9 Myths About Greatness That Are Holding You Back

Debunking the internet’s most popular myths about success.

So much of what we’re told online about greatness is elaborate nonsense, if not downright wrong.

There is no perfect routine. No supplement will save you. Optimizing everything isn’t the answer. There’s nothing special about 4AM alarms.

Let’s separate greatness myths from reality:

Myth 1: You need a 19-step routine to get ahead.

Truth: There is no world championship for having the most elaborate routine.

The goal isn’t the most complex routine; the goal is getting yourself ready to perform.

Your routine should work for you, not the other way around. And it certainly shouldn’t exhaust you. Simple is often most effective. Do what you need to do, but be sure to keep the main things the main things.

Myth 2: How you do anything is how you do everything.

Truth: When I’m on the transplant table, I don’t care if my surgeon made her bed or not, what I’m concerned about is whether she brings her all to the case.

Over the last ten years, I’ve written four bestselling books, taken care of my health and fitness, and am raising two young kids. In that same time period, I’ve made the bed three times. It’s not because I’ve got anything against making one’s bed. It simply doesn’t matter to me.

Sometimes you need to do the little things to tackle the big ones. Forward motion is great. But trying to be perfect at everything can wear you down.

Figure out what actually matters for you. Focus there.

Myth 3: Supplements will change your life.

Truth: I’m always surprised by the people who spend hundreds of dollars per month on 25 different supplements, but don’t sleep 7+ hours, train regularly, drink enough water, or surround themselves with good people.

Don’t major in the minors.

Sure, there’s a time and place for specific supplements. But there will never be a supplement for consistently doing the work.

Myth 4: You have to wake up at 4 AM to be uber productive.

Truth: Research shows we all have different chronotypes—some of us are better in the morning, and others at night.

No single time is best for everyone. Stop moralizing wake-up times.

Figure out your natural biological rhythms and do your best to live in alignment with them.

Myth 5: Get just 1% better every day.

Truth: This mantra can be wildly useful as a mindset, but when taken too literally, it leads to burnout all the time.

Progress isn’t always linear, especially after the honeymoon period. Some days you improve, some days you stall, some days you even go backward.

You can’t become addicted to visible progress. The greats frame their pursuits as ongoing practices—they focus on the process, find joy in the work itself, and trust that improvement will follow.

Myth 6: Misery loves company, success loves solitude.

Truth: Pushing hard isn’t for everyone. And there is nothing wrong with solitude. But to frame success as a solitary endeavor is completely misguided.

The world’s best reach the top with others.

It may take time to find the right people, but if you are trying to get to the top alone, then you are doing it wrong.

Myth 7: The goal is to be happy all the time.

Truth: There’s an entire happiness industrial complex that tells you all the ways to be happy. But the truth is that happiness almost always occurs as a byproduct of giving your all to the things that you care about.

A good life is not about being happy all the time. It’s about meaning and texture. It requires developing the emotional flexibility to navigate whatever it is you are feeling and to stay the course on what matters to you.

Myth 8: Pain is the point.

Truth: There is an entire cohort of people on the internet who pride themselves on their ability to suffer. But there is no world championship of voluntary suffering (unless you are a rower, haha!)

Yes, absolutely, most pursuits require discomfort. But discomfort isn’t the end goal. The end goal is performance, which requires learning to listen to your body.

Myth 9: You’ve got to optimize everything.

Truth: Too much stress about optimization kills performance. If you require everything to go a certain way, to be perfect, then you make yourself fragile: because when things don't go that certain way, you freak out.

Do what you can to set yourself up for success. Nail your habits, routines, and systems. But also be durable enough to show up and give what you've got under any circumstances.