January 21, 2026: The Cheetos Problem

Everyone wants abs by Friday.

The problem? You’re eating Cheetos in your pajamas at 2PM on a Tuesday.

We all desire the medal, the promotion, the beach body, the standing ovation. Craving the trophy requires zero effort.

Everyone has a willingness to win, but not everyone has a willingness to prepare to win.

Because preparation is hard. It means showing up when you’d rather stay in bed.

Preparation is doing the thing again when you’ve already done the thing twenty-seven times and you’re still not good at the thing.

But winners are forged in the dark, when no one is watching. The gap between wanting and winning overflows with work most people refuse to do.

Yes, success has a very boring origin story.

But you must lean into it.

Champions aren’t made in the ring; they’re simply rewarded there.