Quitting Crosses My Mind More Than You Think

As a coach, the idea of my students or competitors giving up is hard to accept. We teach them to keep going—to push through the next round, finish the workout, cross the finish line no matter what. Quitting? Not an option. At least, that’s the story we tell.

But here's the truth:I think about quitting all the time.

There are days when the weight of being an elite-level athlete, a business owner, a father, and a husband feels unbearable. The sacrifices pile up. The fatigue sets in. And in those moments, the thought of walking away sneaks in—quietly, but consistently. It finds a foothold in the back of my mind and waits for its chance.

I know this demon well. We’ve wrestled many times before.It shows up in moments of self-doubt, when I feel like I’m not enough.It whispers even when things are going well, convincing me I don’t deserve success.It lurks just beneath the surface, testing my resolve.

And I know I’m not alone.

So many of us carry this struggle in silence. We wear brave faces and keep grinding, even when we’re falling apart inside. But I want to be the first to say it out loud:You’re not alone.I feel it too.

Maybe your reasons for wanting to give up are different than mine—but the feeling? It's the same. And I believe it shows up most right before a breakthrough. Like a marathoner approaching the final stretch, when the pain peaks and your legs scream to stop—but just beyond the haze, the finish line starts to appear. And when you cross it? All the suffering fades. The struggle becomes a memory—and the pride remains.

Lately, I’ve been living in that space.

Our gym is doing well, but not quite where we dreamed it would be. My YouTube channel and website feel like they’re stuck. My real estate career is… on pause. Some days, it just feels like too much. Even writing this post, I catch myself wondering,“What more could I be doing? How do I break through this?”

And the only answer I keep coming back to is this:Keep moving forward.Pick up the pieces.Put them back together.Get back to work.

Simple words.Brutally hard in practice.But necessary.

If I can just reach a few of you—one post at a time—then maybe we can build a space where it’s okay to struggle. Where we recognize that our battles may look different, but we're fighting alongside each other.

So if you’re feeling the weight too—if quitting has crossed your mind—know this:You’re not weak. You’re not broken.You’re human.

And if we just hold on, we’ll pull through—together.