The Day You Stop Racing Is the Day You Win the Race

Ever feel like you’re always behind no matter how much you do?

June 25, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Between work goals, unread messages, and life admin, modern life often feels like an endless sprint. But what if the problem isn’t your pace... it’s the race you’re running?

That’s the challenge author Ryan Holiday poses in Stillness Is the Key. His argument? Success doesn’t come from doing more, faster. It comes from slowing down with intention.

The Insight: Stillness ≠ Stopping

Stillness isn’t laziness or lack of ambition. It’s clarity in action.

Holiday draws from ancient Stoicism, Buddhism, and modern examples from JFK to Tiger Woods to show that high performance and inner calm aren’t opposites. In fact, stillness is what allows top performers to make better decisions, stay emotionally grounded, and act with power - not panic.

🔥 How to Apply It: 🔧 Try This: The 3-Minute Stillness Reset

  • Step 1: When you feel reactive or scattered, pause for 3 minutes. Step away. No phone, no inbox. Just breathe.

  • Step 2: Ask: “What actually matters right now?”

  • Step 3: Act from that answer—not the noise.

This small reset builds the muscle of reflection over reaction.

🏆 This Week’s Challenge

Before the week begins, schedule 10 minutes of stillness into your calendar each day. No agenda. Just space. Watch what happens.