Joe Rogan Experience #1127 - Jesse Itzler
Joe Rogan (host), Jesse Itzler (guest)
In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Joe Rogan and Jesse Itzler, Joe Rogan Experience #1127 - Jesse Itzler explores pushing Limits, Escaping Routine, And Redefining Life’s Real Resume Joe Rogan and Jesse Itzler discuss ultra-endurance, time with monks, and deliberately engineering a more meaningful life. Itzler shares stories about running a 100‑mile race, living 15 days in a remote Russian Orthodox monastery, and inviting David Goggins to live with him for a month of brutal training. These experiences reshape his view of time, priorities, and the difference between a “business resume” and a “life resume.” The conversation closes with a broader reflection on struggle, comfort, happiness, and the importance of seeking hard things as a path to fulfillment.
Pushing Limits, Escaping Routine, And Redefining Life’s Real Resume
Joe Rogan and Jesse Itzler discuss ultra-endurance, time with monks, and deliberately engineering a more meaningful life. Itzler shares stories about running a 100‑mile race, living 15 days in a remote Russian Orthodox monastery, and inviting David Goggins to live with him for a month of brutal training. These experiences reshape his view of time, priorities, and the difference between a “business resume” and a “life resume.” The conversation closes with a broader reflection on struggle, comfort, happiness, and the importance of seeking hard things as a path to fulfillment.
Key Takeaways
Use radical experiences to reset what you believe is possible.
Itzler’s 100‑mile race showed him he’d been ‘under‑indexing’ by 50x in what he thought he could do, which changed how he approached business, goals, and effort in every area of life.
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Engineer time away from inputs and decisions to think clearly.
Life in the monastery—fixed schedules, no phone, almost no choices—freed mental bandwidth and made him acutely aware of decision fatigue and how much energy tiny daily choices drain.
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Treat time like a scarce asset and reverse‑engineer your remaining years.
Itzler calculates things like ‘I see my parents twice a year, maybe 10 visits left,’ which makes him more present and ruthless about how and with whom he spends his time.
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Carve out non‑negotiable personal time every day.
He now takes three cumulative hours daily for himself (running, sauna, doing nothing) so he doesn’t resent work or family and can show up better in all other roles.
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Say “no” aggressively to low‑impact demands on your time.
By rejecting most ‘pick your brain’ meetings and nonessential obligations, he freed thousands of hours for health, family, and meaningful adventures instead of distractions.
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Schedule regular ‘Misogi’‑style challenges to shape the rest of your year.
Inspired by the Japanese concept and friends’ examples, he aims for one big, hard experience a year and a meaningful weekend every two months, building a rich ‘life resume.’
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Surround yourself with demanding, high‑standard people to raise your own bar.
Living with David Goggins—daily brutal workouts, cold plunges, no excuses—forced Itzler well beyond his comfort zone and left enduring mental toughness lessons he couldn’t have gained alone.
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Notable Quotes
““I realized I was under‑indexing 50x in what I thought I was capable of.””
— Jesse Itzler
““If I can’t take one weekend every two months for an adventure, my life is out of balance.””
— Jesse Itzler
““Relaxation without any effort is just bullshit.””
— Joe Rogan
““The limitations you’re putting on yourself are self‑imposed. Get back on the bar.””
— David Goggins (as quoted by Jesse Itzler)
““People are fuel… If you’re around happy, inspirational people that are successful, it makes you feel better and you get inspired.””
— Joe Rogan
Questions Answered in This Episode
How would my priorities change if I quantified my remaining time with key people and activities the way Itzler does?
Joe Rogan and Jesse Itzler discuss ultra-endurance, time with monks, and deliberately engineering a more meaningful life. ...
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What’s one ‘Misogi’‑level challenge I could commit to this year that would genuinely change how I see myself?
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Which recurring requests or obligations in my life should start getting an automatic ‘no’ because they don’t move the needle?
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How might 7–14 days with no phone, minimal decisions, and lots of solitude change my thinking and long‑term plans?
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Who in my life functions like Goggins did for Itzler—someone who demands my best—and how can I spend more time with them (or find that person)?
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Transcript Preview
(door closes) Four, three, two, one. Boom. So what -- um, Hundred Mile Man or Hundred Man- (glasses clink) What is it?
The 100 Mile Man.
What is that?
Uh, I ran a 100-mile race-
Oh.
... uh, years ago, and that's like-
You're like, "I'm the fucking man." (laughs)
Let me, let me grab it if it's available. (laughs)
(laughs) That's cool that you got it, man, 'cause that's a very popular thing now.
(smacks lips) Yeah.
Did you run this before or after you did the book with David Goggins?
I ran it before.
Oh, okay.
Yeah. I think at the time when I did it, there were like 400 Americans that ran 100 miles or something.
Oh, really?
It wasn't a lot, so that's why it was available.
Isn't it crazy how many people do it now?
(smacks lips) Yeah, I think... I was trying to figure out in my head how many do it a year and like how many races, 100-mile races there are there a month and then multiply it out. So probably 5,000 or 6,000 I'm guessing.
5,000 or 6,000 people who have done it?
I think probably, I think so.
Wow.
Americans, yeah.
(sighs)
It's a long way.
It's a long fucking way. We were just about talking right before the podcast about how Miss America yanked off, uh, all of... Uh, there's, they're no longer judged by their beauty. And I post this 'cause I thought it was silly.
(laughs)
And there's just these fights online, man. There's fucking fights in the comments and fights and... People are tense.
Yeah.
People need to go out and run those 100 miles, man. (laughs)
Yeah, they'd loosen up fast. Fast.
I know. What the fuck is going... Miss America is scrapping the swimsuit competition, will no longer be judged on physical appearance. It's literally a beauty contest. That is what it is.
What are they replacing it with?
(sputters) I mean, I gotta think it's like when Playboy decided to not have people nude.
Right.
That like, and but they... Here's the thing. But no longer judging them on their physical appearance, well, what does that mean?
(laughs)
Like how... What does that mean?
Yeah, that's a twist.
"We are no longer a pageant," Gretchen Carlson says. (mouth farts) Competition. We're a competition. Okay. (smacks lips) I give up.
(laughs) I don't know. I think that's, might have be a, be a, you know, hurt the ratings a little bit.
I think a little bit or not.
A little bit.
Maybe people will get very excited about it. Maybe it'll ramp up.
Yeah.
You know?
It's getting a lot of talk.
Yeah. Maybe people will be pissed off and so they'll tune in. It's just, I don't know.
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