Brad Stulberg has a list of accomplishments that would make most authors drip with envy.

Hundreds of thousands of books sold. A regular column in Outside Magazine. Contributions to publications like The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Wired. A blue checkmark on Twitter and tens of thousands of followers.

A lot of Brad’s message is about avoiding the trappings of chasing external validation – yet, he remains acutely aware of the necessity of playing the status game in order to create the opportunity to do the work that he loves and spread the message that he cares about.

Check out the full episode with Brad to learn:

  • How to chase lofty goals without burning out
  • How to properly balance chasing status with focusing on “doing the work” and internal rewards
  • How to mitigate the damage of burning the candle at both ends when it’s necessary to work at unsustainable levels

Check out the episode at the links below. If you enjoyed the episode, the best way to support the show is to share with your friends, so send them a link.

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Check out more from Brad and The Growth Equation here:

Show Notes:

  • [01:05] What’s the deal with burnout? Is this a millennial thing or what?
  • [06:13] What are the costs of the performative culture of social media? What are the differences between online environments that encourage performative behavior and “real life” environments that encourage performative behavior? Is this type of performing a net positive for certain personality types?
  • [16:00] When are external signals of your social status the actual limiting factor in achieving your goals? And, why are humans wired to endlessly strive for “more” and “better” rather than being content?
  • [24:41] Most people understand that they should “focus on the process,” but having an environment in which you can focus on the process is often dependent on achieving some level of external success.
  • [29:10] The marketplace of ideas related to performance and self-development is full of opinions that aren’t actually helpful for people because extreme views sell. How do you get attention for your ideas in a noisy marketplace without becoming the thing you hate in order to get attention?
  • [42:00] How do you decide when it’s appropriate to burn the candle at both ends working or to “see God” in a workout? And, when it’s time to go to extremes, how do you minimize the long-term consequences to yourself?
  • [51:15] More about The Growth Equation and Brad and Steve’s weekly newsletter and podcast.

Links and Resources Mentioned