The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul

by Brad Stulberg

"In The Practice of Groundedness, Brad Stulberg shares a new model for success that defies the "never enough" culture of the twenty-first century. At the heart of this model is groundedness - a mindset that values presence over productivity, accepts that progress is nonlinear, and prioritizes values over short-term gain. Ultimately, groundedness produces a deep, unwavering sense of self from which true success can be found"--

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Personal Development, Productivity, Philosophy, Audiobook

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2021

About the author

Brad Stulberg researches, writes, and coaches on health, well-being, and sustainable excellence. He is the bestselling author of Master of Change, The Practice of Groundedness, and co-author of Peak Performance.

Stulberg regularly contributes to the New York Times, and his work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Outside Magazine, Forbes, and other outlets.

He also serves as the co-host of The Growth Equation podcast and is on faculty at the University of Michigan’s Graduate School of Public Health. In his coaching practice, he works with executives, entrepreneurs, physicians, and athletes on their mental skills and overall well-being.

He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Follow him on Intagram @Bradstulberg and Twitter @Bstulberg and learn more at www.bradstulberg.com

Reviews

[Ashley McMullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earlier this year, I read "How to Sit" by Thich Nhat Hanh, which I felt explored the concept of mindfulness and groundedness in simple, specific ways. This book takes the ideas from that work (whether referenced directly to that book or not, there are a lot of parallels and references to Hanh in the text) and expands on them. While I didn't find the information Stulberg offered to be new or groundbreaking, his book gives you specific, actionable ways to incorporate groundedness into your life through six main principles.

This book suffers mildly from a pattern I really dislike, which is: "here is an example (usually a person and their experience), and here is how it fits very specifically into my thesis." It happens in every chapter, sometimes once, sometimes three times. Some chapters were more annoying than others, but I feel like most adults don't need those kinds of examples to drive home a point. It feels like the author is just trying to take up page space. Don't get me wrong though, I did mostly enjoy this book!

I benefitted from reading The Practice of Groundedness, but I did skim through a majority of it and I feel like I got the points he was trying to make. If you're a person who likes step-by-step advice or suggestions, this book is pretty good at providing that!

[Emma Sea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, but goes over existing terrain.

Maybe read some ACT theory and r/antiwork instead of investing in this?

[Cav · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Practice of Groundedness. I am always looking to add some more books to my mindset shelf, so I put this one on my list when I came across it.

Author Brad Stulberg is an internationally known expert on human performance, well-being, and sustainable success.

Brad Stulberg:


Stulberg has a decent writing style, and this one is fairly readable. The book is a cross-disciplinary approach to better living. Stulberg cites the fields of psychotherapy; including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and the ancient traditions of Buddhism and Stoicism.

Despite our enormous progress in technology, science, and innovations, our societies are experiencing extremely high levels of unhappiness, depression, anxiety, and mental illness. What's going on here? Stulberg unfolds a theory of "Heroic Individualism":

Signs You May Be Suffering from Heroic Individualism
These feelings can manifest in different ways, but the concerns I have heard most frequently include the following:
* Low-level anxiety and a sensation of always being rushed or in a hurry—if not physically, then mentally
* A sense that your life is swirling with frenetic energy, as if you’re being pushed and pulled from one thing to the next
* A recurring intuition that something isn’t quite right, but you’re unsure what that something is, let alone what to do about it
* Not always wanting to be on, but struggling to turn off and not feeling good when you do
* Feeling way too busy, but also restless when you have open time and space
* Being easily distractible and unable to focus, struggling to sit in silence without reaching for your phone
* Wanting to do better, be better, and feel better, but having no idea where to start
* Becoming utterly overwhelmed by the information, products, and competing claims on what leads to wellbeing, self-improvement, and performance
* Feeling lonely or empty inside
* Struggling to be content
* Being successful by conventional standards, yet feeling like you’re never enough
This cluster of characteristics represents a common mode of being in today’s world. It may even be the prevailing one. But as you’ll see in the coming pages, it doesn’t have to be..."

He defines happiness in this quote:

"Studies show that happiness is a function of reality minus expectations. In other words, the key to being happy isn’t to always want and strive for more. Instead, happiness is found in the present moment, in creating a meaningful life and being fully engaged in it, right here and right now.
There is no doubt that meeting one’s basic needs—such as shelter, food, and health care—is critical to any definition of happiness or well-being. Without those elements in place, little else is possible. While some studies show income is correlated with well-being and happiness, other research, such as that conducted by the Nobel Prize–winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman, shows that above a certain threshold, somewhere between $65,000 and $80,000 per year, perhaps with minor adjustments for geography, additional household income is not associated with additional happiness or well-being. Even if it may be a factor, it is not the driving force.
What’s more, we’re all affected by what behavioral scientists call hedonic adaptation, or the “set-point” theory of happiness: when we acquire or achieve something new, our happiness, well-being, and satisfaction rise, but only for a few months before returning to their prior levels. This is precisely why it is so hard, if not impossible, to outwardly achieve your way out of heroic individualism. If anything, thinking that you can is the crux of heroic individualism’s trap."

