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/

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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-run

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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.

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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!).

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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 Recap

03:14 The Brain Rot Phenomenon

05:08 Defining Brain Rot and Its Impact

06:51 The Struggle with Internet Consumption

11:52 Personal Experiences with Brain Rot

17:14 Solutions to Combat Brain Rot

21:17 The Dangers of Snacking and Social Media

21:26 Creating a Healthy Routine

22:25 Connecting Feelings with Actions

23:41 Embracing Boredom for Creativity

24:56 Engaging in Real-World Activities

25:59 The Benefits of Reading Books

29:20 Balancing News Consumption

33:28 Designing Your Environment for Success

37:49 The Socioeconomic Impact on Information Diet

41:04 Training Resilience Against Distractions

43:56 Micro Challenges for the New Year

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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 Grant

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/smarter-living/tips-to-stop-procrastinating.html

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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 Days

01:58 Strategies to Overcome Bad Days

04:19 Importance of a Short Memory

06:19 Tactical Approaches for Athletes

12:23 Applying Strategies Beyond Sports

16:21 The Myth of Perfect Routines

18:31 Flexibility in High Performance

22:35 Consistency Over Perfection

25:10 The Importance of Just Doing It

25:53 Training for Different Levels of Effort

27:31 Writing Tips and Tricks

28:54 The Sit-Stand-Lay Method for Focus

29:36 Mindset Shifts and Expectations

41:40 Strategies for Moving Forward

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The holiday season brings with it many traditions, two of which we're covering in today's episode: Navigating contentious conversations or disagreements with family members and incessant reminders to practice gratitude. Both of those can be difficult, so today we talk through strategies for knowing when to engage in disagreement and when to walk away, the surprising phrase that might help change someone's mind, and ways to practice and think about gratitude that are actually useful. Plus: a quick rundown on our favorite and least favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

00:00 Introduction and Thanksgiving Greetings

00:43 Voicemail Question: Handling Family Disagreements

03:13 Strategies for Civil Conversations

23:42 The Role of Gratitude in Our Lives

38:22 Thanksgiving Dishes: Best and Worst

42:10 Closing Remarks and Holiday Wishes

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In conjunction with this week's Growth Equation newsletter, we're diving deep into the deteriorating state of public health in America. As the wellness industry continues to boom, our country's collective health continues to decline. Something is wrong. Today, we try to diagnose how we got here and where we might go next. Topics discussed include how to combat misinformation; why health grifting has gotten so bad; the increasingly problematic ways in which "studies" and "research" are used; what's wrong with cold tubs, supplement stacks, and demonizing single ingredients; what personal and societal level behaviors might help to improve the situation individually and collectively; lessons we can learn from Europe; common myths and mistakes about health and fitness; how to deepen physical literacy and overall health in our education system; and more.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

00:37 The Health Crisis in America

01:40 Misguided Health Movements

03:00 Systemic Issues and Public Health

08:42 Social Determinants of Health

18:25 Practical Health Solutions

26:11 Navigating Health Information

28:56 The Cold Plunge Craze: A Case Study

30:09 The Flaws in Cold Plunge Research

30:59 The Influence of Social Media and Influencers

31:42 The Kernel of Truth in Health Trends

41:18 The Role of Physical Education in Health

48:32 Policy and Health: The Bigger Picture

51:01 Practical Health Advice and Conclusion

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Today's episode draws on conversations with an Olympic gold medalist, an ultrarunner, and a Buddhist author to discuss a potential way to think about achievement that might help you focus on the process rather than the outcome—particularly if you're someone who is forever chasing the next thing.

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Two skills that will be helpful to anyone trying to master a craft or achieve excellence (or, frankly, make it through life): the capacity to be with difficulty, and an ability to show up consistently even when nothing is on the line. Luckily, today's guest has more than fifty years of practice with both. Stephen Batchelor is a Buddhist thinker, teacher, and author, who has written numerous books on how Buddhist wisdom can be applied in everyday life. Today, he discusses his path to Buddhism—including more than a decade of intensive study—and offers wisdom on how to best cultivate a nonreactive mind, why a focus on practice (rather than results) can free you up to "realize your own excellence," and the important difference between radical acceptance and resignation.

To learn more about Stephen Batchelor, visit his website here: https://stephenbatchelor.org/

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