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.

The moment your desire to learn stops is the moment everyone else will pass you by. One of the greatest indicators of success in any domain, especially athletics, is a curiosity for knowledge. It's the people who can stay interested without getting bored who will be the ones who ultimately achieve the greatest feats.

Sports and life are constantly changing and adapting. There is no such thing as knowing everything there is to know; you can always learn more. When we shut down our learning systems, we no longer have the ability to grow. The longer we can stay curious, the more adaptable we will be. Let me tell you, being adaptable is a game-changer. The skillset to be able to thrive in unknown territory or a rapidly changing environment is what separates the good from the great, the great from the elite, and the elite from the conquerors.

It's those who can be relentlessly obsessed with continuously learning about every single detail that will win. It's that simple. It's synonymous with being obsessed. They simply can't shut off their desire to want to know more. They'll spend hours studying, researching, implementing new techniques, exhausting the basics, not because someone told them to, but because they have to for their own sanity. When Conor McGregor had won his second belt in as many weight classes, he had this amazing quote: "I'm insane to the game." That's something that frequently runs in my mind because when you are insane to something, it means you can't stop being curious; you'll always be obsessed with doing more, learning more.

So the question becomes: How curious are you? Do you have a dire craving to acquire every ounce of information you possibly can? If you don't, that's okay. There just needs to be a level of acceptance that there's someone out there who does, and when the day comes when you line up across from them, don't be surprised when they win. Listen, I get it too; burnout is a real thing. I'm a big believer in recovery. However, the games we are trying to play require an immense level of endurance, both mentally and physically. We build that endurance level by pushing past our perceived limits.

If you find yourself questioning how you can become more curious, the answer is simple, yet difficult to implement. Curiosity comes from three things: Firstly, while unpopular to say, some of it is natural. Some of us have the natural biology and propensity to become deeply obsessed with things. The answer? Find something you're obsessed with naturally. Secondly, our environment drives our behaviors. The podcasts we listen to, the food we eat, the shows we watch, and the people around us are all part of our environment. The deeper we control those things, the more we want to learn. If you want to be elite, find a room full of elite people and information and throw yourself into it. By default, you will begin to mimic their actions and behaviors. Thirdly, it comes down to your habits. The more disciplined you are with reading, training, researching, and studying, the better you'll be. A habit is something you do without thinking about it. Start doing without thinking. Fill your reward system with good habits. Do the things you say you're going to do and do them so many days in a row that you begin to do them without thinking about it.

If you want to know how successful you'll be, then gauge your curiosity level. If you're a film rat, gym rat, and research rat, odds are you'll find yourself winning a lot more than you lose. If you find yourself not deeply engaged but you want to be, don't worry; you still can be. Change your environment and your habits. I believe we all can achieve amazing things. However, only a few of us will. Choose the side of the coin you want to be on.

To Building Fortitude.

Warm regards,

Colin Jonov CEO & Founder, Athletic Fortitude

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