He talks about the importance of mindfullness and mindfulness practices here, and just how absent-minded the average person is:

"What’s scary is how much of the average person’s life is spent under fragmented attention. It is increasingly becoming our default way of operating. Studies have found that, on average, people spend 47 percent of their waking hours thinking about something other than what is in front of them. We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we aren’t constantly scheming and strategizing, taking inventory of the past, or thinking ahead to the future, we’ll miss out on something and fall behind. But perhaps the opposite is true. If we’re constantly scheming and strategizing, always looking back or thinking ahead, we’ll miss out on everything..."

The author continues on, guiding the reader towards practices that will bring about general life satisfaction. In themes that are common among other books on mindset that I've read, he talks about identifying personal values, and then living in alignment with those values.
He's also got a decent bit of writing near the end of the book about the importance of proper movement; both for one's physical, as well as mental health.
He also gets a bit personal here, by detailing his personal struggle with crippling OCD, and related anxiety.

******************************

As mentioned at the start of this review, I enjoyed this one.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone reading this review.
4 stars.

[Imaculate Mosha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not another quick-fix, self-help kind of book. Stulberg boils down a grounded life down to the following:

1. Accept Where You Are to Get You Where You Want to Go
2. Be Present So You Can Own Your Attention and Energy
3. Be Patient and You’ll Get There Faster
4. Embrace Vulnerability to Develop Genuine Strength and Confidence
5. Build Deep Community
6. Move Your Body to Ground Your Mind
7. Focus on the Process, Let the Outcomes Take Care of Themselves

Wish I read this earlier in my 20s,

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, if a self-styled coach and author reads a lot, and synthesizes his reading into a to-do list for the over-busy and struggling executive, will it help? Humble-brag alert! he's included sixty-eight! books in his "recommended reading" list. All while telling us to avoid 'heroic individualism' (that very quality is what would lead to reading sixty-eight books on these related topics).

There's nothing wrong with the concepts of becoming grounded as presented here, per se, however the prescriptions for change are trite and probably ineffective for anyone who is really struggling in a career or life. I do take exception with the "embrace vulnerability" mantra (yes, it's cribbed from Brene Brown). Spoken from a true successful-white-male perspective (here, if I tell you my weakness, you'll trust and like me more, this approach doesn't work for most people)....he says "the human species is fragile and flawed". What? Being honest with oneself doesn't mean looking at everything through a lens of "what do I fear" and wearing our weaknesses as a mantle. We aren't all "pretending we have everything together". His argument is reductive.

This is a book, that presents an oversimplified view of personal success; it would be good only for the uninitiated, as a first introduction towards towards learning what is meant by personal integrity, self-esteem and how the psyches works.

[Meghana Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was led to this book from a podcast I cherish, and it is the integration of the exact philosophy I've been learning from multiple sources. It was a perfect reflection of practices and beliefs I've been building over the last couple of years. The book I will go to, to revise, to reiterate, to reinforce.

[anchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

看完作者的前兩本書後，意外的發現第三本書「踏實感的練習」中譯版在去年年底出版啦，於是二話不說的就把他加入書單，而這本也與前兩本一樣好看、實用度更大幅提升！

這本書我覺得很實用的一大點是，每個章節都有建議的練習方法，讓讀者也能慢慢培養這些心態。我個人真的很喜歡這本書，推薦給想要找到自己生活步調的讀者。

[Katla María · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Probably the best "productivity" non-fiction I've read so far.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preaching to the choir? Maybe. But the principles laid out in this book really resonate with my experience and personal philosophies. I like the sampling of examples the author chose to illustrate each, and I think he has fairly practical advice for incorporating groundedness more into your life. A great read for athletes, those struggling with mental health, and corporate crazies.

