Chasing outcomes is often a recipe for disappointment. When you focus on the process, you can find success even if the outcome isn't what you expected. Do the small things each day & you'll develop better habits that will help you reach your goal in the long run.

We live in the dumbest timeline. Historians are going to have fun studying how everyone went crazy in the 2020s.

Endurance sports are about figuring out how to get your body as close to complete exhaustion as possible. Yet, endurance athletes seldom go to that place in practice. It's very rare. Even on hard days, you push, but have more in the tank. Patience. Know when to push.

When we have autonomy motivation and support, we have higher self-esteem and better emotional intelligence. In research, satisfying these 3 pillars is tied to: -Willingness to put forth effort -Improved concentration - Challenge-seeking - Better coping with stress.

One of the biggest mistakes I see in runners is getting locked into a schedule. They have their Tuesday & Friday workouts + a Sunday long run, and it never varies. It's okay, and often necessary, to put more space into the schedule. Even to skip a long run or workout in a week.

When your bite cannot back up your bark, your brain is already aware. It is no dummy; it has a job to protect you instead of letting your foolish ego get in the way. When we are overconfident, we set ourselves up for failure.

What does it mean to focus on the process? Simple 1. Set a hard but just manageable goal 2. Figure out what steps it takes to achieve that goal 3. Largely forget the goal and focus on completing the steps

FYI if you like listening to books instead of reading them... Win the Inside Game is available on audible. If you're looking for a new read, this is it: amzn.to/41oFsqO

Exercise is great for keeping you humble as you age. Coming to terms with the fact you may never run as fast can be a blessing. It can shift your motivation away from achievements, and towards the intrinsic joy of running.

As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

Focus on the Process Focusing on the process creates daily opportunities for little victories. These little victories serve as guides on the path of mastery, helping to sustain motivation. Process promotes progress, and progress primes us to persist.

Having a purpose is incredibly powerful. My dog goes on runs. In the TX heat he gets tired and slows down, trotting along looking like he is all out of energy. Then he sees a squirrel...and takes off in a dead sprint... If it matters to you, you will find the energy.

I'm a big believer in meeting people where they are at. I've decided to up my Instagram game. The goal is to share actionable, evidence-based advice on performance & well-being. Check it out: www.instagram.com/stevemagn...

As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

You can love a program, but don't marry it. There is no perfect training program or system. If you marry yourself to one, then you stop innovating. Coaching is a game of continual adjustment and innovation. Don't become a systems guy.

Rule for any performance: You can celebrate or be upset after, but when you wake up the next morning, it's time to move on. Basking in the glory or wallowing in the pain for too long lead to negative outcomes. Win or lose, get back to work soon after.

You can't beat fundamentals. Elite performers go back to the basics often. Not so good performers think they are too good to practice the fundamentals.

Toughness is training the mind to handle uncertainty long enough so that you can guide your response in the right direction. It is creating space so you don not jump straight from unease to the quickest possible solution, but to the correct one.

If you want to perform better, you've got to try harder. That's a central tenants of western culture. If you're stuck, the problem must be a lack of grind, motivation to push forward, or caring. However, trying harder is often the problem. We need to let go to move forward

Do the Work Doing the work has a special way of putting both success and failure in their respective places. After a massive achievement or a devastating failure, getting back to work serves as an embodied reminder that external results are not why you are in this.

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HIIT is overemphasized for general fitness. Ask any XC coach what happens if you go intense before building a foundation You have to get people fit enough to train, before you train Most lay people aren't Stop using HIIT as if it's Pert Plus, the best of both worlds. It isn't

As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

Stop Chasing Outcomes Chasing leads to worry, fear of failure, & trying to force your way towards success. It never works. Find things where your interests & talents align. Work your butt off at things that you enjoy the process of doing. The outcomes take care of themselves

Much of our society seems to reward the loud and outspoken. Be loud, dogmatic, and controversial and you get an audience. Taking 'extreme' stances gets clicks, likes, and news appearances. Somehow we have to incentivize & reward the nuanced, rational, and common sense take...

