Book: The Practice of Groundedness

By Brad Stulberg

Overview

In The Practice of Groundedness, Brad Stulberg argues that sustainable success is built on six grounding practices - acceptance, presence, patience, vulnerability, community, and movement - so you can excel without burning out.

Drawing on psychology, elite-performance research, and his own coaching work, he shows why your “doing” must be aligned with your “being” if you want progress that lasts.

Who should read

• Leaders pursuing sustainable peak performance

• Ambitious professionals or athletes flirting with burnout

• Self-improvement readers craving grounded, values-aligned habits

• Anyone seeking stability in a chaotic season of life

Peter’s takeaways

Accept Where You Are to Get Where You Want to Go

• Don’t play not to lose. Play to win.

• Accepting reality and managing your expectations leads to happiness.

• Reactions are rushed. Wise action is deliberate. Try to pause before reacting.

• Acceptance is not passive; it is simply recognizing what is and is not within your control.

Be Present So You Can Own Your Attention and Energy

• Being relaxed, patient, and open is more conducive to peak performance than being anxious and tight.

• A mantra to help with acceptance: “This is my reality. I am doing the best I can.”

• Physical environment matters. Eliminate distractions.

Be Patient and You’ll Get There Faster

• Sometimes it’s better to let things happen instead of always trying to make things happen.

• The job of a parent is to create a safe space for their child to develop and unfold on their own.

• 3x5 breathing is a useful exercise to create some space in your life. Pause and count 5 of your breaths, 3x per day. Can be effective to pair with specific activities, like before checking your phone in the morning or before a meal.

Embrace Vulnerability to Develop Genuine Strength and Confidence

• People like to coast instead of giving something their all. Maybe the potential for being hurt isn’t as bad in this scenario, but neither are the joys. If you don’t give life your all, you’re missing out on the richness, fullness, and meaning.

• Vulnerability drives trust and community.

• Addressing fear leads to freedom and confidence.

Build Deep Community

• Community is a practice. And it is very important for us. We evolved to be in community.

• The most enduring friendships are based on virtue, rather than utility or pleasure.

• High performers raise those around them (see the Shalane Flanagan Effect).

Move Your Body to Ground Your Mind

• Mens sana en corpore sano - healthy body, healthy mind

• Pushing through discomfort in exercise makes life easier. It allows you to react to high pressure, heart-racing situations cooler and calmer than otherwise possible.

• The specific plan doesn’t matter so much as just sticking to one.

• For exercise, the most effective strategy is progressive overload. Stress, then rest.

• Movement should be considered an integral part of your job; not separate. It’s critical for high performance in any field, driving energy, cognition, creativity, etc.

• Regularly walking checks most of the boxes for our long-term health needs. Especially if outdoors, and even better if it’s in community with others.

From Principles to Action

• When you align your doing with your being, the tension of cognitive dissonance dissipates.

• Satisfaction is largely the byproduct of transitioning from a seeker to a practitioner.

• We are always practicing something. Make your practice worthwhile.

• Self-discipline and self-compassion are often pitted against each other. But high performers need both.