Mental Toughness
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Antifragile 101
How to use everything to fuel your heroic growth
You can be fragile, robust or antifragile. Do you break when you get hit by life? Or are you kinda resilient? Or… Are you antifragile—do you actually get STRONGER the more life kicks you around?! Learn how to get comfortable being uncomfortable as you step into your infinite potential and use *everything* to fuel your heroic growth.
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101 Classes
Confidence 101
How to create indestructible trust in yourself
Confidence. The word comes from the Latin con + fidere and means “with intense trust.” To have intense trust in what? In YOURSELF. *That* is true confidence–having total trust in yourself knowing you can handle whatever life throws at you. Helping you create that kind of indestructible trust in yourself is what this class is all about.
Philosopher's Notes
The Confident Mind
A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance
I got this book while I was reading Alden Mills’s great book, Unstoppable Mindset. Alden referenced Dr. Zinsser and wisdom from this book a bunch of times so, midway through reading his book, I Amazoned this one. Thanks to the miracle that is our modern world, the book arrived the following evening. I started it the next morning and finished it that day. It’s FANTASTIC. I think it’s now at least tied for first as THE best mental toughness book I’ve ever read.
Philosopher's Notes
How Champions Think
In Sports and in Life
by Bob Rotella
Dr. Bob Rotella is widely recognized as the world’s leading sports psychologist. He’s coached everyone from basketball stars like LeBron James to rock stars like Seal. The golfers he’s coached (including greats like Rory McIlroy) have won an astonishing 80+ major championships. Want to know how champions think in both sports AND life? Well, here you go. Big Ideas we explore include the importance of going for "exceptionalism" (by definition, to be great/a champion you need to be an "exception" to the norm so...), a message from God (key takeaway: focus on the process, results are all good), train it and trust it, enthusiasm (it's the catalyst of champions), how to create your own reality (hint: don't do what average people do), and how to win the ultimate game of life.
Philosopher's Notes
Unbeatable Mind
Forge Resiliency and Mental Toughness to Succeed at an Elite Level
by Mark Divine
I'm convinced Mark Divine is a superhero. Seriously. And in Unbeatable Mind, the former Navy SEAL gives us the handbook on mental toughness. In the Note, we'll look at the keys to cultivating our confidence, the importance of cultivating our concentration, learning how to control our breathing and other goodness that will make you unbeatable.
Philosopher's Notes
The Champion's Mind
How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive
by Jim Afremow
Jim Afremow is one of the world’s leading sports psychologists and this great book is packed with Big Ideas. We explore: the vision of a champion (and how to fuel it), what mental toughness *really* is, how/why to be ugly but effective, how to evaluate yourself (3 q’s: good + better + best), and creating sustained obsession as you take the champion’s honor pledge.
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Make Your Bed
Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World
Admiral William H. McRaven is a Retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served for thirty-seven years and commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. (During this time, he oversaw the covert mission that killed Osama bin Laden.) In 2014, he gave the commencement address to the graduates of the University of Texas at Austin. Millions of people wound up watching his speech on ten lessons he learned from his Navy SEAL training. This book takes a deeper look at those ten lessons. It’s a super-quick read—packed with simple, yet profound wisdom along with moving stories of moral exemplars. It's FANTASTIC.
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Lessons for Living
What Only Adversity Can Teach You
by Phil Stutz
I consider Phil Stutz my spiritual father and feel blessed to have had nearly 450 1-on-1 coaching sessions with him over the last seven years.
My collection of notes from those discussions is, by far, my most prized and valuable possession.
As I was reading this book, I was struck by the fact that this might be as close as anyone who hasn’t worked with Phil directly will get to working 1-on-1 with him.
As you’d expect, this book is packed with Big Ideas on how to embrace, as per the sub-title of the book, “What Only Adversity Can Teach You.”If you’re a fan of Phil, I think you will absolutely LOVE the book.Let’s jump in!
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The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery
A Story About Mastering The Mental Game And Winning In Life
by Brian Cain
Brian Cain is one of the world’s greatest mental toughness coaches whose client list includes four Major League Baseball Cy Young Award winners, eight UFC world champion mixed martial artists, World Series and Super Bowl Champions and MVPs, Olympic medalists, and countless other elite athletes and coaches. In this book, we'll walk through Brian Cain's 10 Pillars of Mental Performance Mastery so that we can use them to DOMINATE THE DAY and give the world all we've got.
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Extreme Ownership
How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin were two of the most senior (and decorated) SEALS on the ground in the most intense battles of Iraq. In this book they share their leadership lessons on how U.S. Navy SEALs lead and win. It’s an intense, impactful read. Big Ideas we explore include a definition of Extreme Ownership, the fact that there are no bad teams, only bad leaders, how to prioritize and execute and remembering that discipline = freedom.
