“Toughness is knowing when discomfort becomes damage, and having the courage to listen.”
Hey Rollers,
At its core, Smart Toughness is about making good decisions, especially when things are hard.
Not just the big, strategic calls, but also the small, subtle ones we make when we’re tired, overwhelmed, or just plain stubborn.
Choosing to simply grit your teeth and push through in those moments is the ultimate game of roulette.
Yes, we hear the sexy stories of success that come through “taking a cement pill” in moments of hardship but the stories of the cost don’t get told with quite the same vigour.
While I never want to make this newsletter about me, this week I was reminded what happens when old-school toughness wins in the moment.
On Wednesday afternoon, I got a call from my surgeon who operated on my shoulder a couple of weeks ago.
“Justin, we’ve got the results of your biopsy back. And you’ve grown bugs.”
I laughed thinking he was joking.
He wasn’t.
The results showed a low-grade bacterial infection.
The real punchline however:
I’ve likely had it since my first shoulder surgery. Twelve years ago. WTF.
As we talked, he asked, “What made you wait 10 years to get this checked out?”
Checkmate. I didn’t have an answer.
Well, no good one at least.
“It wasn’t that sore.”
“I just got used to it.”
“I figured it was my fault for not rehabbing properly the first time.”
But if I’m honest?
It was blind grit.
I white-knuckled my way through literally thousands of workouts. That is no exaggeration, easily close to 3,000.
I told myself it was fine because this was what toughness looked like.
And sure, I stayed fit, maintained a decent physique, trained hard, and even ran 10 marathons earlier this year.
But the cost?
- Irreversible cartilage damage
- A future shoulder replacement (many years away still hopefully)
- And the realisation that I’d ignored a signal my body was sending me for a decade
I fell into the same trap I speak about now.
Smart Toughness isn’t about never quitting. It’s about knowing when to pause, assess, and choose the line that keeps you rolling long term.
That’s what I failed to do.
Until next week,
Pause. Assess. Pick a line.
Keep rolling.
Justin 👊
Take Action in 3 Minutes
- Take 3 minutes to check in with your body, your calendar, or your team.
- Is there something you’ve been white-knuckling your way through?
- What would a smarter choice look like this week?
Make one adjustment. It might save you years.