Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable
39 pages • 1-hour read
Tim S. Grover, Shari Lesser WenkRelentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable
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Preface 1-IntroductionChapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of addiction.
Preface 1 Summary & Analysis: “A Note From Tim Grover”
Author Tim S. Grover recalls Kobe Bryant’s devastating 2013 injury, in which he tore his Achilles tendon in the middle of an NBA basketball game. Even with his injury, he still made two more shots before leaving the game. Grover explains that Bryant embodied the “relentless” personality: Rather than thinking, he simply forced himself to continue on and act in the moment. Grover believes that acting on instinct and without hesitation is an essential aspect of the relentless state of mind and part of applying oneself to all that one does.
After this book was first published, Grover heard from many kinds of people, from CEOs to teachers, surgeons, soldiers, and even children, wanting to know more about what it takes to be a “Cleaner.” Some felt that this term, with its emphasis on an obsessive pursuit of excellence, encapsulated their personality in a way that other labels did not. The author points to Dwayne Wade as an example of a “Cleaner.” Wade, an NBA player, received his first ring (a prestigious piece of jewelry awarded to top players) in 2006. After years of injuries, surgeries, and rehab, Wade earned his second ring in 2012 and his third a year later.
Grover says that he will not give the reader specific instructions since everyone’s goals are different; instead, he will describe the necessary mentality to succeed. He urges the reader not to let anything stop them from achieving their goals.
Chapter Lessons
- Instinct, not thinking, is key to success.
- People who are “relentless” are not satisfied with just a taste of success.
- Lessons drawn from sports are applicable in a range of settings.
Reflection Questions
- This book will describe Grover’s ideal mentality for success. Which aspects of your own thinking do you believe have helped you in the past? Which have limited or hurt you? Why?
- Grover’s sports role model is Dwayne Wade. Think of one of your own role models—from any profession—and write down three of their traits that you would like to emulate.
Preface 2 Summary & Analysis: “Don’t Think”
Grover recalls receiving an emergency call from an NBA player who was in the middle of the playoffs. Feeling the immense pressure of the competition, the player was beginning to feel fearful and falling off his game. Grover recognized that this was a mental, not physical, issue, and the two met to get him back on track. Grover laments that external pressure and fear tend to trigger thinking rather than instinct, as this detracts from people’s performances. He recalls how he coached the player to totally ignore the fans, experts, and commentators and simply focus on executing their plays before moving on to the next challenge.
Grover describes a “Cleaner” type of competitor as “the most intense and driven competitor imaginable” (15). In coaching the reader to become a Cleaner, he does not try to teach motivation, as that can only come from within; instead, he focuses on how to take action and achieve results. He urges the reader to raise their own standards of success and reject the limitations that others have set. His approach is not about “feel-good strategies,” and may even seem “selfish” or “ego-centric,” but he believes that it is reflective of how successful people actually operate. While having talent is good, it is not enough to produce greatness on its own.
He recalls becoming Michael Jordan’s trainer quite early in his career. Their 30-day trial turned into a 15-year partnership in which they managed Jordan’s sleep, diet, workouts, and mentality. Grover believes that Jordan’s success was not simply because of his innate talent, but his “relentless” mentality. He urges the reader to remove whatever mental barriers they have accumulated and build a new mindset.
Grover’s warning that his approach may seem selfish or egotistical speaks to a common critique of the self-help genre—namely, that it is individualistic in outlook and embodies a contemporary Western approach to problem-solving. Grover’s text pushes this individualism to an extreme, which may limit its relevance in more collaborative settings and/or cultures.
Chapter Lessons
- Fear and overthinking are the enemies of performance.
- Real competitors do not rely on talent alone but work relentlessly to develop themselves.
- “Cleaners” are intensely driven and dictate their own standards.
Reflection Questions
- Grover warns that his approach is not “feel-good” and does not emphasize validation. What kind of mental coaching do you believe works best for you? Are you open to a more assertive and challenging approach?
- What are some fears and mental barriers that hinder your success?
Introduction Summary & Analysis: “The Cleaner You Are, The Dirtier You Get”
The author recalls coaching Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat in the midst of the playoffs. Wade had a knee injury and needed to make it through the last game of the competition. Cleaners such as Wade do not rest on their laurels and depend on their teammates; they continue pushing themselves until the job is done. While “Closers,” who are also good competitors, do the job and enjoy the reward, Cleaners want to be the best of all time. Michael Jordan is the perfect example of a “Cleaner”: ultra-confident and focused on complete dominance. Grover believes that Jordan’s success was only somewhat based on his talent, stemming mostly from his incredible drive to succeed and his meticulous work ethic.
Cleaners are calm, decisive, and strategic. They are also not afraid of the solitude involved in working harder than everyone else. They feel “addicted” to success and commit everything to it. Grover explains that a person can only be a Cleaner in one area of life, as it requires singular commitment. People may be “Cleaners” as parents, professionals, or in other pursuits but will neglect other areas of their lives to achieve greatness in one. While “Coolers” are good, and “Closers” are great, Cleaners are “unstoppable.” Grover asks the reader to open their mind to the possibility that they can do more than they think.
Grover’s glorification of Cleaners’ intense approach toward success locates Relentless in a self-help subgenre that also encompasses works like David Goggins’s Can’t Hurt Me (2018) and Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s Extreme Ownership (2015), both of which similarly eschew a feel-good approach to personal development. However, Grover’s recommendation to embrace success to the point of “addiction” conflicts with contemporary psychological understanding of addiction as harmful regardless of its manifestation. In fact, Grover acknowledges, “Eventually, though, all Cleaners have to walk away from their addiction before it completely consumes and destroys them” (31). This suggests that the Cleaner mentality is effective for a period of time but not healthy or sustainable throughout a lifetime. Overall, Grover’s advocacy of the Cleaner approach is rooted in its ability to produce results rather than its accessibility or psychological benefits.
Chapter Lessons
- Excellence requires obsessive commitment.
- Cleaners are never satisfied, as they are addicted to continued success.
- One can be a Cleaner only in one walk of life.
Reflection Questions
- What do you think about Grover’s admiration for Cleaners’ obsessive commitment? Do you prioritize one area of your life above others to a marked degree? Why or why not?
- Do you identify most with the traits of a Cooler, a Closer, or a Cleaner? Why?
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