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Can’t Hurt Me
Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
David Goggins is a former Navy SEAL (and Army Ranger) who used to hold a Guinness World Record for completing 4,030 pull-ups in 17 hours. These days he’s setting records as an ultra-endurance athlete. But he wasn’t always Mr. Superhero. In this great autobiographical self-help book, David walks us through his transformation from being a 297-pound exterminator to a “Who IS this guy?!” superhero. If you’re into SUPER (!!!) intense demonstrations of how to conquer ourselves to do the seemingly impossible (and don’t mind a stream of f-bombs—lol) then I think you’ll love this book as much as I did. Big Ideas we explore include: The Accountability Mirror, bringing your best (when you feel the worst), hero callouses (let failures toughen you up!), the process (how to go from running 1/4 of a mile to 200+ nonstop), and bursting from the inside out (learn to endure!).
Philosopher's Notes
The Hero Code
Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived
This is the third Note we’ve created on Admiral William H. McRaven’s great books. We started with Make Your Bed—a short, brilliant, inspiring manual all about “Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World” that was inspired by McRaven’s commencement address at the University of Texas at Austin that went viral. Then we featured his autobiography called Sea Stories which is all about the wisdom he gained from his nearly four decades in special operations. This is his latest book. Of course, when I saw the title I KNEW I had to read it. And, here we are.
Philosopher's Notes
Sea Stories
My Life in Special Operations
I got this book immediately after finishing Admiral McRaven’s first book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe the World. That one’s a quick-reading little book on the ten lessons McRaven learned in his SEAL training that we can all apply to our modern lives. It was fantastic. I had a strong feeling this memoir on his “Life in Special Operations” would be just as good. It is. As per the back cover, “Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.” McRaven is a brilliant story teller with, as you can imagine, an incredible array of stories to tell. But that’s not why I loved this book so much. I loved it because reading it made me want to be a better human being. If you enjoy autobiographies and appreciate the military heroes who serve our country as much as I do, I think you’ll love the book as much as I did.
Philosopher's Notes
Discipline Equals Freedom
Field Manual
Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL. He was commander of Task Unit Bruiser―the most decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. I really enjoyed Jocko’s first book Extreme Ownership and I knew this one would be good but... I didn’t expect it to be THIS good. The words literally explode off the page. Not just because each micro-chapter was an incredibly inspiring micro-manifesto but because each word was written by a man so clearly living in complete integrity with his deepest values. John Maxwell would say his “moral authority” is extraordinary. I’d say his SOUL FORCE is palpable. If you’re in the mood for a soul-rattling call-to-disciplined action, I think you’ll enjoy the book as much as I did.
Philosopher's Notes
Fearless
The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown
by Eric Blehm
I got this book after my friend, retired Navy SEAL Captain Bob Schoultz, recommended it to me. It’s ASTONISHINGLY good. As per the sub-title, this book is about "The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown." It's a humbling, inspiring story "of an American hero who bravely gave permission in his final written requests to share his journey, from small-town America to gutter to jail to Jesus to war to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team Six.”
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Be Unstoppable
The 8 Essential Actions to Succeed at Anything
by Alden Mills
This is a surprisingly awesome book—a fable about a young captain who spends time with a master and commander who reveals the secret code of rockin’ it. It’s kinda like if a Navy SEAL wrote The Alchemist or The Way of the Peaceful Warrior or The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Big Ideas we cover include: U.P.E.R.S.I.S.T. (the code to being unstoppable), the 2 limitations in life, how to discover your why, how to plan in 3-D, and the magic pill you need to take.
Philosopher's Notes
Staring Down the Wolf
7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams
by Mark Divine
This is our third Note on one of Mark Divine's books. Mark is a retired Navy SEAL Commander. He also has twenty-five years of experience as an entrepreneur. In this book, he draws on his decades of leadership experience to teach us the "7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams." Big Ideas we explore include The Two Wolves (which one are YOU feeding?), the. 7 Commitments (Courage + Trust + Respect + Growth + Excellence + Resiliency + Alignment), Falling Down Seven Times (and getting back up eight), Semper Gumby (Always Flexible!), and Your #1 Fear to Stare Down Next (what's yours?).
Philosopher's Notes
The Way of the SEAL
Think Like an Elite Warrior to Lead and Succeed
by Mark Divine
A former U.S. Navy SEAL Commander, Mark Divine integrates the ancient warrior traditions with grounded, practical virtue and 21st century get-it-done effectiveness in a way that I find incredibly inspiring. Big Ideas we cover include the power of front-sight focus, how to DIRECT your mind, going Yoda on your commitments and creating micro goals when things are tough.
Philosopher's Notes
The Art of Mental Training
A Guide to Performance Excellence
by DC Gonzalez
DC Gonzalez is one of the world's leading peak performance/mental training experts and this quick-reading manifesto on the art of mental training is fantastic. In the Note, we'll take a quick look at why mental training is so important, the critical three (breathing + relaxation + imagineering) and the most important lesson of all.
