Carlos Fegurgur
Excellence is not a destination; it is a process of becoming.
I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book. As with most self help books, the title is pretty jarring at first glance, which is the point I suppose in a genre filled with so many promises, quick fixes, armchair psychologists and philosophers, people want jarring to fill the question of 'what is missing' in their being. Stulberg's argument is that the answer to this is what he calls "Excellence". I prefer the term he cites being coined by biologists called homeostatic upregulation (doesn't quite roll off the tongue), which is an innate drive toward flourishing, both now and in the future, with feelings serving as the guide.
If you can accept the premises that we are hardwired to pursue great things, feel our way towards mastery, and long to achieve an alignment between what gives us purpose and what we pursue, then boy is this book for you. While I'm still somewhat on the fence behind the more philosophical reasonings (to me these should be up for debate more than accepted point blank but we have to start somewhere), I can't quite argue with the logical, practical pieces of wisdom this book is littered with. My non fiction ratings these days are pretty much pass/fail and with all the many quotable sections and key takeaways contained within, I have no choice but to give it 5 stars.
For those new to self-help, non-fiction, philosophy, psychology, human flourishing, etc, this book is a treasure trove of recent, concise, and cohesive information, which I would highly recommend as a starting point. That being said, here are a few of the key takeaways that stuck with me:
- Excellence, flourishing, growth, etc, is a process. It is infinite. A constant cycle of learning and striving that ends up looking a lot like love. If we are disciplined, kind to ourselves, show up daily and celebrate wins with a community of other people looking to do the same, then we are well on our way to living a good life.
- There are a lot of interconnected parts related to what it takes to live this pursuit of excellence, but it all starts with what you value. A core belief behind all of this is that you want to do what brings you closer to the things you value in life. If you don't have those...well, it's probably a good place to start first. (This book includes a helpful exercise if it's something you haven't really thought about before.)
- At the end of the day, excellence, is about becoming the best person you can be. There is no single point in time that that becomes true. It is a lifelong endeavor. One that we need to try and enjoy along the way. You'll encounter burnout, fatigue, failure, disruption, and setbacks throughout, all of which require discipline, consistency, confidence, rest, community, curiosity, and joy to overcome.
Excellence is not a destination; it is a process of becoming.
I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book. As with most self help books, the title is pretty jarring at first glance, which is the point I suppose in a genre filled with so many promises, quick fixes, armchair psychologists and philosophers, people want jarring to fill the question of 'what is missing' in their being. Stulberg's argument is that the answer to this is what he calls "Excellence". I prefer the term he cites being coined by biologists called homeostatic upregulation (doesn't quite roll off the tongue), which is an innate drive toward flourishing, both now and in the future, with feelings serving as the guide.
If you can accept the premises that we are hardwired to pursue great things, feel our way towards mastery, and long to achieve an alignment between what gives us purpose and what we pursue, then boy is this book for you. While I'm still somewhat on the fence behind the more philosophical reasonings (to me these should be up for debate more than accepted point blank but we have to start somewhere), I can't quite argue with the logical, practical pieces of wisdom this book is littered with. My non fiction ratings these days are pretty much pass/fail and with all the many quotable sections and key takeaways contained within, I have no choice but to give it 5 stars.
For those new to self-help, non-fiction, philosophy, psychology, human flourishing, etc, this book is a treasure trove of recent, concise, and cohesive information, which I would highly recommend as a starting point. That being said, here are a few of the key takeaways that stuck with me:
- Excellence, flourishing, growth, etc, is a process. It is infinite. A constant cycle of learning and striving that ends up looking a lot like love. If we are disciplined, kind to ourselves, show up daily and celebrate wins with a community of other people looking to do the same, then we are well on our way to living a good life.
- There are a lot of interconnected parts related to what it takes to live this pursuit of excellence, but it all starts with what you value. A core belief behind all of this is that you want to do what brings you closer to the things you value in life. If you don't have those...well, it's probably a good place to start first. (This book includes a helpful exercise if it's something you haven't really thought about before.)
- At the end of the day, excellence, is about becoming the best person you can be. There is no single point in time that that becomes true. It is a lifelong endeavor. One that we need to try and enjoy along the way. You'll encounter burnout, fatigue, failure, disruption, and setbacks throughout, all of which require discipline, consistency, confidence, rest, community, curiosity, and joy to overcome.