Dear Fortitude family,

Welcome back to my midweek motivation! Each day and week brings its own set of experiences and inspirations, compelling me to share my thoughts with all of you.

As society and science evolve, new tips and tricks for living a healthier lifestyle emerge. In recent years, some of the common ones include cold showers, intermittent fasting, sauna, and extreme dieting. I could use this space to go into why all of these things are scientifically beneficial and allow us to reduce our biological age and live healthier and happier. While these practices have been scientifically proven to offer health benefits, there is a more important aspect that often gets overlooked. The true value of engaging in these activities lies in the development of our tenacity, resilience, and, most importantly, our fortitude. Let me explain why.

It's easy to look at individuals we admire and assume they are naturally endowed with immense willpower to accomplish extraordinary feats. While it is true that some people may possess a natural inclination towards willpower and tenacity, these traits can also be developed through training. If you truly want to become a force to be reckoned with, you can train your mind's psychology. That's why I personally engage in dieting and taking cold showers - because they are uncomfortable. Yes, I reap the other benefits as well, but the primary purpose is to push my threshold of pain and discomfort. This practice allows my mind's perception of pain to adjust and expand. If you want to push your threshold in any domain in life then you need to challenge it daily. Our mind is a muscle, train it like one. Dieting teaches me to say no to certain foods, increasing my tenacity and willpower. I take cold showers because it increases my pain threshold and resilience. Every day, by doing at least one thing that feels mildly difficult, I am building my fortitude.

Building pain tolerance is not achieved through performing absurd tasks, but rather by consistently doing small things repeatedly. It's all about the compounding effect. When faced with something beneficial that I don't feel like doing, I do it immediately without giving myself time to talk myself out of it. I confront that discomfort head-on. Conversely, when I feel the urge to engage in something that is detrimental to my well-being, I talk myself out of it. I reject that short-term pleasure. Of course, I'm not perfect and sometimes I do fail at this. After all, I'm only human. However, I have established routines in my life that involve doing uncomfortable things every day. This way, when faced with significant challenges, I have the tenacity and fortitude to embrace them fearlessly. I am prepared for difficult conversations. I’m ready to take on major business projects. I am excited for public speeches. I love setting new personal records in the gym. I am built for the uncertainty of undergoing knee surgery.

My fortitude grows daily because I actively push its threshold. There was a time when I was mentally weak, but now there are few people I know who can match me in terms of the pain I can endure and the fortitude I have built. I don't say this to boast, but rather to emphasize that anyone can achieve this. Seriously, for real, I used to be weak. Now I am physically and mentally stronger than I ever could have imagined. It took days, months, and years of consistent effort. Once I learned how to challenge myself daily, things began to take off. It becomes easier the more you do it. I promise you, from the bottom of my heart, that you too can enhance your fortitude. Start by doing one thing a day that makes you feel pain or discomfort, and then gradually add more. You'll be amazed at how far you can go.

Keep pushing, keep growing, and keep building your fortitude.

To Building Fortitude.

Warm regards,

Colin Jonov CEO & Founder, Athletic Fortitude

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