Philosopher's Notes
Raise Your Game
High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best
Alan Stein is a peak-performance coach who was immersed in the basketball world for fifteen years and now applies that wisdom to the broader game of life. I’m a huge fan of peak performance books, especially those with sports themes so I enjoyed this book. It’s broken down into three parts, capturing the various roles we play in life and work: Part I: Player, Part II: Coach and Part III: Team. Each section features a set of five core virtues we need to master and integrate across each domain. Big Ideas we explore include the importance of Self-Awareness (it's virtue #1!!), two case studies on discipline (featuring Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant), the comparison game (note: you will always (!) lose), the five virtues of being a great Coach, and one more rep (up Hell on the Hill).
Philosopher's Notes
Elite Minds
How Winners Think Differently to Create a Competitive Edge and Maximize Success
Stan Beecham is a sports psychologist who has worked with many of the world’s elite athletes. As per the title of the book, he tells us that it’s their MINDS that make the difference in sustained high levels of performance—creating a competitive edge and maximizing success. Big Ideas we explore include your case of mistaken identity (you're greater than you think), the curse of perfection (remember to play poorly well), the true meaning of the word "compete" (= "to strive WITH" not against) and of the word "contest" (= "to make a promise"!) your ultimate opponent (fear!!) and the ultimate question: To go or not to go (Answer: GO!!!).
Philosopher's Notes
Mind Gym
An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
by Gary Mack
We go to the gym to work out our bodies. But what about our minds? We need a mind gym!! This is one of the top books on mental training. Focused on athletes but we're all athletes in the bigger game of life. In this Note, we'll hit the mind gym hard--learning how to move beyond our perceived limits, manage pressure, build confidence and show up consistently.
Philosopher's Notes
The Psychology of Winning
Ten Qualities of a Total Winner
Denis Waitley's been rockin' the self-development world for several decades now and captures a lot of his wisdom in this popular book. In the Note, we'll explore the importance of taking responsibility for our attitude (echo!), staying on target, maintaining optimism and enthusiasm, concentrating all of our energy on whatever we're doing, and taking the time to plan our ideal lives.
Philosopher's Notes
Coaching the Mental Game
Leadership Philosophies and Strategies for Peak Performance in Sports and Everyday Life
by H.A. Dorfman
Harvey Dorfman was one of the world’s leading mental training experts. Major League Baseball described him as a “pioneering sports psychologist.” He earned World Series rings as the mental skills coach for both the Oakland A’s and Florida Marlins. In this book, he covers the A to Z of mental discipline. Big Ideas we explore include Carpe momentum (seize the task at hand!), the peak performance cycle (approach + results + response), the blind men (and their elephant), and Percussus Resurgo (“Struck down. I rise again!”).
Philosopher's Notes
Living Fearlessly
Bringing Out Your Inner Soul Strength
This is our third Note on one of Yogananda’s books/booklets. This is a tiny little booklet. As the title and sub-title suggest, it’s all about how to live fearlessly by bringing out your inner soul strength. Or, as we’d like to say: How to forge antifragile confidence by high fiving your inner daimon. It’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
To Be Victorious in Life
This is our fourth Note on one of Yogananda’s little books/booklets. As I immerse myself in Yogananda’s wisdom, it’s been fascinating to see the remarkable clarity and consistent coherence of his perspective AND the force with which he communicates it. Yogananda’s SPIRITUALITY is astonishingly PRACTICAL. It’s time to enjoy some of my favorite Big Ideas from this great little booklet. Let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
The Comfort Crisis
Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self
This is our first note on a book by Michael Easter. Michael Easter is an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor at Men’s Health magazine, columnist for Outside magazine, and professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. In this fantastic book, he tells us that we’re facing a COMFORT CRISIS. Want to Reclaim Your “Wild, Happy, Healthy Self”? EMBRACE DISCOMFORT. The book is packed with Big Ideas on how to do exactly that and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
Think Like a Warrior
The Five Inner Beliefs That Make You Unstoppable
This is our first Note on Darrin Donnelly and the first of six books from his "Sports for the Soul" series. We'll be featuring the entire series. This book is a fable about a college football coach going through hard times who is lucky enough to spend time with five of the most legendary sports coaches in history: John Wooden, Buck O’Neil, Herb Brooks, Paul “Bear” Bryant, and Vince Lombardi. Those coaches each share ONE Big Idea to help him navigate his challenges and fulfill his potential. I’m excited to share some of my favorite Big Ideas from this one so let’s jump straight in.