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As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

Real confidence lies in understanding who you are and what you are capable of. It lies in being vulnerable, not in delusional machoism. Confidence is doing difficult things, sometimes failing, but seeing where you lie, and then going back to the work.

"It depends" is the answer to nearly any issue or problem. Embracing nuance and being okay muddling through uncertainty is a vital skill to develop. Not having an instant answer isn't a sign of hedging or not knowing. It's a sign of deep thinking and consideration.

If an athlete bragged about only getting 4 hours of sleep per night, I'd know he wasn't serious about his sport or performance. Yet... in the workplace, we accept this bragging as a sign of someone who is dedicated. The situations are the same. Both are sacrificing performance.

Since the release of Do Hard Things, the question I’ve received most is: “What about the David Goggins, be a badass and ignore your limits, approach to toughness?" Here's your answer. On the difference between tolerating pain and performing well: open.substack.com/pub/stevemag...

Nap! In one study, researchers pitted napping against coffee. Those who took a nap of 15 to 20 minutes awoke with more alertness and went on to perform better than those who drank 150 milligrams of caffeine, or about the same amount in a Starbucks grande-size coffee.

The best part of coaching is getting to see people challenge their pre-conceived notions of their potential. The fun is not in the end result; it is in the taking of the risk to see where that line actually is.

Move. Often easy. Occasionally with ferocious intensity. Get out and move. Most should be easy to moderate so you can keep coming back day after day. Some should be moderate/hard. And very occasionally you should "go see god" to remind yourself what going to the well is like.

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Watch out for the "Ego" Coach/Boss: -Self Worth-->based on athletes performance. -Defines self by coaching accomplishments. -Success --> ÒBecause of My ProgramÓ -Poor performance --> Blames Others -Has the ÒsecretÓ -Knowledge hoarder -Culture --> Cult

As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

The world seems like it’s gone mad The problem? When our primary medium (being online) is rigged towards the shallow, superficial & outrageous… is it any wonder why we feel the same? We need to change the medium. Do more real things in the real world. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Struggling to transition from HS to college is often discussed in terms of training. But the biggest factor is the change in motivation. To succeed in college you need to be more driven from within. In HS, external motivators (coach/parent, friends, etc.) are easier.

It's not quality over quantity. It's quality in the quantity you can sustain.

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As a parent or coach, the hardest moments come when you clearly see someone’s potential, yet they can't. You can’t force motivation—but you can plant seeds. Here's what to do about it: thegrowtheq.com/you-cant-fo...

It's time to bust some myths! Ever been told high-intensity training is the magic bullet? Or that running will ruin your knees? Or that 4x4min is the best workout in history? Let's set the record straight. 9 Fitness myths debunked: www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIJ...

The Marginal gains concept has created a world where people focus on the last 1% while ignoring the first 99%. Get the basics down first! WHY DO WE FALL FOR THIS

Sprinting teaches us a great lesson that can applied to almost all of life. The way to top speed isn't to dig or force your way to running faster. Tensing up backfires. The key is to figure out how to relax while exerting max effort. Fast and relaxed is the name of the game.

Talent doesn't always express itself right away. Some people's talent is that they are a high responder to training/learning. They need to spend the time doing the work before they can fully express their gift. We tend to overvalue those who show great initial promise.

Labor Day Weekend Deal! My new book is 50% off...that's right save $14 on the hardcover. Grab your copy to learn how to become a more resilient performer (and human being!) www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-the-in...

The U.S. Navy studied 3,000 SEAL candidates to find what predicted survival in Hell Week. Not strength. Not agility. Not size. The best predictor? A 4-mile run. The faster you ran, the better your odds. But the reason why goes deeper than endurance. open.substack.com/pub/stevemag...

Can you stop a run when your watch says 9.99 miles? Or do you run circles in the parking lot to get to 10? Try being okay with 9.99, in whatever your endeavor. It's easy to let 'the thing' start dictating your behaviors. Train your mental muscle to sit with the anxiety.

Labor Day Weekend Deal! My new book is 50% off...that's right save $14 on the hardcover. Grab your copy to learn how to become a more resilient performer (and human being!) www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-the-in...