Dear Fortitude family,

Welcome back to my midweek motivation! Each day and week brings its own set of experiences and inspirations, propelling me to share my thoughts with all of you. This week, a tweet from one of my favorite psychologists offered a profound reflection. It said,

“The things you are not addressing, are the things you often need to address the most.

Avoidance is what everyone does.

...But ending up like "everyone else," is an unappealing ride to go on.

It requires moving differently.

Address the hard things”

This simple statement resonated deeply, touching facets of my life from athletics to relationships. The underlying truth here is that often, the very things we neglect or avoid are the barriers to our aspirations. Avoidance may offer a temporary relief, but in the long run, it leaves a void, a persistent nagging that keeps us from true fulfillment. As the saying goes, "Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life." Confronting challenges, whether monumental or seemingly insignificant, paves the path for growth. Small evasions might seem inconsequential, but they accumulate, threatening to overshadow our potential.

For me, there are a lot of unknowns in my life currently in regards to business and health. There are many things to which I simply don't have the answers, and at times, that can terrify me. There are moments when it seems tempting to surrender to these uncertainties, to sidestep them. Yet, every time I’ve chosen to face these challenges, to unpack and understand them, I’ve built forward momentum. It’s essential to shift our perspective – from questioning why things happen to us, to realizing why they happen for us. The reality is that the answer is always just around the corner.

I have an aversion to settling for mediocrity. Please understand, this isn’t about arrogance. I firmly believe that every single one of us has the potential to be extraordinary. To me, remaining "average" feels like a death sentence, a standard I won’t accept. I've set higher benchmarks for myself, which means I refuse to shy away from the difficult challenges, conversations, choices, or confrontations. I will meet them head-on.

And now, I pose a challenge to each of you. Reflect upon something you've been pushing to the backburner - be it a difficult dialogue with a coach or family member, addressing a gap in your skill set, or even overcoming a mental block. It could be anything. But today, let's vow to stop dodging it. Embrace it, face it, and grow from it. Don’t be like everyone else. Address the hard things.

Warm regards,

Colin Jonov CEO & Founder, Athletic Fortitude