#1083 - Michael Smoak - 16 Brutal Life Lessons for Ambitious People
4/11/20262 hr 2 min
Michael Smoak is a mindset coach, entrepreneur, and podcaster. What does it actually cost to live a great life? From the outside, top performers seem to have everything we want, but the story isn’t that simple. Behind every extraordinary life is a series of trade-offs, sacrifices, and unseen costs. So what is the true price of ambition, and are you willing to pay it? Expect to learn what high-performance actually looks like, what the number 1 fears that hold people back is and how to get over it, how to face and overcome your fears, why the path to being the best version of yourself should feel somewhat lonely, why most of the things you want in like has an opportunity cost attached to it, why you should always prioritize physical health and much more.. Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get up to 20% off Timeline powered by Mitopure (now at a lower price) at https://timeline.com/modernwisdom Get up to $50 off the RP Hypertrophy App at https://rpstrength.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get 15% off your first order of my favourite Non-Alcoholic Brew at https://athleticbrewing.com/modernwisdom Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Clips
Showing 10 of 13Transcript preview
First 90 secondsChris Williamson· Host0:00
I have a hard time celebrating my achievements because in my mind it was my obligation to achieve it Ugh.
Michael Smoak· Guest0:06
The dilemma of the high achiever. I know, I know you don't struggle with this at all, right? I know this truly.
Chris Williamson· Host0:11
Game recognizes game, as they say.
Michael Smoak· Guest0:13
Yes, yes. All, all from a place of deep wounds and the desire to be adequate and enough. Yeah. I have a hard time celebrating my achievements and wins because it was in my mind, in my mind it was my obligation to achieve them. And not only that, I think the group of people we hang out with, you hang out with, I hang out with, makes the exceptional seem extremely normal. I was having a conversation the other day with a friend who both of us had long runs, and I was running sixteen, he was running twenty. And there was a time a couple of years ago where you couldn't have paid me thousands of dollars to do anything but drive sixteen miles. And the fact of the matter is, the average person thinks that's crazy. And there was a time where I was extremely proud of that. I remember running my first ten miles. I remember where I was. I remember what I was doing. It was sunny. We were in Atlanta on the BeltLine, and I remember when it hit ten and I hit stop on the Apple Watch and I went, "Holy shit, I just ran ten miles." And then now it's just, it's just a normal.
Chris Williamson· Host1:05
Mm.
Michael Smoak· Guest1:05
And the carrot keeps moving for the high achiever. So I think the battle has now become learning to be content in the things that we achieve.
Chris Williamson· Host1:14
Mm.
Michael Smoak· Guest1:14
You know? This w- this was a goal of mine, sitting down with you and being on this podcast. I've listened to it for years.
Chris Williamson· Host1:18
Mm.
Michael Smoak· Guest1:18
And it's incredible to be in it with you right now. It's truly an honor, because you could interview anybody in the world, and yet here I sit. And so what, what is the, what is the line between sitting in the pride and