Is Self-Improvement Just Making Us More Selfish?

Last week we heard the ways in which our fractured attention was keeping us from connecting and negatively impacting our society. So this week we're turning to some solutions by discussing ways to improve our attentional health in an increasingly distracting digital world. We struggle with this as much as anyone else, so we're going through the strategies, practices, and tips we've found most helpful in helping us reclaim our attention back from our devices.Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Tammi 36min

Americans are spending more time alone than we have in a long, long time. That wouldn't be such a big deal if we weren't also reporting feelings of increased anxiety and unhappiness. This is why journalist Derek Thompson, in his recent cover story for The Atlantic, titled "The Anti-Social Century" (link below), writes, “Self-imposed solitude might just be the most important social fact of the 21st century in America." Today, Brad and Clay talk to Derek about how we got here, the consequences it's having on our society and culture, and why we might need to think about taking "social fitness" as seriously as we take physical fitness. We discuss the difference between loneliness (which isn't such a bad thing) and aloneness (which is), the role that technology and dopamine plays in all of this, how to think about the purpose of solitude in your life, and how we can improve America's social fitness, individually and collectively. Plus: Derek is one of the most prolific people we know and we spend some time at the end breaking down the habits, routines, and philosophies that help him get it all done."The Anti-Social Century" by Derek Thompson (The Atlantic)https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/02/american-loneliness-personality-politics/681091/Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Tammi 52min

Badwater 135 is a 135-mile race across Death Valley, where temperatures reach 125 degrees, runners cover an elevation gain of more than 20,000 feet, and where one of the primary injury concerns is organ failure. Today's guest, Kelaine Conochan, has completed it twice. Her most recent Badwater finish came this past July with Clay acting as one of the four members of her crew. She has also completed three 100-milers, nine 50-milers, and more than 20 marathons, with multiple Boston-qualifying finishes. Today, she talks about her training for Badwater—which included running 100+ mile weeks and heat training that require hour-long sits in a 160-degree sauna—as well as what her experience with endurance and performance has taught her about relinquishing control, vulnerability, problem-solving, and learning how to navigate extreme difficulty."Badwater ultramarathon: What I lost and found during 135 miles of the world's most impossible run" by Kelaine Conochan (ESPN):https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/32691727/badwater-ultramarathon-lost-found-135-miles-world-most-impossible-runJoin The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Tammi 51min

Happy New Year! To celebrate, we've put together a special edition of The Coach Up, looking and highlighting 25 of our favorite learnings from a year of FAREWELL. Plus: five questions to ask yourself to get closer to where you want to be in 2025.Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Tammi 25min

We use the last episode of the 2024 calendar to reflect on the year, discussing the tools or mental frameworks we found most useful, the biggest lessons learned, our favorite performances, and the most impactful books we read. Thanks for helping to give us a great year! If you like the podcast, please consider giving us the gift of recommending to a friend (or three!).Join The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Joulu 202437min

Oxford's 2024 word of the year is "brain rot" (which appears, to us at least, to be two words). What does it mean? "The deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content)." It is a common symptom of living in an age where so much of our consumption takes place in the frenzied, distracted, and noisy digital world. So today, in an effort to carry healthier consumption habits into the new year, we discuss ways to take in information without losing your mental health.00:00 Welcome and Weekend Recap03:14 The Brain Rot Phenomenon05:08 Defining Brain Rot and Its Impact06:51 The Struggle with Internet Consumption11:52 Personal Experiences with Brain Rot17:14 Solutions to Combat Brain Rot21:17 The Dangers of Snacking and Social Media21:26 Creating a Healthy Routine22:25 Connecting Feelings with Actions23:41 Embracing Boredom for Creativity24:56 Engaging in Real-World Activities25:59 The Benefits of Reading Books29:20 Balancing News Consumption33:28 Designing Your Environment for Success37:49 The Socioeconomic Impact on Information Diet41:04 Training Resilience Against Distractions43:56 Micro Challenges for the New YearJoin The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Joulu 202444min

On today's episode, we discuss the role of intense workouts ("Going to see God" as Steve calls it): the physical and psychological benefits and how you should use them. Then we answer a listener voicemail about the surprising science of beating procrastination: why you might be framing the problem wrong in your head (hint: it's not about being lazy or having bad time management), tips for getting started when you really feel like you can't, and when it's actually okay to keep pushing things off."Procrastinate Much? Manage Your Emotions (Not Your Time)" by Adam Granthttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/smarter-living/tips-to-stop-procrastinating.htmlJoin The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Joulu 202432min

We all have bad days, when we can't get motivated, perform in the way we were hoping to, or adhere to the schedule we had planned. Contrary to popular belief, these are not roadblocks on the path to excellence. In fact, figuring out how to show up on days when you don't feel your best — and not allowing a bad day to spiral and become a bad week — is one of the keys to being a true pro. Today, we talk through physiological and psychological strategies for doing just that.01:13 Understanding Bad Days01:58 Strategies to Overcome Bad Days04:19 Importance of a Short Memory06:19 Tactical Approaches for Athletes12:23 Applying Strategies Beyond Sports16:21 The Myth of Perfect Routines18:31 Flexibility in High Performance22:35 Consistency Over Perfection25:10 The Importance of Just Doing It25:53 Training for Different Levels of Effort27:31 Writing Tips and Tricks28:54 The Sit-Stand-Lay Method for Focus29:36 Mindset Shifts and Expectations41:40 Strategies for Moving ForwardJoin The Growth Equation Academy today. 40% off for a limited time!https://the-growtheq-academy.mn.co/If you are enjoying FAREWELL, do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!iTunes and Apple PodcastsSpotifyAndroidPocketCastsGot a question, feedback, or ideas for the show? Email clay.growtheq@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (646) 893-9503 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Joulu 202447min