10 Principles for Sustainable Excellence

Hard-won lessons on caring deeply, staying consistent, and building confidence that lasts

Almost anyone can burn bright for a few days. But few can burn bright for years upon years.

One of the more annoying things about writing on performance and personal development is that there are so many hacks, secrets, and quick fixes—none of which actually work.

When I first started writing about performance a decade ago, it was novel and misunderstood. It was a fun and exciting time to be wrestling with ideas about pushing hard, recovering, rituals, routines, discipline, and so on.

Yet as “performance” penetrated the general lexicon, it got flattened and appropriated for all kinds of nonsense—stuff that couldn’t be further from the real thing. Countless bros and influencers saw an opportunity to exploit increasing interest in performance for their own gain. A tidal wave of people on the internet began reducing performance to monetizable click bait and fuel for marketing.

The optimization gurus. The diet gurus. The supplement gurus. The turning rest and recovery into a trackable job (which, by the way, is quite exhausting) gurus. The posting pictures of their six-packs gurus. The cold plunge gurus. The posting pictures of their six packs from their cold-plunges gurus. And on, and on, and on.

Two unfortunate things happen as a result:

1. The average person who is looking to improve in whatever it is they do gets caught up in this stuff, hopping from trend to trend and fad and fad without making any meaningful progress.

2. People hear the word “performance” or “excellence” and cringe because it is now associated with all the kabuki mentioned above.

But this is nonsense. It is totally normal to want to get better. Aspiring toward mastery and excellence is one of the most satisfying things there is. And there are tried and true approaches that really do work.

I’ve spent the last decade researching and writing about excellence, health, and mastery. I am not trying to create something bright and shiny to sell you. I am trying to help you understand what it means to perform at your best in whatever endeavors you choose. That is my entire project here on substack, and in my writing more broadly.

What follows are ten core principles that can help.

1. Be the best at getting better:

Being the best is ephemeral; you either get it or you don’t, and then what? But being the best at getting better is a commitment to mastery that lasts a lifetime. The ​arrival fallacy​ is real. If you think if I just achieve _____ or accomplish _____ THEN I’ll be happy, you are in for a rude awakening. The human brain did not evolve to arrive, it evolved to strive. It’s critical to find meaning and satisfaction in the path. If you make the ultimate goal getting better, the rest takes care of itself.

2. Adopt a process over outcomes mindset:

First, set a goal. Then, figure out the discrete steps that are required to go after your goal. Next, largely forget about the goal and focus on nailing the discrete steps instead. If you catch yourself worrying about the goal, use it as a cue to come back into the present moment. Dig where your feet are.

3. Focus on consistency over intensity:

Anyone can go out and bury themselves, crush it for a day, and post to social media. But what leads to enduring progress is the ability to ​show up day in and day out​ for long periods of time. There’s a difference between what looks badass on social media and what is actually a badass performance trajectory.

You don’t need to feel good to get going.
You need to get going to give yourself a chance at feeling good.

Small steps taken regularly over time compound for big gains. The goal isn’t to peak on every single day, it’s to develop a rhythm over time. This often means showing a bit of restraint now so you can get more out of yourself in the future.

Discipline is so important and also so misunderstood. It’s not loud. It’s not chest-thumping. It’s quiet, steady, and often invisible. It is showing up, doing what you need to do, even when it’s hard, and moving forward—without requiring applause or a dramatic displays of bravado. The most durable type discipline is rooted in self-respect: consistent effort done with care.

4. Use behavioral activation:

In a world that pushes us toward passive consumption it's easy to slip into zombie-mode: scrolling endlessly, spinning in indecision, feeling frozen in a low-grade state of burnout. But action—especially small, purposeful action—is how you disrupt that cycle. You don’t have to feel fully ready. You don’t need perfect conditions. The trick is to act anyway.

Put differently: You don’t need to feel good to get going, you need to get going to give yourself a chance at feeling good. There is no need to give yourself a hype speech every morning. When you are feeling highly motivated, ride those waves. But when you aren’t feeling your best, that’s okay too. Don’t freak out. Just get started and give yourself a chance.

5. Respond not react:

Feel your feelings, but don’t attach to them. You can’t always control what happens but you almost always have ​some control over what you do next​.

You can either panic and pummel ahead (2P’s) or pause, process, plan, and proceed (4P’s). The latter is usually a better bet.

Take a deep breath. Tell yourself some version of this is what is happening right now, I’m doing the best I can. It’s a practice for in between at-bats, in between games, and in between seasons. And not just in baseball or softball, but also in life.

6. Measure yourself against prior versions of yourself and your own definition of success.

You can’t control what other people are doing. In this day and age, you don’t even know what is real or fake. But you can look back on your own efforts and see if there is a sense of growth and progression. Focus there.

“Confidence comes from showing up, putting in the reps, and proving to yourself that you belong, that you own your seat.”

Define your own version of success, or else someone else will for you. The most excellent people I know have a clear sense of their values—and they live up to them. But unhappy, frustrated people—they sacrifice their values because they think it will help them achieve some goal, and then are miserable whether or not they do.

7. Keep the main things the main things—simple does not mean easy:

Complex ideas, theories, and programs are everywhere because they are easy to hide behind and procrastinate with. But if you ​make what you are doing simple​, you either do it or you don’t. This sort of accountability is key to growth and success. Nail the fundamentals. Ignore hacks, quick fixes, and anyone trying to sell you a secret.

It’s easy to get distracted by shiny shortcuts or chase what looks impressive from the outside. But genuine progress comes from knowing what actually matters and focusing there. Resist the urge to major in the minors. Keep the main things in the main things in your craft—and in your life.

8. Diversify your sense of self:

It’s okay to be all-in, but not all the time. If you fuse your entire self-worth and identity to a single pursuit, it sets you up for a challenging emotional roller coaster ride, and it almost always makes you fragile.

At the same time, “balance” is an illusion. A huge part of what makes life meaningful is giving your all to the things you care about. Don’t coast through life trying to look cool or detached. Care about your work. Care about great books. Care about good people. Caring makes you vulnerable, but it also makes you alive. It opens the door to growth, meaning, and connection.

When you care deeply you realize that evaluating tradeoffs and making sacrifices is part of being a mature adult. But it doesn’t mean becoming unidimensional. You can have ​different seasons of life for different priorities​, and never completely leave behind aspects of your identity that are important.

9. Confidence comes from evidence:

Confidence comes from showing up, putting in the reps, and proving to yourself that you belong, that you own your seat. Arrogance, on the other hand, often masks insecurity. It’s loud because it’s hollow. Self-belief only works if you have reason to believe in yourself. There is no substitute for experience. If you want real confidence, earn it. Over time, you'll have the receipts to trust yourself.​

10. The people around you shape you:

Emotions are ​contagious​. Performance is contagious. Growth is contagious. One of the most toxic myths (especially online) is that it’s lonely at the top. But that’s not remotely true. It’s only lonely at the top if you are a jerk along the way. Pushing hard isn’t for everyone but if you can find the right people it’s so much better. You can be ambitious, driven, excellent and kind.

On your deathbed, you won’t remember the external results; you’ll remember the relationships you forged along the way. There is no such thing as going at it alone. A huge part of sustaining all the mindsets, skills, and practices above is building a supportive community.

Excellence isn’t about perfectionism. It’s not reserved for some mythical elite. It’s available to anyone willing to care deeply, show up consistently, and embrace the process. It’s not always easy. But it sure is worth it.