Philosopher's Notes
Old School Grit
Times May Change, But the Rules for Success Never Do
This is our second Note on Darrin Donnelly and the second of six books from his "Sports for the Soul" series. We'll be featuring the entire series. This book is a fable that features an NCAA basketball coach named Coach Flanagan in his 43rd and final season writing letters to his grandchildren about how to develop grit in their lives via fifteen different rules. Coach Flanagan is a blend of John Wooden’s old-fashioned morals, Mike Ditka’s no-nonsense persona, Lou Holtz’s can-do optimism and strict discipline, and Vince Lombardi’s no-excuses, high expectations, never-back-down attitude. In other words, he’s awesome! The book is PACKED with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
Relentless Optimism
How a Commitment to Positive Thinking Changes Everything
This is our third Note on Darrin Donnelly and the third of six books from his "Sports for the Soul" series. We'll be featuring the entire series. In this inspirational fable, we meet “Bobby Kane, a minor league baseball player who, at the age of 31, is coming to terms with the fact that his dream of making it to the majors” might be coming to a disappointing end. Then... He meets a wise manager who helps him develop the relentless optimism that helps him... spoiler alert... make his dreams a reality. Bobby, of course, represents ALL of us who face doubts on our Heroic quests. Now...it's time to chat about some of my favorite Big Ideas so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
Victory Favors the Fearless
How to Defeat the 7 Fears That Hold You Back
This is our fourth Note on Darrin Donnelly and the fourth of six books from his "Sports for the Soul" series. We'll be featuring the entire series. Each of the books in the series features a Hero meeting a Guide. This book features a boxer who’s doubting his decision to try to become a professional fighter. What’s he need to do if he wants a shot at the heavyweight championship? He needs to conquer his fear. More specifically, he needs to conquer the SEVEN fears that are holding him (and all of us!) back from actualizing our potential. Let’s jump in and explore some of my favorite Ideas we can apply to our lives TODAY.
Philosopher's Notes
Life to the Fullest
A Story About Finding Your Purpose and Following Your Heart
This is our fifth Note on Darrin Donnelly and the fifth of six books from his "Sports for the Soul" series. We'll be featuring the entire series. This book is a fable about a high school coach who’s doubting whether he made the right decision to stay in the small town in which he grew up and coach the same football team his father coached for decades. The most important theme: Follow your heart. Trust yourself and your authentic path. Do what YOU are here to do. Do YOUR duty. Play YOUR role as well as you can. THAT is what it means to be truly Heroic. And, that’s what this book is all about. I’m excited to share a few of my favorite Big Ideas so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
The Turnaround
How to Build Life-Changing Confidence
This is our sixth Note on Darrin Donnelly and the final book from his "Sports for the Soul" series. We've featured the entire series. This book features a fourth-string quarterback on the worst college football team in the conference whose life changes the day he meets his new head coach who turns the program around by helping him and his teammates forge unstoppable confidence. It’s awesome. And, as you’d expect, it’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
It’s Just a Thought
Emotional Freedom through Deliberate Thinking
Tom Sterner is one of my favorite writers and thinkers. This is the third Note we’ve created on one of his great books. We started with The Practicing Mind and then featured Fully Engaged. This is a quick reading, 120-page book (that I read in a couple hours before the family got up on Monday morning) all about, as per the sub-title, how to create “Emotional Freedom through Deliberate Thinking.” It’s fantastic. I’m excited to share a handful of my favorite Big Ideas so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
Never Finished
Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within
David Goggins is an inspiring human being. If you don’t mind the f-bombs that go with his unapologetic, iconoclastic (goosebumps) ALL IN commitment to being, as he puts it, THE hardest motherf*cker EVER, then I think you’ll love this book as much as I did. It’s the second one of Goggins’ books we’ve featured. Check out the Notes on Can’t Hurt Me to learn more about his Heroic story and to get more wisdom on how to “Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds.” This book is PACKED with Big Ideas. We’ll barely scratch the surface of everything we could have discussed. Let’s get to work.
