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 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - The 5% rule
- The power of the system
- The pre-race transformation
| | Spartans!
Lindsey Vonn just nearly lost her leg. After a horrific crash in Italy, she is facing a year of recovery, multiple surgeries, and time in a wheelchair. For the rest of the world, that 13-second downhill run is the headline. It is the "epic fall" everyone will talk about.
But here is the truth: that one moment (the crash, the injury, the heartbreak) is not even five percent of the whole journey.
As Epictetus said, "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." A single misstep, no matter how public or painful, does not erase the thousands of hours, the sweat, and the transformation that brought her to that starting line. Whether you are an Olympian, a parent, or a CEO, it is easy to fixate on the failure and forget the system that built you.
Over the past five years, many of us have been tested by quiet, daily choices. It is easy to believe success comes from one thing: the right gear, the perfect coach, or the newest strength program. We look for the missing piece and assume everything else will fall into place.
But athletes who actually grow understand something deeper; it is never just one thing. Progress comes from how the entire system works together over time. The early mornings matter. The recovery matters. The way your team communicates matters. Consistency across all these areas is what builds the resilience to survive a crash, whether physical or professional.
The Hard Way is the same in Spartan. Whether it is a Race, Tough Mudder, or DEKA, the journey is holistic. It is not just a single obstacle; it is the five months of preparation, the community, and the mental battles won when no one was watching. James Clear reminds us, "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
The sign-up is a promise to the process. The real work begins months before the starting line in the routines you keep and the standards you return to daily. When you honor the full system, not just the parts you like, you give yourself a real chance to grow.
Business and life are no different. Don't obsess over one misstep. Embrace the grit, endure the system, and remember that when you cross that finish line soaked, exhausted, and alive, you aren't ending something. You are beginning.
Here's to the Hard Way!
Joe | | Calendar as Destiny
| Romans carved commitments into stone and marched by dates, not moods. Your calendar is either a training plan or a surrender document. If it's empty, entropy wins. Put the suffering on the calendar before comfort fills it. | | | They Said It | | "The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret." | | – Sarah Bombell | | | ➝The Hard Way Podcast with Joe | | | THE HARDWAY PODCAST | | | Most people quit when progress slows. Max King and Joe De Sena break down why discipline beats motivation and how to sustain elite performance for decades. Learn to remove excuses, manage injuries early, and build the resilience required to stay competitive long after others fade. | | | | | | To keep receiving this newsletter, sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | |
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