This week, we use the L.A. Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s gutsy back-to-back World Series appearances in Game 6 and 7 to discuss what we’re calling the optimization (or protocol) trap. This is when you become so tethered to a specific routine or “optimal zone” of performance that you become fragile. You trade self-efficacy for hyper-control or neuroticism. There are plenty of times when you have to perform and you’re not at your best, or the external conditions aren’t ideal. Being able to send it anyway—much like Yamamoto did in Game 7—is the sign of a truly elite performer. So today’s episode is all about training and building anti-fragility. We discuss how to differentiate between wisdom and fear when you hear the voice telling you to pull back; how to use “safe-to-fail” experiments to train self-efficacy; how to distinguish between faith-based confidence and delusion; and how to build routines that are flexible rather than rigid.

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If you have a question for us, send an email to clay.growtheq@gmail.com or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

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In anticipation of the New York City Marathon this weekend, we (well, okay, mostly Steve) discuss the ins and outs of how to have your best race, building you a complete toolkit to help you get through 26.2 miles. BUT! It’s not just for runners. As the legendary marathoner Eliud Kipchoge once said, “Marathon is life, and life is marathon.” So we're explaining how each of the tools you can use for the marathon—and the lessons we’ve learned from running them—apply to life. This is about expectations, handling nerves, goal-setting, doing hard things when they get hard, working through difficulty, managing disappointment, learning how to surrender, letting go and much, much more—in running and in life.

Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcript

If you have a question for us, send an email to clay.growtheq@gmail.com or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

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

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a long time, it was assumed that fatigue was a muscular phenomenon. It was thought be a set point and once you hit it, you couldn't go any further—like running into a wall. However, more recent research has showed that it's actually much more of mental phenomenon. Our brain shuts us down before our body does, in order to protect us from injury, exhaustion, or even death. (See: Tim Noakes's central governor theory and Samuele Marcora's model of fatigue, both of which we discuss in today's episode.) This presents us with an interesting conundrum: We have to get to know our fatigue extremely well, so that we know how to navigate all the signals it's sending us. Knowing when to ignore your brain's warning signs, and when to heed them, has far-ranging consequences for everything from endurance sports to creative work. So today we're teaching you the steps to help you learn how to dance with your fatigue.

Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcript

If you have a question for us, send an email to clay.growtheq@gmail.com or call our voicemail at ‪(646) 893-9503‬.

Click to pre-order Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"

Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter

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

• iTunes and Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
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• PocketCasts
• YouTube

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.