We all know we need to take breaks to allow ourselves to rest and recover, both physically and cognitively. But it can be especially hard to do when we feel like we need to keep pushing. So today, we're tackling that problem: What would it look like to design our days around sustainable rhythms rather than maximum output—and how do we do this while still meeting real-world demands? We talk about how to deal with the anxiety and guilty that can come with taking a break (and feeling behind); give you effective strategies to take both micro/daily breaks and macro/seasonal breaks; and talk about ways to think about building rest and recovery into a long-term path to sustainable success.

**ANNOUNCEMENT**: Next week, the podcast will be relaunched as "Excellence, Actually." Subscribe now so that the show still shows up in your feed. If you search for the show, make sure you search "Excellence, Actually."

Link to read an unedited transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IhnkVxNQuL8u_cDf3VVT_KEVQlaiAl5z9yqI3sw4qZ8/edit?usp=sharing

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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How do you know when to persevere through a rough patch—and when to give up entirely? And if you do decide to push through, what are the most effective tools to bolster your resilience and get you through to the other side? That's what we're breaking down on today's episode. We'll help you recognize when to continue striving despite setbacks and when it's wiser to avoid the sunk cost fallacy, stop, and pivot. Plus: we'll get into what we get wrong about quitting in today's world more generally. Then, we'll walk you through tips and strategies to build your grit: when to zoom in vs. zoom out, how take the next play mentality, and where you can employ frameworks like "strategic laziness" or H-A-L-T.

Link to an unedited transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TD8pyDn4rYq9I6-PyxlmJpkeOgGTtaUZVA7BUP-sJEI/edit?usp=sharing

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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Exercise isn't just a way to better yourself physically. In fact, through our years of running, competing, and working out, we've found some of exercise's greatest gifts to be the lessons it teaches us about ourselves and about life. Here we are sharing nine of our favorites that you'll find useful whether you exercise or not: how to stay patient, how to relax when things get hard, how to create some space between you and your thoughts, how to take the long view, how to be curious, how to stay out of the way when things are going well, and more.

Unedited transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DJZGaakGcLkHxt_laQBHEuyCkjGTlo1npCbhIlYEe7g/edit?usp=sharing

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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David Ricks first competed in a powerlifting competition in 1981, when he was 21 years old. At 66, he is still competing. Along the way, he's won 13 world championships, 32 national championships, and 71 world records. You might say he knows a thing or two about mastery, excellence, and sustaining both over a long period of time. Today, he shares his training routines, the importance of setting reasonable goals, and how he balances life, work, and lifting. Ricks emphasizes the necessity of listening to one's body, maintaining a healthy attachment to the sport, and adhering to disciplined yet flexible plans.

Link to an unedited transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lKSppNA2f74MKzHtgfRujsE6oxy0arjQ2ULE0SnoBIQ/edit?usp=sharing

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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By some estimates, the voice in your head can spew up to 4000 words per minute, making it all the more important that we learn how to live with it. This can be especially hard when it's loud and critical, which (maybe you've noticed) it has a tendency to be at some of the most inopportune times: right before an important event. Today we discuss strategies for turning your inner critic into an inner coach before, during, and after a key performance. We discuss the neuroscience behind self-talk, its impact on your overall health and well-being, practices to reframe negative thoughts and to productively deal with failure, and the effect of the internet and cultural environment on our inner voices.

Books cited during this episode: "Chatter" by Ethan Kross

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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Why are some people disciplined and others aren’t? It’s not because of an innate character trait, but because disciplined people have simply trained the skill of being disciplined. Today we break down how to do that by discussing how motivation and inspiration can (and often do) get in the way of discipline, the power of routines and constraints, strategies to embrace the discomfort of just getting started, the difference between positive and negative freedom, and the role that identity plays in discipline. Plus: dealing with the dread that comes from that one item on your to-do list that you can't ever get around to—and how to finally get around to doing it!

Unedited transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qkMtWyUf5j3lSQiQ2baOyUPXfUyQGIg8oSSda_tVFas/edit?usp=sharing

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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This is the second of two episodes we're devoting to the topic of masculinity. Last week, in part one, we spoke with Richard Reeves about how changing ideas of what it means to be a man have left many men feeling adrift. Today, Brad, Steve, and Clay discuss that episode, reflect on some clips from a few other voices who've thought deeply about this issue, and open a conversation about potential solutions or ways forward. They talk about why the masculinity crisis is really a crisis of meaning, mattering, and mastery; highlight problems with the concept of the "alpha" male, particularly as its portrayed online; discuss pathways to meaningful socialization and personal growth; and propose expanding opportunities for genuine human connections as essential to counteracting the destabilizing effects of screens and the internet. Together, we can chart a better path forward for us all.

Check out "The Crisis of Masculinity, and Why It Matters For All of Us (Part 1)" here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/116-the-masculinity-crisis-and-why-it-matters-for-all/id1505257676?i=1000705663607

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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Over the next two weeks, we're going to be exploring the topic of masculinity—more specifically, how changing ideas of what it means to be a man have left many men feeling adrift, and what a path to a more positive masculinity might look like, particularly amid a backdrop of hyper-productivity, optimization, and toxic influences like Andrew Tate. Today's show features an interview with Richard Reeves, author of "Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It," who is one of culture's leading thinkers on these issues. Together, we explore one of our time's most pressing questions: How do we make better men without hindering societal progress and gender equality?

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

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You've got questions, we've got answers. Today, we dive into listener emails and voicemails to answer some of your questions.

1) Can you give me a minimalist daily health checklist?

2) How do I tell the difference between a rut and burnout?

3) What do "good" breaks actually look like? 

4) How do I stay committed to long-term goals when short-term stuff always gets in the way?

If you have a questions for us, send an email to [email protected] or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter: https://thegrowtheq.com/newsletters/geq/

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In the world of sport and performance, a lot is made of executing under pressure. "Don't choke," we often say. However, what is perhaps more impressive (not to mention realistic) is being able to bounce back from choking. (In some ways, this is what Rory McIlroy displayed in his Masters victory this past weekend, winning in a one-hole playoff after a couple of big misses—and, to be fair, many more great makes—on the back nine.) Resilience isn't about never crumbling under pressure, but about building yourself back up before falling into a complete spiral or meltdown. So today we offer strategies to help rebound from mistakes, discuss the physiological and psychological dynamics of choking, highlight stress inoculation practices for performance training, share "reset and refocus" rituals, and explain ways to reframe success internally.

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If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!

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