You know those days when your body’s fine but your brain says, “not today”?
Research shows top performers have those days too.

The difference isn’t talent.
It’s what they know about practice—especially when it feels pointless.

One of our members said, “Some movements feel boring—like flossing your teeth. But then one day, it clicks.” ← Thats Ashley!

That moment says everything about how high performers train.

Most people set goals based on what they want to fix, not who they want to become. That kind of goal just adds more work, more pressure, and more things to track. Real progress comes from an identity shift. When your goals align with who you want to be, effort feels lighter and motivation shows up naturally. That is the real science of scaling—clarity replaces pressure, and progress starts to pull you forward instead of pushing you from behind.

He had a rule: “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”

That decision saved his life. And he still went on to summit Everest six times.

The point?
Winners aren’t just the ones who push through at all costs. They’re the ones who know when to walk away.

So why is it so hard to quit a fitness plan, a diet, or a routine—even when we know it’s not working?

We’ve been taught that quitting is failure.
But what if it’s the exact opposite?

Every year around this time, I start hearing the same thing from people: “I’ll be ready in January. That’s when I’ll really get going.”

After years of coaching, I can tell you exactly how that plays out. The people who wait almost always keep waiting. January turns into February. Then “after spring break.” Then “when summer slows down.” Waiting has a way of multiplying.

But the people who start before the new year? They’re different. They show up now, while things are messy, while schedules are busy, while the holidays are looming. By the time January arrives, they’ve already built a habit. They have momentum. They’re confident. And instead of scrambling to become their “best self” overnight, they’ve been willing to be imperfect—and that’s why they succeed.

Philosopher Ryan Holiday calls this the difference between dead time and alive time. Dead time is waiting around, letting the days slip by. Alive time is using the moment you have—even if it isn’t perfect—to learn, grow, and move forward.

So here’s the question: with fewer than 100 days left in the year, will you let them pass as dead time—or will you use them as alive time?