There was an incredible moment in the Detroit Tigers vs. Seattle Mariners baseball series that demonstrated an enduring lesson for performance—and really, for all of life. In game one of the series, the Detroit Tigers are the heavy underdogs. On the pitcher’s mound is 24-year-old rookie Troy Melton. It’s his first-ever playoff start, in a […] The post F*ck it and Let it Rip first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
Mastery isn’t built on hacks, hustle-culture, or hype. It’s built on something quieter, and often more difficult to sustain: humility, honesty, and the courage to keep going when it’s not easy. But if you can stay curious, show up consistently, and be kind to yourself along the way, you’ll move in the right direction. Slowly. […] The post If You Want to Get Better, Get Comfortable Saying… first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
The capstone test for Navy SEAL candidates, Hell Week, is notorious for its brutal difficulty. It’s five and a half days of extreme training designed to push candidates to the utter brink. It includes sleep deprivation and hypothermia from kneeling in the frigid ocean water with waves crashing into you, all while being assigned physically […] The post Beyond Grit first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
Recently, a surgeon Brad coaches got called into an emergency case at 2 AM. The goal was straightforward: save as much of someone’s leg as possible. He was tired. His mind was noisy. He felt off. He took all that with him into the operating room—and nailed the case anyway. One of the most underrated […] The post Getting it Done Even When You Don’t Feel Your Best first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
Today we are going to talk about competition. Carlos Alcaraz just beat Jannik Sinner to win the US Open. A few months prior, Sinner beat Alcaraz to win Wimbledon. Mere weeks before that, Alcaraz topped Sinner to win the French Open. Over their last 15 matches—in total including 3,152 points—Alcaraz has won just 6 more […] The post What It Means To Compete first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
A few weeks ago, Steve posted on social media about how the word trauma has undergone concept creep. Once reserved for major or chronic disruptions, trauma is now commonly used to describe everyday occurrences. Some researchers suggest its widening use may have a negative impact on mental health. But this article isn’t about that research, […] The post The Antidote to Internet Brain: Doing Real Things first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
This post is kind of about politics, but not really. Wherever you sit on the political aisle, we ask that you take a deep breath, don’t immediately react, and read on. The main points here are important for everyone. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been inundated with videos of defense and health secretaries Pete […] The post Where Have All the Serious People Gone? first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
Eight weeks ago, one of us (Brad) was struggling mightily in the weight room. After a powerlifting meet in the Spring, he had taken three months away from heavy deadlifting. The break wasn’t because he was hurt but because he wants to play the long game, and occasional time off from the big lifts is […] The post The Valley Before the Breakthrough first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
If you aren’t a track and field fan, you may have missed the most impressive high school performance in the history of sport. It sounds like hyperbole, but in this case, there’s no other way to describe it. At the USA championships, Cooper Lutkenhaus, a 16-year-old sophomore, ran 1:42.27 for 800 meters. How good is […] The post Sometimes The Hardest Part Isn’t Getting There—It’s Staying There first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
For the first 90 games of the season, the Detroit Tigers were the best team in Major League Baseball. But the hot streak dates back even further. They finished last year on a tear. When they made the playoffs and upset the Houston Astros in the first round, many analysts thought it was a fluke. […] The post The Most Underrated Performance Enhancer: Having Fun first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
An ever-increasing trend in the world of optimization is striving to be perfect. You often see this advice online: Never drink coffee. Always do an exacting workout. Get that 100% sleep score. Don’t have the Fritos or Oreos because you need to eat clean. Perfectionism is worn as a badge of honor, a show of […] The post The Imperfect Path to Greatness first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
It’s time for a new term: zombie burnout. It represents the half-dead, half-alive shuffling through the day that leaves you both restless and exhausted at the same time. It depletes performance in just about every endeavor. And it’s increasingly becoming a risk for everyone in modern life. Two Types of Burnout Yes, you can burn […] The post Zombie Burnout: A New Way to Think About the Restless Exhaustion of Modern Life first appeared on The Growth Equation.| The Growth Equation
I've gotten quite upset by a realization that so many conventionally successful people are completely out of touch (at best) and moral failures (at worst). Certainly not all, but many millionaires and billionaires. When I find myself in situations like these I tend to look to my elders for wisdom. In this case, I texted| The Growth Equation -
