9 Distractions Quietly Keeping You From Health, Happiness, & A Heart on Fire

What's really standing between you and the life you know is possible? In this deep-dive supercut, we unpack nine distractions that quietly pull us off course — from the supplement trap and toxic digital algorithms to the four idols, self-doubt, and comfort seeking. Discover why these distractions aren't random, and how recognizing them is the first step to breaking free.These nine distractions move from the outside in — starting with what we consume and who we surround ourselves with, then moving to the belief systems and psychological traps that keep us stuck, and finally to the existential fears that hold us back from a life on fire. Learn how to stop doing health, happiness, and purpose — and start actually being it.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your child's confidence takes less than five minutes a day? In this short episode, we revisit a conversation with mindset coach Mark England that sparked something big — the idea of a wins journal — and we explore how one simple question before bed can reshape the story your kids tell themselves about who they are.We dive into why most of us have a black belt in dismissing our own accomplishments and how that pattern gets passed down to our children. Learn how replacing "what went wrong today" with "what went right today" connects to the Awareness → Intention → Action framework, and hear a full reading of Patrick's new children's book What's a Win I Won Today? — written to give families a way into the conversations that actually matter.📗 Grab the book!❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you unknowingly losing your edge — not in one dramatic moment, but through a thousand small, quiet compromises? In this episode, we diagnose the 10 forces of modern life that pull us toward what we call "the pool of dysfunction" — and, more importantly, we explore the countermeasures to swim against the current. Discover why drift is the true villain in the pursuit of health, happiness, and hearts on fire.From comfort everywhere and infinite digital distraction to food engineered for addiction and the erosion of awareness, we break down exactly where drift shows up and what to do about it. Learn how Thomas Aquinas's four idols and the concept of entropy frame the battle, why anything under zero compounds just as powerfully as anything above it, and how choosing useful discomfort is the first step back toward intention and action.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most of us were raised with only two options for dealing with difficult emotions: act them out or stuff them down. In this conversation with Margaret Cullen, author of Quiet Strength, we explore a powerful third door — equanimity — and learn how to fully feel our emotions without being hijacked by them.Discover why equanimity isn't about dulling your feelings — it's about deepening them while staying free. We dig into practical cognitive hacks for breaking the cycle of reactivity, the 90-second rule that can transform how you respond to life's hardest moments, and how creating the right conditions can let calm arise naturally rather than being forced. Learn to widen your window of tolerance and connect with reality as it actually is.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the secret to lasting fulfillment isn't adding more to your life, but letting go of your attachment to the things you're chasing? In this conversation with NOBULL co-founder Marcus Wilson, we explore the reverse bucket list — a powerful framework for breaking free from the endless cycle of wanting more so you can actually enjoy what you already have.Inspired by Arthur Brooks and Simon Sinek, we dig into why checking off every goal on your list can still leave you feeling empty, and how true satisfaction comes from wanting less — not having more. Discover how to raise expectations for yourself while releasing expectations for the world around you, stay present instead of performing your life for others, and build the warrior mindset that keeps you calm and connected no matter what comes your way.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can technology finally fix our nutrition struggles — or is it just adding more noise? We dive into why calorie trackers, wearables, and AI-powered diet tools consistently miss the mark, and discover the surprisingly simple, old-school method that actually gives you accurate, personalized results without any of them.In two powerful conversations with EC Synkowski, we explore why the friction of weighing and measuring your food isn't a bug — it's the feature that builds real awareness and lasting change. Learn why the path to dietary freedom runs straight through the inconvenience most of us are trying to avoid, and how your own weight trend is a more reliable guide than any app or algorithm.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here📕 Grab What's a Win I Won Today?❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the biggest barrier to your fitness isn't a lack of willpower — it's a set of hidden biases working against you? In this conversation with sports medicine physician Jordan Metzl, we uncover the science of motivation and why people who rarely miss a workout aren't more disciplined — they've just learned to lower their cost to act. Discover the knowledge-belief-emotion framework that transforms "I should" into "I'm doing this" and finally into "I'm crushing this."We explore why laziness is a myth, how curiosity is the most underrated motivational tool, and why science shows that roughly 60% of your health is determined not by your genes — but by the choices you make every day. Whether you're a coach trying to keep clients coming back or someone looking to reignite your own fire, this episode is your blueprint for building motivation that sustains itself.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ever wonder why your perfectly planned 15-step morning routine keeps falling apart, or why that expert advice feels like it's missing the mark? In this episode, we explore seven powerful universal laws — from Gall's Law to Hanlon's Razor — that reveal the hidden patterns shaping our decisions, our confidence, and our capacity to grow.We break down why simplicity always beats complexity, how your greatest strengths can quietly become blind spots, and why the happiest people aren't surrounded by better humans — they just make more generous interpretations. Through the lens of awareness, intention, and action, discover how recognizing these laws can lower unnecessary stress and help you show up with more clarity in every area of your life.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you ready to stop making excuses and start taking ownership of your life? We explore 10 hard truths that separate those chasing excellence from those stuck in blame—uncovering why we complain, defend our egos, and chase things that will never make us happy.We unpack the frameworks that reshape how you approach your relationships, priorities, and growth: learning to focus on changing yourself instead of others, recognizing the stories you tell yourself that aren't true, getting honest about what you truly value, and understanding why defensiveness kills progress. These principles guide you toward living with clarity, calm, and alignment with your highest potential—the core work of living a meaningful life.👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What drives the most successful people to their greatest achievements—and sometimes their darkest moments?Alongside writer and philosopher Rebecca Goldstein, we explore the mattering instinct - the fundamental human need to justify why we deserve attention in our own eyes - and discover how identifying your mattering project transforms this universal longing into a meaningful life path.We unpack why this one psychological force is responsible for both our greatest accomplishments and our most destructive ideologies.We uncover the mattering map’s four core strategies—heroic strivers who pursue excellence, socializers who find meaning through connection, competitors driven by zero-sum thinking, and transcendents grounded in spiritual purpose—and learn how recognizing which strategy aligns with your temperament reveals where you’ve been chasing unfulfilling projects. 👉 Get the full Listener's Guide here❤️ Free Newsletter & the Chase Club🏁 New to Chasing Excellence? Start here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.