How To Cultivate Excellence in a Chaotic World with Brad Stulberg

The One You Feed | Personal Growth, Emotional Resilience & Purpose

Eric Zimmer, The One You Feed

Buddhism, Mental Health, Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Religion & Spirituality

4.5 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2026

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Falling off a goal is normal. Knowing how to get back on track—without shame or drama—is the real skill. I’m hosting a free 60-minute live workshop on Tuesday, January 27 at 7pm ET to teach a simple framework for getting unstuck. Register now for ⁠⁠Falling Off is Part of It: The Framework for Getting Back on Track (Without the Drama)⁠⁠! In this episode, Brad Stulberg explores how to cultivate excellence in a chaotic world. He explains how excellence is a lifelong practice rooted in daily effort, presence, and values, not a final achievement. Brad also discusses the importance of process over outcome, balancing ambition with self-kindness, and finding meaning through consistent, value-driven actions. The conversation also covers overcoming burnout, the illusion of perfect balance, and how to live intentionally in a chaotic world, offering practical advice for cultivating fulfillment and true greatness in everyday life. Exciting News!!! Coming in March, 2026, my new book, ⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life is now available for pre-orders!⁠⁠ Key Takeaways: The concept of excellence as a continuous practice rather than a fixed destination. The transformative nature of pursuing goals and its impact on character and personal growth. The importance of a process mindset, focusing on daily efforts and consistency. The metaphor of "feeding the good wolf" to emphasize nurturing positive qualities. The balance between striving for outcomes and being present in the process. The significance of measuring effort over outcomes for sustained progress. The idea of "raising the floor" to improve performance on average days. The role of care and commitment in achieving excellence. The distinction between meaningful engagement and the pitfalls of comfort and convenience. The necessity of intentional living and effort in a chaotic, technology-driven world. For full show notes: ⁠click here⁠! If you enjoyed this conversation with Brad Stulberg, check out these other episodes: The Practice of Groundedness with Brad Stulberg Mindfulness and Understanding Identity with Cory Allen By purchasing products and/or services from our sponsors, you are helping to support The One You Feed and we greatly appreciate it. Thank you! This episode is sponsored by: Hungry Root: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to www.hungryroot.com/feed and use promo code: FEED. IQ Bar: Text FEED to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, including the ultimate sampler pack, plus FREE shipping. (Message and data rates may apply). Check out ⁠Mountains to Cross ⁠by Dr. Abraham George. It’s the story of how a life built on success was redirected toward compassion, and how that choice led to the founding of Shanti Bhavan, a school helping children break free from generational poverty. Find it wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Eric. Quick question. Did you set a goal in January that's already gone quiet?
0:05.8	Or have you fallen off a goal even before that and haven't been able to restart? If so, you're not alone.
0:11.8	Here's what I've learned after three decades of studying how people change. Everyone falls off.
0:17.7	The difference between people who succeed and people who stay stuck isn't discipline.
0:22.8	It's knowing how to get back on track without turning it into a crisis. That's a skill.
0:29.1	And most of us were never taught it. So I'm hosting a free live workshop on Tuesday, January 27th,
0:35.2	at 7 p.m. Eastern. It's called Falling Off is part of it, how to get back on
0:40.1	track. And I'm going to teach you the exact framework I use for getting unstuck without all the
0:46.1	shame and drama your brain wants to add. Whether you're off track right now or you just want to be
0:52.1	ready for when it happens, it will this workshop will show
0:56.1	you a different way it's 60 minutes it's free and it might change how you think about setbacks for good
1:02.4	register at one you feed dot net slash restart that's one you feed dot net slash restart see you there
1:10.1	we're often focused on the goal that we are trying
1:14.3	to achieve and all the things that we're going to have to do to achieve that goal. So maybe it is to
1:18.6	finish a marathon or if you're a woodworker to build a table or if you're an artist to compose a piece
1:23.6	of music. But what we don't realize is that in the process of pursuing those goals,
1:28.6	we're not only shaping the outcome, but we're shaping ourselves. We're shaping our character.
1:37.2	Welcome to the one you feed. Throughout time, great thinkers have recognized the importance of the
1:46.8	thoughts we have. Quotes like, garbage in, garbage out, or you are what you think, ring true.
1:53.7	And yet, for many of us, our thoughts don't strengthen or empower us. We tend toward negativity,
1:59.7	self-pity, jealousy, or fear. We see what we don't have
2:03.9	instead of what we do. We think things that hold us back and dampen our spirit. But it's not just
	...

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