look mundane & boring
• How to identify your core values & align your career with them
• How we drive ourselves crazy pursuing the illusion of balance
• Why periods of rest & renewal are integral to success & creativity
• Why the key to greatness is consistency—especially on bad days
• Why excelling at hard things requires “fierce self-kindness” 
• How Brad structures his daily, weekly & monthly routines
• What he’s learned about deep work from his friend Cal Newport
• How to create a physical environment that supports good habits
• How to work with intensity & joy & to become a “humble badass”

Disclosure: This episode and the resources on this page are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. For full disclosures, see link.

TRANSCRIPT

Disclaimer: The transcript that follows has been generated using artificial intelligence. We strive to be as accurate as possible, but minor errors and slightly off timestamps may be present due to platform differences.

[00:00:00] William Green: Hi folks. I’m absolutely delighted to welcome today’s guest, Brad Stulberg. Brad is the author of a new book titled The Way of Excellence, which is being published on January 27th. The subtitle is A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World. I read a pre-publication copy over the last few days and found it really helpful and deeply thought provoking.

[00:00:22] William Green: It’s a extremely practical book, but I’d say it’s also very humane and soulful in its view of what constitutes a truly successful. And I’ve actually already pre-ordered 28 copies of the book as gifts, including a copy for everyone in my Richer, Wiser, Happier masterclass. So that gives you some sense that I, I think Brad is teaching things that are really valuable.

[00:00:44] William Green: He previously wrote two other excellent books, the Practice of Groundedness and Masters of Change, which is a book we discussed on the podcast in late 2024. I’d say that all three books are part of Brad’s grand mission of exploring how to build a rich and meaningful life that’s true to your values, which I guess is very similar to what we are exploring here on the podcast and also in my book, Richer, Wiser, Happier.

[00:01:08] William Green: In any case, today we’re going to talk in depth about the principles and the qualities and the practices that will actually help you to create a life built around sustainable excellence, which is a key focus of Brad’s. So welcome, Brad. It’s really lovely to see you again.

[00:01:22] William Green: Thanks so much for joining us.

[00:01:24] Brad Stulberg: William, it’s a pleasure to be back on the show. Thank you for having me.

[00:01:27] William Green: Ah, it’s great to see you. I wanted to start by asking you about your long and strange obsession with excellence, because both as an author and as a performance coach, you’ve spoken to literally hundreds of world class performers over the years, and I’m wondering what it is about this subject of excellence and mastery and extreme high performance that fascinates you and has made it such a central focus of your life.

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BOOKS AND RESOURCES

• Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members.
• Inquire about William Green’s ⁠⁠Richer, Wiser, Happier Masterclass⁠⁠.
• Brad’s ⁠website⁠. 
• Brad’s ⁠podcast⁠.
• Brad’s ⁠The Way of Excellence⁠.
• Brad’s ⁠Master of Change⁠ & ⁠The Practice of Groundedness⁠.
• Robert Pirsig’s ⁠Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance⁠, ⁠Lila⁠ & ⁠On Quality⁠.
• Cal Newport’s ⁠Deep Work⁠.
• George Saunders’ ⁠Lincoln in the Bardo⁠.
• William Green’s ⁠previous podcast⁠ with Brad Stulberg.
• Check out William Green’s book, ⁠Richer, Wiser, Happier⁠.
• Related books mentioned in the podcast.
• Ad-free episodes on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium Feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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