Excellence Without Burnout: Brad Stulberg on Escaping Hustle Culture

From The Ready State Podcast by Kelly Starrett, Juliet Starrett

January 22, 2026 · 1h 16m · Episode 182

About this episode

Brad Stulberg discusses the concept of excellence and the dangers of hustle culture in the context of burnout and fulfillment.

View This Week's Show Notes Start Your 7-Day Trial to Mobility Coach Join Our Free Weekly Newsletter: The Ambush In a world that rewards constant stimulation and surface-level productivity, it’s become easier than ever to stay busy — and harder than ever to feel fulfilled. Many people aren’t burning out from doing too much, but from spending their days disconnected from the things that actually matter. The result is a numbing, restless state Brad Stulberg calls zombie burnout. In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Juliet and Kelly Starrett sit down with author and coach Brad Stulberg to unpack what excellence really means in a chaotic, distraction-heavy world. Drawing from his latest book, The Way of Excellence, Stulberg challenges the myths of hustle culture and self-optimization, offering a grounded path toward ambition that’s aligned with values, sustained by rest, and rooted in deep, meaningful engagement. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why excellence has nothing to do with rigid routines or influencer “optimization” The difference between happiness, satisfaction, and lasting fulfillment How “zombie burnout” happens — even when you’re not technically overworked What…

People in this episode

Hosts: Kelly Starrett, Juliet Starrett

Guest: Brad Stulberg

Topics covered

burnout
hustle culture
excellence
productivity
rest
fulfillment

Keywords

zombie burnout
self-optimization
ambition
meaningful engagement
rigid routines

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Way of Excellence