Philosopher's Notes
Embrace the Suck
The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life
I got this book (along with a dozen others!) after reading Admiral Manazir’s great book Learn How to Lead to Win. It’s a FANTASTIC, quick-reading, laugh-out-loud funny addition to our growing pantheon of Navy SEAL books. David Goggins wrote the foreword to the book. He and Brent were in the same SEAL class (235) and they both share a fondness for hard-hitting, no-nonsense wisdom delivered with an ample share of f-bombs. As you’d expect, the book is packed with Big Ideas. And, as always, I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
The Mental Game
Winning the War Within Your Mind
This is the seventh book in Darrin Donnelly’s series. We’ve covered all of them so far. As I said in the previous Notes, I basically read the first six books in a single week. They are all AWESOME. In addition to brilliantly integrating ancient wisdom, modern science and practical tools in a grounded yet inspiring way, Donnelly has a gift for weaving that wisdom into a great sports story—which is why I’m such a big fan and highly recommend the books for you and your sports-loving friends and family and colleagues. This book features a professional golfer who is struggling to make it on the PGA Tour. He has the opportunity to spend time with one of the greatest golfers of the era who gives him some life-changing wisdom. It’s FANTASTIC. Super inspiring, quick-reading. Pure gold. Get a copy . As you’d expect, the book is packed with Big Ideas. As always, I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
Beyond Possible
One Man, 14 Peaks, and the Mountaineering Achievement of a Lifetime
by Nims Purja
Nirmal "Nims" Purja is a celebrated Nepali climber who holds a number of mountaineering world records. He served in the British Armed Forces as a Nepalese Gurkha and then as a solider in the Special Boat Service, an elite special forces unit of the Royal Navy. He holds the record for fastest ascent of all 14 mountain peaks that are 8,000+ meters above sea level (as captured in the documentary, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible). This book is packed with Big Ideas and inspiring stories. I'm excited to share a few of my favorites so let's jump straight in!
Philosopher's Notes
Winning
The Unforgiving Race to Greatness
Tim S. Grover is the preeminent authority on the science and art of achieving physical and mental dominance. He has worked with THE most elite basketball players in history. In this book, he shares his fierce wisdom in the context of stories about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as he RELENTLESSLY makes the point that “Winning” (with a capital “W”) is, shall we say, not for the faint of heart. If you’re feeling inspired to feel the INTENSITY of an ALL IN human being, I think you’ll love it. As you’d expect, the book is packed with Big Ideas. Let’s get to work.
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The Hoops Whisperer
On the Court and Inside the Heads of Basketball's Best Players
by Idan Ravin
Who do LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Dwight Howard, James Harden and a ton of other top basketball players go to to get better? Idan Ravin. If you’re into sports + self-development + the pursuit of being the best you can possibly be, I think you’ll *love* the book. Big Ideas include getting paid to do what you love, greatness, obstacles and exiting the cave.
Philosopher's Notes
Toughness Training for Life
A Revolutionary Program for Maximizing Health, Happiness and Productivity
Toughness. Jim Loehr tells us that cultivating our toughness is the essence of creating healthier, happier and more productive lives. And, in this great, old-school book (written in 1993), he shows us how to go about doing that. Big Ideas we explore in the Note include how toughening happens (key: adaptive stress!!), the importance of training recovery, ultradian rhythms and emotional phones ringing.
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10-Minute Toughness
The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins
by Jason Selk
Mental Toughness. If we want to optimize our lives and actualize our potentials, we MUST get our minds strong! This book is a *great* look at how to go about doing that. It’s a quick-reading, engaging look at Jason Selk’s practical, 10-minute plan to mental toughness. Big Ideas range from learning how to control our arousal state, replace negative thoughts, being solution focused and the #1 rule for crushing it.
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The Ultra Mindset
An Endurance Champion's 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life
by Travis Macy
Travis Macy is best known as the record-setting champion of Leadman—“a sort of six-week Grand Prix of Ultra Endurance” that consists of a jaw-dropping number of challenges. This book is a fun look at the eight principles that make up the Ultra Mindset Travis uses to do extraordinary things. Big Ideas we explore include: Your new mantra, what to do when you don’t feel like it, thinking about thinking, making the choice to give up choice, and never quitting… except when you should quit (w/a great litmus test for when you should/shouldn’t quit).
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Chasing Excellence
A Story About Building the World's Fittest Athletes
by Ben Bergeron
If you’ve ever worked out at a CrossFit gym and/or watched the Reebok CrossFit Games, you know that the absolute best CrossFit athletes are absolute beasts. Well, Ben Bergeron has been the coach behind six world championships. This book is his inspirational, wisdom-packed (!!!) look at how he coaches greatness told through the lens of the 2016 Games in which his athletes (Mat Fraser and Katrín Davíðsdóttir) BOTH won. (Think about that... He coached BOTH the men’s and the women’s champions. <- That’s amazing.) My copy of the book is r i d i c u l o u s l y marked up. The book is OUTSTANDING. Big Ideas we explore include: Committing to excellence (vs. "Meh, I'm good enough."), the 12 character traits of a champion, grit (how's yours?), positivity (selection attention + confirmation bias), embracing adversity (overload and get stronger!), and acting like a champion NOW.
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Peak Performance
Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success
by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness
Brad Stulberg is a writer focused on health and the science of human performance. (Amy Cuddy calls him her favorite health and science writer.) Steve Magness is a coach to some of the top distance runners in the world. Together, they’ve written a super-engaging, quick-reading book on how to pursue growth in a healthy, sustainable way—aka, without burning out. Big Ideas we explore include the secret equation of sustainable awesome (Stress + Rest = Growth), just-manageable challenges, the iPhone Effect Part 3 (aka how to decrease your productivity in one step!), the optimal work/rest ratio, and the paradoxical twist of fulfillment.
