Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron Summary

Chasing Excellence explores the mindset and process behind achieving world-class performance, emphasizing character over innate talent. Through CrossFit athletes’ stories, Bergeron reveals how resilience, deliberate practice, and a growth mindset enable success in sports and life. The book blends practical strategies for mental toughness with lessons on embracing adversity as a catalyst for growth.

Athletes, coaches, entrepreneurs, and anyone pursuing personal or professional mastery will benefit. Bergeron’s insights on mental fortitude, goal-setting, and overcoming setbacks apply to high-stakes environments like sports, business, and leadership. It’s particularly valuable for those seeking actionable frameworks to elevate performance beyond perceived limits.

Yes—readers praise its blend of storytelling and actionable advice. Bergeron’s focus on process-oriented goals (e.g., “control the controllables”) and real-world examples from CrossFit champions like Mat Fraser make it a standout in performance psychology. Its principles are widely applicable, though sports enthusiasts may connect most deeply.

• Growth mindset: Belief that effort trumps innate talent.
• Process over outcomes: Prioritizing daily habits over end results.
• Embracing adversity: Using setbacks to build resilience.
• Deliberate practice: Structured, intentional skill development.

Bergeron describes mental toughness as maintaining focus and effort despite challenges. Key strategies include mindfulness for present-moment awareness, reframing negative self-talk, and breaking goals into manageable steps. For example, he shares how athlete Mat Fraser improved his rowing through daily, targeted practice.

“Excellence is the result of thousands of tiny, correct decisions.” This underscores Bergeron’s emphasis on incremental progress. Another pivotal idea: “Control the controllables”—focusing only on factors within one’s influence, such as effort and attitude, to reduce overwhelm.

Unlike Atomic Habits (habit-focused) or Grit (perseverance studies), Chasing Excellence combines autobiographical coaching narratives with CrossFit case studies. It’s uniquely practical for athletes but equally relevant to leaders seeking resilience frameworks. Critics note its sports-heavy examples, though principles are broadly adaptable.

Absolutely. Bergeron’s frameworks, like “maximizing minutes” and humility in growth, apply to careers, parenting, and creative pursuits. A business leader might adopt his focus on incremental goals, while a teacher could use resilience strategies to navigate challenges.

Some readers find its CrossFit-centric examples limiting for general audiences. Others note repetitive emphasis on mindset over tactical training methods. However, most agree its core lessons transcend sports, offering universal value in cultivating discipline.

As a trainer of CrossFit Games champions like Katrin Davidsdottir, Bergeron draws from firsthand experience refining elite athletes’ mental and physical regimes. His methodology—rooted in incremental progress and self-assessment—adds credibility to the book’s advice.

1. Self-assessment: Identify current abilities versus goals.
2. Process goals: Focus on daily habits (e.g., “train for 45 minutes mindfully”).
3. Embrace discomfort: View challenges as growth opportunities.
4. Review progress: Adjust strategies based on feedback.

Bergeron argues mindset determines 90% of success. A growth mindset fosters adaptability, while a fixed mindset leads to stagnation. By cultivating self-awareness and grit, individuals can overcome plateaus—a lesson exemplified by athletes who rebound from injuries stronger than before.