The Practice of Groundedness

About the Author

Brad Stulberg is an expert in human performance, well-being, and sustainable success. He coaches business executives, successful entrepreneurs, leaders in medicine, and elite athletes. Stulberg is the bestselling author of "Peak Performance" and "The Passion Paradox." His work has appeared in major publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Forbes. He is also the co-founder of the Growth Equation, a multi-media platform dedicated to the art, science, and practice of performance and well-being.

Main Idea

In "The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success that Feeds—Not Crushes—Your Soul," Brad Stulberg offers a healthier, more sustainable model for success. Groundedness, as Stulberg defines it, is "unwavering internal strength and self-confidence that sustains you through ups and downs." This book provides a roadmap for achieving lasting performance, well-being, and fulfillment by embracing six core principles.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Principles of Grounded Success
3. Acceptance
4. Presence
5. Patience
6. Vulnerability
7. Deep Community
8. Movement
9. Living a Grounded Life

Introduction

Brad Stulberg introduces the concept of "heroic individualism," which he describes as "an ongoing game of one-upmanship, against both yourself and others, paired with the limiting belief that measurable achievement is the only arbiter of success." This relentless pursuit of success often leads to burnout and a deep-seated dissatisfaction. Stulberg argues that groundedness is the antidote to this pervasive issue. He lays the foundation for the principles of grounded success in the first part of the book, while the second part focuses on applying these principles for transformative results.

"Heroic individualism is a common way of life in today’s world." - Brad Stulberg

The Principles of Grounded Success

Stulberg defines groundedness as "unwavering internal strength and self-confidence that sustains you through ups and downs." Groundedness is about aligning your efforts with your values, interests, and authentic self. Stulberg identifies six principles that contribute to grounded success, which he describes as existing at the "convergence between modern science, ancient wisdom, and the experience of happy, healthy, high-performing people."

• Acceptance
• Presence
• Patience
• Vulnerability
• Deep Community
• Movement

Acceptance

Acceptance is the first principle of groundedness. Stulberg emphasizes that you cannot move forward until you fully accept where you are right now. This involves acknowledging the messy and uncomfortable aspects of life rather than engaging in "motivated reasoning," which is the tendency to see things as we want them to be instead of how they truly are. Acceptance is about starting from your true present situation and not from where you think you should be.