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Maximum Achievement
Strategies and Skills That Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed
by Brian Tracy
As with all of Brian Tracy’s books, this one is ridiculously packed with wisdom. He wrote it 25 years ago (25 years into his journey as a teacher). It’s based on a training program he created called The Psychology of Achievement that he taught to 1 million+ people. It’s a dense, 350-page encyclopedia of Big Ideas to help us jumbo crush it. Big Ideas we explore: the 7 ingredients of success, the Law of Substitution, mining your acres of diamonds, 7 questions that can change your life, moving from positive thinking to positive knowing, treating excusitis, and the secret sauce of achievement (hint: it’s love).
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The Wim Hof Method
Activate Your Full Human Potential
by Wim Hof
This is our first note on a book by Wim Hof, who you may know as "The Iceman." He holds multiple world records for his feats of endurance and exposure to cold. And, as you may not know, the effectiveness of his methods—which are now practiced by millions—have been validated by eight university research studies. This book is a great way to learn more about just how powerful his method integrating cold, breath and the power of our minds can be.
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Mindset
The New Psychology of Success
by Carol Dweck
Carol Dweck, Ph.D is a Stanford Professor and one of the world’s leading authorities on the science of motivation. She tells us that our “mindset”—how we see the world—determines a *huge* part of our overall happiness and well-being and achievement. In this Note, we’ll explore the difference between a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset” and some Big Ideas on why we want to learn how to live from a growth mindset. And, of course, how to do it!
Philosopher's Notes
The Psychology of Hope
You Can Get There from Here
Rick Snyder was the founder of research into the science of hope. And, he was one of the pioneers of the positive psychology movement. In fact, he literally wrote the textbook on “Positive Psychology.” Big Ideas we explore include the three components of hope (goals + willpower + way power), the portrait of a high-hope person, how to create the right goals, remembering you WILL face obstacles, the power of multiple pathways and being a time traveler making a difference.
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Making Hope Happen
Create the Future You Want for Yourself and Others
Did you know there's a science of hope? Yep. And Shane Lopez is the world's leading researchig studying the science of hope. This book is an inspiring look at the nuts and bolts of cultivating hope. Big Ideas we explore include differentiating hope from fantastizing and dwelling, the three keys to hope (goals + agency + pathways) , futurecasting, sirens, when/where plans and why hope is so important for leadership.
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Constructive Living
Outgrow Shyness, Depression, Fear, Stress, Grief, Chronic Pain. Achieve the Goal of Constructive Living - To Do Everything Well
Dan Millman (author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior and other great books) introduced me to this book as he's been deeply influenced by David Reynolds' integration of Zen Buddhism and Western Psychotherapy. In this Note, we'll explore some Big Ideas on how to live with greater self-mastery by more effectively relating to our emotions and consistently asking ourselves: "Now what needs to be done?!"
Philosopher's Notes
Unstoppable Teams
The Four Essential Actions of High-Performance Leadership
by Alden Mills
Alden Mills is a three-time Navy SEAL platoon commander and the Founder/CEO of Perfect Fitness (which was one of Inc.’s fastest-growing companies in the country). He’s also the father of four boys, a great writer/storyteller and, most importantly, an inspiring human being. I loved Alden’s first book Be Unstoppable. This book (and the AMAZING Unstoppable Teams 101 class Alden created with us for our Optimizers!!) is packed with wisdom gleaned from Alden’s 25+ years of experience working with high-performing teams. It’s fantastic. Big Ideas we explore include a quick look at the CARE loop, the Whiner vs. the Whisperer (+ Samurai swords), The A in CARE, achieving over-the-horizon goals, and jumping headfirst into leading your unstoppable teams!
Philosopher's Notes
The Mindful Athlete
Secrets to Pure Performance
Who does Zen master Phil Jackson go to when he wants to get his players' minds right? George Mumford. Mumford has coached everyone from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant and gives us a great introduction to mindfulness way beyond sports. Big Ideas we explore include Kobe's 1,300 3-pointers (PER DAY), romancing your discomfort zone, stepping in btwn stimulus and response, and REALLY listening to yourself.
Philosopher's Notes
Grit
The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth is the world’s leading authority on the science of grit. In fact, she pioneered the field and, as Daniel Gilbert says on the cover: “Psychologists have spent decades searching for the secret of success, but Duckworth is the one who found it.” In this Note, we explore the two facets of grit (hint: passion + perseverance, why they’re important and how to cultivate them.
