Productivity
The Practice of Groundedness Summary & Review: How to Succeed Without Burning Out
Brad Stulberg's The Practice of Groundedness shows why a stable sense of self-worth — not nonstop hustle — sustains real achievement, with…
Read Summary →Brad Stulberg
"Success that doesn't cost you your soul."
Brad Stulberg is a writer and executive coach who studies sustainable excellence — how people perform at a high level over the long run without burning out. He co-founded The Growth Equation, a coaching and media company, and writes a widely read newsletter on the same theme. His journalism has appeared in the New York Times, Outside, and other major outlets, and he has coached executives, physicians, and elite athletes on building resilience under pressure. With exercise scientist Steve Magness, he co-authored Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. In The Practice of Groundedness, he turns that research inward, arguing that lasting success depends less on relentless hustle than on a stable inner foundation.
Author of The Practice of Groundedness·Co-author of Peak Performance & The Passion Paradox·Key themes: sustainable excellence, well-being, performance
Books by Brad Stulberg
Our in-depth summaries and reviews of his work
Key Ideas & Recurring Themes
Heroic Individualism
The cultural myth that nonstop hustle and self-reliance are the only path to success — and why it backfires.
Groundedness
A stable, internal sense of self-worth that doesn't depend on constant achievement.
Sustainable Excellence
Performing at a high level over decades, not just in short heroic bursts.
Notable Quotes
"Groundedness is a deep and abiding sense of one's own basic worth that isn't reliant on external validation or achievement."— The Practice of Groundedness
"Heroism is not sustainable. Groundedness is."— The Practice of Groundedness
Book Author Brad Stulberg
The Practice of Groundedness Summary & Review: How to Succeed Without Burning Out
Brad Stulberg's The Practice of Groundedness shows why a stable sense of self-worth — not nonstop hustle — sustains real achievement, with a 7-day plan to build it.