New PN: The Way of Excellence
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A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic Worldby Brad Stulberg |
“Excellence is not a destination; it is a process of becoming. The real reward isn’t a bigger deadlift, a faster mile, or a sturdier table. The real reward is that you become a better version of yourself."BRAD STULBERG |
FROM THE BOOK“The world is chaotic and full of noise.
We are constantly flooded with synthetic content and experiences, much of which is dispensed not by humans but by algorithms and machines. Our attention is fractured, our work and home lives can be stressful, often at the same time. We commonly feel distracted, overloaded, lonely, and exhausted, if not on the edge of burnout. The result is that we are pulled away from the states of mind and being that we yearn for and, eventually, from the people we aspire to become. Alienation describes the disconnect people experience from their own lives, and it is a defining problem of our time. When we lose the ability to pursue what matters to us with integrity, we lose a sense of who we are. What I’m calling excellence offers an alternative. Excellence drives purposeful attention and productive action. It supports living with intimacy and depth instead of remove and shallowness. It reconnects us with our essential humanity and fills us with purpose in an increasingly numbed-out world. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we cultivate our own versions of excellence. Our individual and collective lives depend on it. This book will show you how.” |
Brian's Notes
I’m typing this at 9:27 a.m. on February 11, 2026.
I started reading this book about five hours ago at 4:30 a.m. I read for 2 hours and 45 min until the family got up, took a break to eat breakfast and go on a trail walk with Eleanor (hitting all three facets of what Brad tells us makes for a good break, btw: walking, social connection, and nature!) then I finished it after reading for another hour.
I’m a bit stunned.
The book is, literally, one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Now, OBVIOUSLY, as a guy with the Greek word for excellence (ARETÉ) tattooed on my right forearm (who also wrote a book called Areté!), I’m more than a little biased toward a book called The Way of Excellence.
But, I’m pretty sure I’ve *never* written “WOW!” more times in the margins of a book than I did with this one. (Seriously.) The density of wisdom per page is nuts.
I HIGHLY (!) recommend you get a copy of it, read it, mark it all up, and live it.
As Steve Kerr (nine-time NBA champion and coach of Team USA) says on the front cover, it’s “An absolutely beautiful book.”
Cal Newport’s blurb on the back captures the power of the book as well: “In a chaotic world filled with shallow distraction and performance busyness, Stulberg offers a path toward something deeper: the disciplined pursuit of mastery, competence, and mattering.”
Brad Stulberg is the bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness and Master of Change. (I will be reading those soon.) He’s also the co-author of The Passion Paradox and Peak Performance. (Check out those Notes.) Plus, he’s the co-host of a podcast called excellence, actually and is on the faculty at the University of Michigan.
He’s also a coach of elite performers and, most importantly is clearly a good human being.
The book is PACKED with Big Ideas. I’m going to start by sharing Brad’s definition of excellence, then take a quick look at the biological, psychological, and philosophical foundations of excellence, then we’ll look at the first 3 (of 16) “Mindsets, Habits, and Practices” we can engage in to live with more excellence. Let’s get to work.
P.S. Another one of my favorite books (by another human being I really admire) that happens to have “excellence” in the title? Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron.
I started reading this book about five hours ago at 4:30 a.m. I read for 2 hours and 45 min until the family got up, took a break to eat breakfast and go on a trail walk with Eleanor (hitting all three facets of what Brad tells us makes for a good break, btw: walking, social connection, and nature!) then I finished it after reading for another hour.
I’m a bit stunned.
The book is, literally, one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Now, OBVIOUSLY, as a guy with the Greek word for excellence (ARETÉ) tattooed on my right forearm (who also wrote a book called Areté!), I’m more than a little biased toward a book called The Way of Excellence.
But, I’m pretty sure I’ve *never* written “WOW!” more times in the margins of a book than I did with this one. (Seriously.) The density of wisdom per page is nuts.
I HIGHLY (!) recommend you get a copy of it, read it, mark it all up, and live it.
As Steve Kerr (nine-time NBA champion and coach of Team USA) says on the front cover, it’s “An absolutely beautiful book.”
Cal Newport’s blurb on the back captures the power of the book as well: “In a chaotic world filled with shallow distraction and performance busyness, Stulberg offers a path toward something deeper: the disciplined pursuit of mastery, competence, and mattering.”
Brad Stulberg is the bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness and Master of Change. (I will be reading those soon.) He’s also the co-author of The Passion Paradox and Peak Performance. (Check out those Notes.) Plus, he’s the co-host of a podcast called excellence, actually and is on the faculty at the University of Michigan.
He’s also a coach of elite performers and, most importantly is clearly a good human being.
The book is PACKED with Big Ideas. I’m going to start by sharing Brad’s definition of excellence, then take a quick look at the biological, psychological, and philosophical foundations of excellence, then we’ll look at the first 3 (of 16) “Mindsets, Habits, and Practices” we can engage in to live with more excellence. Let’s get to work.
P.S. Another one of my favorite books (by another human being I really admire) that happens to have “excellence” in the title? Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron.
Big Ideas
01: WHAT IS EXCELLENCE?
02: FOUNDATIONS
03: CARE
04: GOALS
05: CONSISTENCY
“It’s not just about the destination but the person you become along the way."BRAD STULBERG |
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