Philosopher's Notes
The Silva Mind Control Method of Mental Dynamics
Let the Silva Method of Mind Development Teach You How to: Become More Secure and Self Aware, Improve Your Relationships, Be Physically Healthier, Develop a Zest for Living, Strengthen All Positive Aspects of Your Life
by José Silva and Burt Goldman
This book is one of the most densely packed with goodness books out there and in the Note we're going to explore the different brain waves and the fact that stress causes faster brain waves than relaxation along with how and why we want to drop into "alpha" as often as possible. Plus, we'll look at how to turn fear into excitement (really cool Idea!), the seven hermetic laws and the five rules for happiness.
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+1s
Turning Around Glitches
#97
What True Confidence Looks Like and How to Build It
True confidence doesn’t come from thinking everything will always go perfectly.
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The Equanimity Game
#98
How to Play It Like an Emperor
In our last +1, we talked about getting really good at recovering from our inevitable glitches.
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How to Get Super Shiny
#183
Hint: Don’t Get Irritated by Every Rub
In our last +1, we had fun applying Rumi’s wisdom that God turns us from one feeling to another so we have two wings to fly and not one.
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Approach vs. Avoidance
#190
What Do You Do When You Feel Challenged?
What do you do when you feel challenged?
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Death Cookies
#192
Fuel for the Journey to Your Infinite Potential
Continuing our theme of how to become Antifragile Heroes, let’s look at another way to rock it.
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The Big Picture
#194
Zoom In + Zoom Out
Let’s do one more to round out our little series of +1s on how to become more Antifragile.
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Microscopes + Telescopes
#195
Another Way to Zoom In + Zoom Out
In our last +1, we talked about the power of drawing a huge circle and then a little pin-point dot. Zooming in to rock the current challenge. And zooming out to hold the bigger picture.
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Percussus Resurgo
#297
“Struck Down, I Rise Again!” (And Again.)
In our last +1, we had fun with a new Latin phrase introduced to us by Harvey Dorfman: Carpe momentum.
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Mental Toughness Training
#328
Here’s a 100-Second Workout for Your Mind
Jason Selk is one of the world’s leading peak performance and mental toughness coaches. He won a World Series ring as the director of mental training for the St. Louis Cardinals and he’s written a number of great books we’ve covered including Executive Toughness and 10-Minute Toughness.
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Breath Control = Emotional Control
#487
See: Navy SEALs, All Elite Performers, YOU!
Concluding this edition of our breathing series, let’s talk about the fact that BREATH CONTROL = SELF-CONTROL.
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An Indestructible Mind
#496
The Creation Of
In our last +1, we talked about inviting the Conquering Hero to your mind-wandering party and escorting out the Suffering (Whiney) Martyr.
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How to Create a World-Class Mind
#519
Hint: Train It for 10,000+ Hours
In our last +1, we talked about the fact that Yuval Noah Harari doesn’t have a smartphone. He’s basically written an algorithm that helps him get to the bottom of things rather than be Mr. On Top of Things. (How’re you doing with those algorithms?)
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Jack Nicklaus Never Missed a 3-Foot Putt
#539
Nor Did He Ever Three Putt on the Final Hole
In our last couple +1s, we’ve been having fun hanging out with the sports psychologist of Champions, Bob Rotella. We talked about squirrels and trusting ourselves then we talked about working both hard AND smart.
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Navy SEAL Cookie Jars
#661
David Goggins on Becoming Superman
In our last couple +1, we talked about flipping the switch and going from our version of Clark Kent to our version of Superman.
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Conquering Fear
#686
Your #1 Job
A few +1s ago, we spent some time swimming with Abraham Maslow. As you may recall, he told us: “If I was dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was 1,000 miles away, I’d still swim. And I’d despise the ones who gave up.”
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UPERSIST!
#700
How to Be Unstoppable
In our last +1, we talked about you feasting on your Hero Bars—using memories of your past success as fuel to walk through fear doors today.
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The Psychology of Pain
#705
Want to Endure More Pain? Science Says: Brace Yourself
Continuing our exploration of how to endure the pain of walking over burning (psychological) coals in pursuit of the upper limits of our potential, let’s talk about one of Matt Fitzgerald’s recommended “coping strategies” to Optimize our perception of effort and get closer to that wall of our potential.
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The Master Fails More Times
#980
Than the Beginner Even Tries
A few +1s ago, we had fun chatting about the starting and finish lines of my first business, eteamz.
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SEALs and WIRMs
#1008
Witness + Interdict + Redirect + Maintain
Not too long ago, we shared a +1 on what I called “Thought Alchemy.” It was all about “How to Change One Thought for Another.”
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Frankl on Freedom
#1039
See That Gap Between Stimulus and Response?
In our last +1, we hopped off the bus driven by Vice sponsored by the casino and hopped on the bus driven by Virtue packed with our favorite heroes including Socrates, Epictetus and Hercules himself!
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Fall Down Seven Times
#1106
Get Up Eight (OMMS!)
