Beautiful Suffering: How Elite Athletes Find Joy in the Grind

How do you have fun while working really hard? For many elite athletes, figuring out how to balance joy and suffering is the key to a long and successful career. Today, we explore how they do it — and how you can, too. We dig into the psychology of "beautiful suffering," explain why joy is connected to agency, the important difference between authoritarian and authoritative coaching, and the steps you can take to shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation, which is the ultimate competitive advantage.Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay Click here for an AI-generated transcript- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, for our monthly round-up, each of us shares a reflection from February: Brad explains what his chaotic book launch taught him about achievement, fulfillment, responding not reacting, and putting into practice other lessons we discuss regularly; Steve discusses using A.I. to help him do his work, and whether it can ever produce something truly great; and Clay shares a tool that has helped him keep things moving on big projects even when the roadmap isn't super clear. It's a new format with the same great insights.Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay Click here for an AI-generated transcript- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy- 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Olympics are the ultimate laboratory for human performance. So today we're diving into some our favorite moments from the 2026 edition—and the lessons we can take from them. Between the bizarre "penis-gate" ski jumping scandal, Lindsey Vonn's downhill ski, and Ilia "Quad God" Malinin's ice skating performance, there are tough questions to tackle: When does dedication cross into dangerous territory? How does an athlete handle Olympic pressure — or recover from failure on the world stage? And what can we all learn for our own pursuit from these elite athletes?Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay Click here for an AI-generated transcript- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter- Join The Growth Equation Academy - 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're going to go ahead and say that today's episode is more densely packed with wisdom than any episode we've ever released. We are joined by Great Britain's Olympic ice dancer Lilah Fear (@thelilahjoshow), who, along with her partner Lewis Gibson, is currently competing in the Olympic games. You don't need to know anything about the sport to appreciate just how dialed-in Lilah's mental fitness is; nor do you need to be an elite athlete (or any kind of athlete) to find use in the strategies she talks about today: how she manages pre-performance nerves, takes feedback, turns every setback into a challenge, stays present, gets back to work after victory or defeat, and so much more. It's a masterclass on (unsurprisingly) Olympic-level resilience delivered straight to you from one of the world's best.Connect with Lilah on Instagram: @thelilahjoshowSubscribe to The Growth Equation newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going to go ahead and say that today's episode is more densely packed with wisdom than any episode we've ever released. We are joined by Great Britain's Olympic ice dancer Lilah Fear (@thelilahjoshow), who, along with her partner Lewis Gibson, is currently competing in the Olympic games. You don't need to know anything about the sport to appreciate just how dialed-in Lilah's mental fitness is; nor do you need to be an elite athlete (or any kind of athlete) to find use in the strategies she talks about today: how she manages pre-performance nerves, takes feedback, turns every setback into a challenge, stays present, gets back to work after victory or defeat, and so much more. It's a masterclass on (unsurprisingly) Olympic-level resilience delivered straight to you from one of the world's best.Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay Connect with Lilah on Instagram: @thelilahjoshowSubscribe to The Growth Equation newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why do so many people sacrifice their values to make it to the top? People in business who commit fraud; writers who plagiarize; athletes who dope — the list goes on and on. At the core of understanding why is a question that is useful for all of us to ask: How do we pursue excellence without losing ourselves along the way? In today's episode, we unpack the dangerous dynamics of optimization culture, where the drive for growth, status, and money can overtake basic integrity. We explore why the health and wellness industry is uniquely set up to exploit our deepest fears about performance and mortality, how people rationalize crossing ethical lines (from doping athletes to supplement-shilling influencers), why having the right people around you isn't just nice but essential, and why righteousness and purity often get in the way of decency.Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcriptSubscribe to The Growth Equation newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTubeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This past weekend, when Alex Honnold climbed Taipei 101's 1,667-foot tower without ropes, he wasn't thinking his way up; he was doing what elite performers across disciplines—from musicians to surgeons to mathematicians—do when they're operating at their peak: feeling their way forward. In this episode, Clay and Brad unpack two related concepts from psychology: situated cognition (thinking with your body rather than your mind) and positive felt sense (the bodily sensation that something is right before your brain can articulate why). You'll learn how to use them, as well as develop an understanding of the the fours phases of competence, get practical tactics for developing your own feel and intuition, learn why thinking can get in the way of optimal performance, and come to appreciate how the concept of "wu wei" can counteract the tendency to control or tense up. Whether you're an athlete, artist, or professional, this conversation reveals how to move from effortful thinking to effortless flow—and why that journey matters for all of us trying to know ourselves better.Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcriptSubscribe to The Growth Equation newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsYouTubeHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Clay interviews Brad about his new book, The Way of Excellence, which releases January 27th and is a culmination of 15 years of research, reporting, and coaching on what it means to live a truly excellent life. Brad shares the remarkable story of how his book landed a blurb from Steve Kerr, how this idea originated on a trip to the Himalayas almost two decades ago, and breaks down the biological, psychological, and philosophical foundations of excellence, as well as the mindsets that will allow you to practice it. Featuring insights from world-class performers—including chess grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Olympic bobsledder Kaillie Humphries, and master furniture maker Peter Korn—this conversation reveals how excellence isn't about perfection, but about pouring your all into what matters while accepting the heartbreak that comes with caring deeply. Whether you're an athlete, artist, parent, or professional, this episode offers a roadmap for reclaiming excellence in your own life—one focused day at a time.CLICK HERE TO ORDER Brad's new book, "The Way of Excellence," which Steve Kerr, nine-time NBA Champion, is calling "an absolutely beautiful book"AMAZON LINKClick here for an AI-generated, unedited transcriptSubscribe to The Growth Equation newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 Android PocketCasts YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Routines are powerful tools for peak performance—until they become the performance itself. In this episode, we explain the important difference between routines that serve you and routines you serve. You'll learn why elite athletes keep their warmups simple, how to avoid turning routines into superstitions, the "training wheels" theory of routines, Brad's 3-3-3 daily, weekly, and monthly practice system that he uses in place of routine, how to bulletproof your routine by developing multiple pathways to the same mental state, and what to do when your routine falls apart (hint: it's a learning opportunity, not a catastrophe). Whether you're an athlete preparing for competition, a creative trying to do deep work, or just someone drowning in productivity advice, this episode will help you build routines that actually work—and know when to let them go.Click here for an AI-generated, unedited transcriptClick 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 newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 Android PocketCasts YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

91% of New Year’s Resolutions fail. That’s because behavior change is really hard. Which means that the only real way to make new habits stick is to build them in the right way. Today, we’re giving you a few ideas on how to do just that, exploring why values-driven goals beat outcome-based ones, how to design your environment for success rather than relying on motivation or willpower, and why starting small (really small) is the secret key to radical reinvention. We’ll talk using your phone less, moving more, and allowing yourself to keep procrastinating (sometimes).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 newsletterJoin The Growth Equation Academy 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 Android PocketCasts YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.