[Elena Simeonova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Истината, тъжна или не, е че от малки ни възпитават в един състезателен дух - да имаме по-добри оценки, да имаме по-добра работа, да имаме по-голям телевизор... Дали става въпрос за заплата или брой прочетени книги, винаги гледаме завистливо към другарчето и неговите постижения. В резултат на това биваме въвлечени в един устрем на постигане. Бързаме, плануваме и нямаме време да се порадваме на успеха, а веднага си задаваме нова цел, ново плануване, ново бързане. Какво се случва накрая: спираме да се радваме на тук и сега загледани далеч напред, а всичко, което сме постигнали оставяме да се разруши. Това е с което авторът ще ни помогне, ако му позволим, да се преборим.
Подхождам много скепт��чно към такъв тип четива. Първо, защото темите и предлагани решения са доста познати на широката аудитория. Не научаваме нищо ново. И второ, защото доста често стила на писане ми е неприятен - или твърде гротески, скачащ в крайности, или твърде научен и скучен за обикновения читател. Да, в "Принципите на застопоряването" Брад Стълбърг не говори за непозната тема, но го прави много добре обосновано и подплатено с широк спектър от примери(от спортни до религиозни). По този начин, читателя може може да се припознае много лесно. Стилът на писане е лек и същевременно не се преминава границата, което прави книгата приятна за четене.
Призивът за Внимание към момента ще е актуален още дълго време независимо дали говорим за фентъзи книга или заобикалящата ни действителност. За мен лично е малко страшно как нещата от мрачните утопии се превръщат в реалността в която живеем.

[Stephanie Ewoldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently went through a lot of life changes, including ending a career, moving from a big city to a very small town, and just about to begin another career. I felt disconnected and isolated. But then I remember a friend mentioning this book a while ago so I began reading it. Since reading it and being more conscientious of implementing the steps, I have been more present, grounded, and better able to handle the challenges of life. I’m really thankful I read/listened to it. It’ll be a book I read multiple times throughout my life.

[Dalius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visos tokio kalibro knynos man yra vienodos. Realiai jos kalba apie tą patį tik kiek kitokiais žodžiais.
Ši knyga nėra išimtis. Taip, joje daug gerų pastebėjimų, daug gerų minčių, bet racionaliai ir globaliai mąstančiam žmogui tai turėtų būti visą ko pagrindu. Tačiau tokius dalykus priminti tikrai nėra blogai.

[Mriya 🇺🇦 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure chest of a book, finding me exactly in the right moment and place in life. I’m pretty sure it is one of the most important books in my life.

[Shane Skelcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to change your life, but aren’t sure where to start, then I suggest this book. Really great read with loads of practical advise and ways to balance out your life and give yourself the best chance possible at feeling good.

[Mélissa Tardif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pas pantoute dans ma palette de lecture habituelle, mais, je relève le défi de diversifier mes lectures cette année! J’ai pris le temps de le choisir (ça peut donner le tournis rapidement chercher des livres de «développement personnel»), mais j’entamais quand même cet l’ouvrage avec un peu de réticence et une attitude un peu fermée. Au final, je peux dire que j’ai bien choisi, et suis vraiment contente de m’être lancée dans cette lecture.

Beaucoup de choses ont résonné fort en moi, notamment sur la présence, la patience, et l’acceptation qu’on ne peut pas avoir le contrôle sur tout. Je sens que je vais m’y référer souvent dans les prochaines années, et j’espère arriver à mettre tout ça en pratique et pour être un peu plus «ancrée».

L’ouvrage est concret, réaliste, et loin d’une attitude moralisatrice ou encore trop dans les nuages. De belles réflexions qui, je crois, resteront et évolueront chez moi!

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's nothing wrong with this book, there's just nothing outstandingly special about it either. I would recommend picking it up if you're looking to reestablish some balance in your life, however there's nothing in here that will feel all that groundbreaking if you're already familiar with the topics of being present, vulnerable, and practice gratitude.

What I did, enjoy, however is how much data Brad Stulberg brought to the table in this writing. The book includes plenty of examples, dates, and criticisms, so you know you're getting the full picture.

All that being said, it's almost NEVER a bad idea to remind yourself about some of the daily practices you can put into action to help realize some of the concepts. I've listed them below; I do feel like he keeps his list concise, practical, and effective.


Key practices:

1. Accept Where You Are to Get You Where You Want to Go
2. Be Present So You Can Own Your Attention and Energy
3. Be Patient and You’ll Get There Faster
4. Embrace Vulnerability to Develop Genuine Strength and Confidence
5. Build Deep Community
6. Move Your Body to Ground Your Mind
7. Focus on the Process, Let the Outcomes Take Care of Themselves

[James W. Lanning · Rating 2 out of 5]

While an impressive collection of thoughts and ideas from wise and learned people throughout history, this book is too wide and too shallow to give any real insight into what the author wants to say. He wants to talk to the everyman as well as the elite, but then panders and patronizes with lengthy descriptions of his elite and wealthy coaching clients. We are at least introduced to the idea that groundedness is important. But there's nothing to help you really get there. Think differently! But how? He rattles off several holistic coaching plans he came up with for his A-list clients, but how can that possibly help anybody other that the client themselves? Everyone is different. The only practical advice is the back half of the book when he goes on at length about how physical exercise is important, at which point it becomes suspiciously similar to a coaching sales pitch.