In our last few +1s, we’ve been spending some time with world-class fear wolf-tamer, Mark Divine as we explore wisdom from his new book Staring Down the Wolf.
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In Case of Extreme Challenges
#1139
Break Glass!
We’ve spent the last week or so exploring courage.
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You = Sugar Cookie
#1200
Life's Not Fair--Drive On!
Admiral William H. McRaven is a Retired U.S. Navy SEAL who served for thirty-seven years and commanded at every level.
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One Evolution at a Time
#1218
How to Get Through Hell Week
Not too long ago, we spent some time making our beds with Admiral William McRaven.
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The Illusion of Choice
#1263
Want Greatness? There Is No Choice
We’re kinda on a roll exploring some of Trevor Moawad’s peak performance wisdom from his great book It Takes What It Takes so, I say, how about another idea?
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Targeted Thinking
#1267
What Do You Want + Now What Needs to Be Done?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the whole idea of “neutral” thinking since I first read about it in Trevor Moawad’s It Takes What It Takes.
Philosopher's Notes
A New Earth
Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Oprah and Tolle rocked the wisdom from this great book in their special program and in the Note we'll explore Big Ideas ranging from how your pain body and shadow projections are getting in the way of your happiness to the secret of the art of living as we create the consciousness in ourselves that will help create a new heaven on earth. (We also have a Note on Tolle’s "Power of Now" so you'll be sure to get your ET on!)
Philosopher's Notes
Attainment
The 12 Elements of Elite Performance
by Troy Bassham
Troy Bassham is a 4 time National Champion and World Champion rifle shooter. He's also gold medalist Lanny Bashamm's son. Together they share extraordinary wisdom in their Mental Management® System. This book is fantastic. In the Note, we take a quick look at the 12 elements of elite performance.
Philosopher's Notes
Driven
Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, and Maybe YOU
Alexandra got this book for me after she saw that Ben Greenfield recommended it. Douglass Brackmann got a dual PhD in 2002. Then he “struck out to research the components of powerful thought and action, helping driven ‘hunters’ focus their gifts.” We explore the paradoxical truth of Optimizing and actualizing as a Driven person (hint: discipline equals freedom), the fact that you have a great story to write (and you need structures to channel your energy), the Mastery Mindset (how’s yours?), the reality that better has no finish line (that’s worth repeating: better has no finish line), you and your sword (forging time!), and the Mastery Path (you on it?).
Philosopher's Notes
Live Life Aggressively!
by Mike Mahler
Mike Mahler is one of the world’s leading kettlebell instructors and overall fitness experts. I’ve been following Mike’s work for awhile and absolutely loved this book.
Philosopher's Notes
The Way of the Fight
Georges St-Pierre. GSP. If you’re into mixed martial arts/the UFC, you know GSP as one of the greatest pound for pound fighters ever. Although I’m not really a big MMA guy, I’ve always admired the sheer, visceral strength + courage of fighters and elite warriors like the UFC champions + Navy SEALs/Army Rangers. In this great book we get a behind the scenes look into GSP’s greatness. Big Ideas include Areté, Sacrifices vs. Decisions, being courageous (hint: it’s NOT about being fearless), crazy dreams + long journeys, and dedication.
Philosopher's Notes
Thoughts of a Philosophical Fighter Pilot
Vice Admiral James Stockdale is an American hero. Stockdale spent nearly eight years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He spent four of those years in solitary confinement and was repeatedly tortured. He was the commanding officer of hundreds of other U.S. soldiers and received the Medal of Honor for his service beyond the call of duty. This is an incredibly inspiring look at the powerful mind and equally powerful moral commitment of a hero. Big Ideas we explore: Being our brother’s keeper, chiseling our integrity to achieve delight with life, courage as endurance of the soul and heroes vs. bums.
Philosopher's Notes
What To Say When You Talk to Yourself
Powerful New Techniques to Program Your Potential for Success!
What do you say when you talk to yourself? Is it empowering? Or not so much? Shad Helmstetter tells us nothing matters quite as much as that. Big Ideas include why and how we need to upgrade our programming, the 5 levels of Self-Talk, and conquering our greatest challenge.
Philosopher's Notes
White Fragility
Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
I got this book as part of my commitment to getting a deeper understanding of the systemic racism and inequality that plagues our country and our world. Robin DiAngelo is an academic, educator, and author working in the fields of critical discourse analysis and whiteness studies. In this book, she distills her decades of experience into a powerful message to her fellow white progressives: We’re too fragile when it comes to discussing racism (and our role in it) and, critically, that fragility and unwillingness to engage in uncomfortable discussions along with equally uncomfortable self- and cultural-analysis is exacerbating the problem. The solution? As she says many times throughout the book: We need to build our racial stamina. Recognizing our fragility is the first step. As you’d expect, the book is a deliberately confronting read. It's equally humbling and ultimately inspiring.