Don’t Count.

Reporter: “How many sit-ups do you do every day?”

Ali: “I don’t count the sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count. That’s what makes you a champion.”

Two takeaways…

One. Ali knew that his real growth wouldn’t come from the hundreds of easy sit-ups, but the few he could do in spite of the pain.

Same for us. Real growth comes from those days, those moments, those obstacles that really challenge us. If we stay disciplined, push through, make our art, then we’ll experience real growth. We’ll even learn to love those obstacles over time. Amor Fati.

Two. Ali didn’t care about outside numbers. He only cared about what he could do. Trusted his body and mind. That was enough.

Same for us. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Trust in your own desires. Your own goals. Your own standards of excellence.

One more Muhammad Ali quote about counting…

“Don’t count the days. Make the days count.”