Chasing Excellence

We're revisiting a conversation with best-selling author Cal Newport on cognitive health and exploring what happens when we treat our attention like an all-you-can-eat buffet of ultra-processed content.
We build awareness around the gap between casual scrolling and true cognitive exercise, intention around cutting out what Cal calls "ultra-processed content," and action toward deep reading and focused thinking that build a life of health, happiness, and purpose - instead of the drift and mental fatigue that comes from consuming whatever the algorithm serves up.
🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here!
Keep Going
🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App
❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club
Reach Out
✋🏼 What questions do you have for us?
💬Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM.
About the Hosts
Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram.
Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram.
About the Show
Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're exploring why counting how many times we pick up our phone each day matters more than tracking total screen time.
By paying attention to that one number — and setting a realistic weekly limit instead of chasing zero — we build awareness of where our time, energy, attention, and money actually go, and we take action toward investing our focus in a life of health, happiness, and purpose, rather than letting it drift away one pickup at a time.
🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here!
Keep Going
🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App
❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club
Reach Out
✋🏼 What questions do you have for us?
💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM.
About the Hosts
Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram.
Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram.
About the Show
Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're talking with installation artist Christina Watka, to explore the quiet practice of noticing — meeting life as it is, without judgment, right in the middle of the noise and chaos of raising young kids.
Noticing sharpens our awareness of what's actually in front of us, builds the intention to slow down instead of letting ego fill the silence, and moves us toward action rooted in presence rather than distraction - away from the drift of rushing past our own lives.
🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here!
Keep Going
🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App
❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club
Reach Out
✋🏼 What questions do you have for us?
💬 Got feedback? Send Patrick a DM.
About the Hosts
Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram.
Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram.
About the Show
Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're exploring two practices that turn scattered effort into focused work - planning the day before it starts, and reviewing it before it ends.
By building our plan around what actually matters and asking five honest questions at the close of each day, we create awareness around how we're actually spending our time, intention around what deserves our focus, and action toward days that move us toward health, happiness, and purpose.
🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here!
Keep Going
🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App
❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club
Reach Out
✋🏼 What questions do you have for us?
📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email.
About the Hosts
Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram.
Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram.
About the Show
Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're exploring Ted Gioia's idea of "dopamine culture" — how so many parts of life have drifted from slow, traditional pursuits through faster, modern versions into addictive, bite-sized hits of instant gratification.
By naming where our attention actually goes versus where we want it to go, we build awareness of that pull, intention to protect the slower pursuits that actually fulfill us, and action toward a life of health, happiness, and purpose—instead of drifting into distraction and dissatisfaction.
🎯 Learn more about our Focus Challenge here!
Keep Going
🐾 Start your Free Trial of the ChaseTracker App
❤️‍🔥 Free Newsletter & the Chase Club
Reach Out
✋🏼 What questions do you have for us?
📧 Got feedback? Send Patrick an email.
About the Hosts
Patrick Cummings is the author of two kids' books and has been building and making things inside the health and fitness world for two decades. Find him on Instagram.
Ben Bergeron is the founder of CompTrain, a longtime gym owner and coach, and the author of the bestselling book, Chasing Excellence. Find him on Instagram.
About the Show
Chasing Excellence is a show dedicated to the daily pursuit of health, happiness, and living with our hearts on fire. Episodes drop Monday through Friday.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.