How to Be Excellent
A week of big ideas that just might enrich your life.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Podcast
A practical guide to achieving excellence.
If you’ve spent any time on social media in the last few years, you’ve probably noticed the rise of what Brad Stulberg calls “hustle-culture greatness” — influencers who promote labyrinthine morning routines, ruthlessly optimized habits, and ascetic self-discipline. “That is not excellence,” says Brad. “That is a bunch of elaborate kabuki that masquerades as the real thing.” The real thing is about challenging yourself in worthwhile endeavors, focusing on what matters most, and expressing the unique qualities that make you who you are. In a word, excellence. Check out Brad’s new book The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World and listen to our conversation with Brad on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Book Bite of the Week
What story is Black History Month telling?
Black History Month is not simply a commemorative calendar event. It is the outcome of a battle over historical authority, beginning with Negro History Week in 1926 and shaped by African American communities determined to claim history as a source of truth, dignity, and power. Jarvis Givens, a professor of Education and African & African American Studies at Harvard University tells this story in the new book I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month. Check out his summary on the Next Big Idea app, or pick up a copy on Amazon.
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This Week on the Next Big Idea Daily Podcast
How do you create the conditions for flourishing?
Most of us have been taught to optimize our lives like a scoreboard—more productivity, more success, more achievement. But that mindset often drains meaning and connection. Joy, purpose, and fulfillment tend to arise not from self-improvement, but from shared attention, relationships, and environments that invite growth.
These ideas come from the new book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment by Daniel Coyle, author of the previous bestsellers The Talent Code and The Culture Code. Check out his key insights on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This edition of Book of the Day is sponsored by Shopify. Launch your business for just $1/month. Start selling today at shopify.com/nbi.
Happy Publication Week!
📖 Join us in reading and discussing these exciting new releases:
Joshua Bennett, The People Can Fly: American Promise, Black Prodigies, and the Greatest Miracle of All Time
Daniel Coyle, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment
Liz Tran, AQ: A New Kind of Intelligence for a World That’s Always Changing
Rebecca Hinds, Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done
Daisy Fancourt, Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives
Tom Bellamy, Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last
Jarvis Givens, I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month
Jonathan Turley, Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution
Bill Burnett & Dave Evans, How to Live a Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day
Nicole McNichols, You Could Be Having Better Sex: The Definitive Guide to a Happier, Healthier, and Hotter Sex Life
Colette Jane Fehr, LMFT, LMHC , The Cost of Quiet: How to Have the Hard Conversations That Create Secure, Lasting Love