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Practice of Groundedness, Brad Stulberg writes an engaging book that blends individual stories, scientific research, and ancient wisdom to outline a path towards a more grounded, and successful, life.

[Jaydn Asay · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Brad Stulberg fan generally, I was excited to read this. However, I didn’t feel like there was any information that was unique or groundbreaking. Just another book that lays out the principles of mindfulness and stoicism, and the benefits they can provide when applied in your life.

[Michael MacRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book covering many of the basics of well-being, but more than anything it’s a great starting point for further research into well-being and balance. I really like the methodical approach to this book.

[Wally Bock · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul is an excellent book with tons of solid suggestions to improve your quality of life.

See my complete review at
https://www.threestarleadership.com/b...

[Ania Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended as a necessary life read.

I was already a fan of Stulberg's work having read Peak Performance. I've applied Stress + Rest = Growth ever since that reading, so I already trusted that I'd learn similar lessons from The Practice of Groundedness.

This book found me at the perfect time. Leaving the high school classroom in pursuit of starting my own online writing community, I've found that much of what was necessary to build a safe classroom that promoted scholarship is necessary in building an online writing community for women - and that means putting words to what I was doing - but needed to keep focusing on - both in my professional and personal life.

I don't know that I would have been ready to practice the principles outlined in this book if I hadn't been through a couple years of therapy myself. Therapy helped me identify what was really getting in my way (like Stulberg mentions about OCD recovery) and THEN I was ready to start practicing these principles.

I started reading this book in November of 2021 and finished in March 2022 because I wanted to really soak in all that Stulberg was teaching. I'm so glad I took my time; I'm looking forward to sharing these lessons with the women of Quill & Cup as we continue on our writing practice - and I'll make sure we stay on track with our mission and vision. How good it is to know that failure and setbacks are inevitable and not have those things scare me anymore.

[Tyler Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It is not whether you fail but how you react to failure that is a vital component of meaningful change."

Stulberg beautifully lays out how to be at peace and be happy within your own life. He details multiple practices of more physical activity, putting our phones away, and being present with our loved ones. These ideas are not new or revolutionary but they are 100% effective. He highlights the importance of daily movement and the positive effects it has on our health. He also advocates for human engagement and a sense of community. If we were to learn to tune out all the negative and replace it with positive, we would be on our way to eliminating the need for most medications on the market. It is all about mindset and staying grounded. <3

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Halfway through I thought to myself, "This would've been better in physical form." Not because the content is bad or something doesn't work for me, but it's one of the books I would've gone through to highlight some paragraphs to really take them in and remind myself, as well as looking up full quotes that are referenced.

I still enjoyed the book, but if I choose to read another one of his books, I will buy them as a paperback.

I also felt a lot of what I listened to was like.. "Well, duh." But it was still nice to hear and, there are indeed some suggestions within the book to get things going.

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn’t good or bad, it’s just a pretty generic self-help book. If you’re struggling and need some life advice and a better balance with work and your goals, check this book out. The author is an executive coach, and the book was kind of overhyped by another book I read. It discusses some mindfulness practices, prioritizing your values and not overworking yourself to death. At this point in my life and with as many books as I’ve read, it’s really hard for me to get anything new from these types of books.

[Gummih · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regularly I’ll read some books that are similar to this one. For inspiration, focus and to “sharpen the saw”. I feel they vary a lot in how well they resonate with me. This one probably has the widest collection of what I consider genuinely good advice. And the advice is good for such a big part of our lives, not just our careers or just personal relationships, sort of like a handbook for life really.

Usually with these types of books there are sections that I don’t agree with or think might be great for other people but wouldn’t fit me. But in this book that hardly happened at all. So it’s not just that it contains a lot of good advice, it’s also important that it leaves out all the bad advice ;o)

It is constructed in a clear and simple manner, is focused and short. It doesn’t fall into the trap of being just one anecdote after another, it doesn’t pose as a magical solution and it has some very interesting insights and research that address some misconceptions in the field. I am sure to read it more often.

[Bob Bixby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and think I will reference it again. I wouldn’t mind reading this one friend or a group of friends to discuss it implement some have heard from each of the principles into my daily life.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about myself while reading it, and it gave me very straightforward ways to improve my life. Connected to Atomic Habits very nicely which I enjoyed (both that book and these connections). Will be going back to reference this book in the future.

[Tyler Critchfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stuff. Probably 4 stars except that I've been reading about these ideas plenty so there wasn't much new here. I felt he missed out on two main principles that keep me grounded in my life: faith and service. He touches on them in context of community but could've gone much deeper.

[Henrik Regitnig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a pretty run of the mill mentality book. Brings good insights but is mostly made up of quotes/thoughts that the vast majority of books in this realm bring up. Hoping his most recent book is a step up.