A book by Chad Herst
The Performance Trap
The Ache No Success Will Ever Fix
I spent years trying to understand myself and working hard to become someone who could finally feel at ease. The understanding mattered, but the pressure to improve could become another way of telling myself I was not enough. Part One tells that story from the inside. Part Two offers practices for noticing the pattern in your own life, including what happens in your body and in your relationships. I still catch myself trying to get it right. The practices help me return to what is happening, including the parts I wish were different.
Choose your format
Listen before you decideFrom Chapter Two
Am I a Man or a Mooch?
I came home from India and Sri Lanka, sure I’d figured it all out. I remember sharing my journey and insights with my parents, thinking I sounded like a junior Ram Dass, the psychedelic Harvard professor turned spiritual guru I’d been worshiping for years. I really believed I’d found something profound, that I was forever changed.
The practices
The book introduces SENSE for noticing and staying with what is happening in the body, and STEP for responding differently in your relationships.
What is the performance trap? Read the explanation behind the book.
Hear the introduction
About 16 minutes, read in my voice. You can listen here without signing up.
Already reading the book?
The reader resources bring the practices together: guided audio, one-page guides, and a PDF you can print. They are free to use.
Find the reader resourcesA letter every other week
A story from my life or a reflection on something I’m working through, often with a recording. Sign up through Chapter One to receive its audio link and the letter. Unsubscribe whenever you want.
Get Chapter One and the letterPractice with support
The Performance Trap Practice is four weeks of guided practice, with an AI practice companion and two private conversations with me. Allow about 15–20 minutes most days, plus time for weekly reading and journaling. The founding price is $295.
Explore the four-week Practice