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The Growth Equation

Weekly ideas about living a good, meaningful and high performing life in a chaotic world from Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness. Best selling authors of PEAK PERFORMANCE, DO HARD THINGS, and THE PRACTICE OF GROUNDEDNESS.

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How to Shift What You Think is Possible

Reflect: What We Get Wrong About Balance The best type of "balance" is dynamic, not static. It's the type of balance you find riding a bike. If you're stationary, you won't go anywhere and you'll tip over. But if you're pedaling persistently, you can make micro-adjustments when you notice you've gone too far in one direction, find equilibrium, and move toward your destination, all the while enjoying the ride. From time to time, you may feel a bit out of whack. This happens to all high...

Welcome to my monthly Science Digest.This month we're going deep on what allows for teams to work well together, the fascinating science of altering your perspective, how focus alters our ability to take actions, and much more. As always, these monthly digest pull from the most interesting research I've come across and are designed to keep you informed, and provide some actionable insight. -Steve If you haven't checked out my latest book WIN THE INSIDE GAME, it's 20% off for 4th of July! Grab...

What is excellence, actually? The number one piece of feedback we love to hear is how our material is a breath of fresh air amidst all the noise of hustle-and-grind culture and performative B.S. that's out there. Wake up at 4:00 AM. Stare at the sun. Sprint until you can’t. Develop and stick to the perfect five-hour morning routine. Only eat meat. Drink raw milk. At best, it’s exhausting; at worst, it’s harmful. Our goal is to be the antidote. To give you big ideas, practical advice, and...

Reflect: The Struggle is Real Want to get better at anything? You’re going to have to struggle.Not in the social media "never stop grinding" kind of way. But in experiencing productive discomfort.Whether it's Workouts that embarrass your body just enough to send the signal that it must adapt and get better for next time. Or Wrestling with a problem long enough to convince your mind that this is important, that we need to dedicate resources to learning it. Progress often starts with a touch of...

Welcome to my monthly Science Digest.This month we're going deep on self-control, expectations, and training. We'll start with the most fascinating study of the bunch...where a group of researchers gave participants magic mushrooms and observed them for hours at a party...Except it was a placebo, not a real psychadelic. Did they act different? Read on to see. As always, these monthly digest pull from the most interesting research I've come across and are designed to keep you informed, and...

Reflect: Know when to push...and step back. Peak performance isn’t about doing more. It's not about the endless grind. It's about self-awareness. It’s about knowing when to do more... and equally important, when to do less. Great performers periodize their effort. They build in time to refuel, allowing stress and challenge to turn into growth. You Don't Have to Feel Great to Perform Great (Read this on the Growth EQ website here.) “I said to myself: what the hell am I doing here... I just...

Reflect: Persistence Vs. Compulsion There’s a difference between persistence and compulsion. The former is driven by a will towards progress, while the latter is driven by insecurity. For most of us, there is always going to be a bit of both. But we need to recognize when insecurity becomes dominant and do everything we can to keep it from being at the wheel. A Shining Example of True Greatness (Read this on the Growth EQ website here.) We often write about actual greatness versus pseudo...

VIEW ON WEBSITE May 15, 2025 The Power of Having Your Own Back In this issue Reflect: Character Development Original Feature: The Power of Having Your Own Back Listen: The Skill of Being Disciplined Other Good Things: The Wrong Way to Motivate Your Kids Reflect: Character Development You don't become what you think. You become what you do. For all the talk of the power of positive thinking or manifesting the life we want, our actions make the difference. It’s easy to think about the thing....

False Promises of The Manosphere: A Crisis of Mattering and Status Read on TheGrowthEq.com Reflect: Motivation Isn't Magic Motivation will inevitably wane—it happens to the best of us. If you expect to be motivated all the time, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Ride the wave of motivation. Don't fret if it's not there. It'll come back. Keep showing up. Stick to your process. Look for inspiration in the right places. Read: A Crisis of Mattering and Status (Read this on the...

Welcome to my monthly Science Digest.This month we're talking about resilience and performance. We'll talk about how to harness controlled aggression, the power of a team around you, and even how sleep impacts our ability to be tough. As always, these monthly digest pull from the most interesting research I've come across and are designed to keep you informed, and provide some actionable insight. And... My new book, Win the Inside Game, just got massively discounted! It's 25% off! Save $9! I...