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.
In my quest to unpack the mindset of world conquerors, I’ve begun to find this journey has many layers. There are a lot of clichés out there, some good, some bad. However, it’s important to unpack and uncover some of the less discussed elements that elite performers excel at. Here are three under-spoken characteristics of world conquerors.
Focus of Energy
The best of the best are incredibly focused, intentional, and detailed about who and what they devote their energy to. If they are going to give their energy to something, you better believe it’s going to pay off for them in some capacity. This is such a powerful concept because, in practice, it’s very hard to implement, especially the higher they climb in their sport. There are a lot of energy drainers in the world of athletics. 99% of people have zero clue what comes with being an elite professional athlete. Everyone wants something from them at all times. Most of the time, it’s from self-centered people looking to take advantage of you. In that same breath, those people are the same people who will slander you in public and social media if you go into a slump or fail to play at the standard you’ve created for yourself. Not to mention, you have your people from back home trying to bring you down to their levels of mediocrity. The hardest part is in your own locker rooms; you’ll have teammates who just don’t get it either. They’re just along for the ride, trying to live the lifestyle. However, none of this phases the conqueror. They’re so deeply rooted in their mission, their path, and their people. They don’t indulge in the energy drainers. If you’re not filling their cup, then you are left out. There’s no sympathy or second-guessing. There are often times no second chances. At the highest of levels, the .0001%, they are ruthless with how tight they keep their circle and they are precise with the activities they practice. Want to become elite? Start controlling who and what gets your energy.
Competence > Confidence
This is a concept I love. The word confidence has been overplayed and emphasized. There’s a lot of fluff out there when it comes to elite performance, especially in the highest pressure moments. Every athlete in the world deals with self-doubt. Yes, even Patrick Mahomes. The difference is, the best in the world navigate that self-doubt flawlessly. The perception is they’re confident from affirmations or positive self-talk or whatever mainstream narrative you want to implement. I’ve learned that reality is, these guys and girls are immensely competent. When they unpack that self-doubt, they simply reflect on the mountain of evidence that they’ve built for that moment. You can’t fake it at that level, guys, I hate to break it to you. They get in those moments, have a plan, and execute it. The unsexy part of building competence is you need to fail before you can succeed. It’s not fun, and it’ll nearly break you. But what you get from those failures, if you pay attention, is the secrets to unlocking success. Analyzing the minute details of every performance, failures, and successes. You begin to compound the recipe for winning. The commitment level is unmatched. They will do anything it takes to win. The harder part to understand is winning takes what it takes. It’s different for everyone. The winners in this world aren’t shouting into the mirror or on social media how worthy they are. They’re relentlessly perfecting their craft. When they’re in the final moments of becoming a champion, they’re reflecting on the decades of training, knowing they’ve done this a million times, and now it’s time to do it once more.
The Perception of Good Versus Bad
Conquerors don’t view moments or events in their life as good or bad. They view them as “what they are.” Yes, that is philosophical. However, at the simplest level, good or bad is merely perception. Good = pleasure. Bad = pain. However, pain can turn into strength. Pleasure can turn into weakness. As a result, anything not channeled properly can be a detriment. What the best in the world do is simply analyze these events as simple anecdotes and channel them in the right direction. Yes, guys, they do feel emotions; they’re human. However, they don’t sit in those feelings or emotions very long. They take the information, process it, and use it to move them forward in some way. They’re outliers for a reason. They don’t act and behave the same way as others. That’s why they’re so fascinating to study. Their perception of the world is different. You won’t find them over-celebrating victories, nor will you find them over-mourning defeats. They’ll quickly find themselves back in the gym, training for what’s next. Good or bad doesn’t deter them. They simply accept them for what they are and show up the next day with the same intensity. They are the product of their work. Their work is the product of intentional design and focus. Good or bad doesn’t matter. They’re world conquerors. They’re focused on what’s next.
To Building Fortitude.
Warm regards,
Colin Jonov CEO & Founder, Athletic Fortitude
P.S: If you’ve been enjoying our newsletter and finding it valuable, we would greatly appreciate it if you could forward it to your friends, family, or teammates who you think would benefit from it. By spreading the word, you’ll be helping us reach more people who can benefit from our shared knowledge and insights!
If this exploration resonated with you, subscribe to our newsletter. Together, we journey through the realms of thought, performance, and personal excellence.
Comments