One More Punch: The Difference Between Quitting and Winning

Today’s Theme

No one will argue the importance of talent or skill when it comes to world-class performance. But sometimes, the difference between winning and losing isn’t physical. It’s a person’s belief and perseverance.

It’s that deep-down conviction that says, “I’m not stopping.” It’s the decision to keep fighting, even when you feel like nothing’s working.

Today’s story is about a fighter who reached a breaking point and why the biggest mistake he made was to stop punching. For those of you in your own fight, you might be closer to victory than you might think.

The Story Behind The Curtain

Today’s message is shared by Kevin Elko in his book The Sender. It’s become a bit of a legend that gets retold with different fighters over time so, while it may not have a verified historical account, the lesson inside it is timeless.

Cyclone Hart was a fighter. A warrior. He had just gone the distance in a grueling match with an Italian man named Vito and lost. After the final bell, both fighters retreated to their locker rooms, separated by nothing more than a thin curtain.

As Cyclone sat there with his body aching and a heavy heart, he overheard Vito talking to his trainer on the other side of the curtain.

“He kept tagging me with that left hook to the ribs,” Vito said. “And I thought, ‘If he hits me one more time with that left, I’m done. I’m quitting.’ But he never hit me again. I don’t know why. He just stopped.”

On the other side of the curtain, Cyclone’s eyes welled up with tears. “I didn’t think my left was getting there,” he whispered to his own trainer.

In that moment, Cyclone gave up on what was working because he couldn’t see that it was working.

Grit is a Muscle

Elite performers don’t always win because they’re the strongest or fastest. They win because they stay in the fight when others quit too soon.

Every day, somebody quits because what they’re doing isn’t working. They stop trying because the physical and emotional strain exceeds their progress. In most cases, they don’t realize how close they are to their goal.

Scholar Angela Duckworth calls this grit which she boils down to the passion and perseverance required in pursuit of long-term goals. Her research examined champions, soldiers, scholars, Olympians, and other world-class performers to discover that grit often outperforms talent in predicting success.

Perhaps the most important part of Nash’s quote is the emphasis on grit being a muscle. It’s a muscle that requires tension. It needs adversity. It grows strongest when life pushes back and it’s faced with resistance.

The problem is most athletes (and people in general) expect immediate feedback and progress and their tolerance for resistance is thin. When they don’t see the needle move, they assume their effort isn’t effective. In these instances, doubt creeps in and that’s when they stop punching.

In these moments, if you’re not careful, you can fall into what Dr. Martin Seligman called learned helplessness. When someone believes their actions no longer make a difference, they stop trying altogether. They stop throwing the left hook. They stop fighting. Not because they’re lazy, but because they don’t believe it’s working.'

They walk away from what’s working because it’s not working fast enough.

They forget that “A river doesn’t cut through a rock because it’s powerful. It cuts through because it’s persistent.”

Be the Voice That Keeps Them in the Fight

As a coach or leader, your job is to keep that belief alive. You help the people you serve see what they can’t always feel. You reconnect their effort to progress, especially when it feels insignificant.

When an athlete is discouraged, ask: “What are you doing well that isn’t showing up on the scoreboard yet?”

This question pulls them out of the results trap and back into agency. It reminds them that just because they can’t see the punch landing doesn’t mean it’s not doing damage. It’s a way to strengthen belief and perseverance at the same time.

Because at some point, every competitor will hit a stretch where the scoreboard or opponent doesn’t reflect the damage they’re inflicting. They’ll wonder if the work is working and it’s your job to help them keep fighting.

As leaders, you get to remind them that their current challenge will one day be their story of perserverance and faith. It’s in our moments of pain and struggle that we create stories and lessons that can guide us in the future.

Whatever you’re currently navigating will one day inspire others (and yourself), but first you have to keep living it. You have to keep going.

Final Thoughts:

The story of Cyclone Hart is a powerful reminder that what feels small or insignificant in the moment may be doing more than we realize.

Progress won’t always be visible, but it’s your belief and perseverance that will separate those who stop short vs. those who break through.

Inspiration for This Piece:

• Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Scribner/Simon & Schuster. 

• Elko, D. K., & Beausay, B. (2016). The Sender. Worthy Inspired.

The Threshold Lab Podcast:

This week on The Threshold Lab, I sit down with Hall-of-Fame Women’s Basketball Coach Tara VanDerveer for a wide-ranging conversation on her coaching journey and the inner game of coaching.

If you're new to the podcast, you'll also find shorter, bite-sized solo episodes throughout the week exploring mindset and performance principles. If you enjoy my conversation with Tara (or any of my other episodes), it would mean a lot for you to rate and review the show on whatever platform you use.

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With gratitude,

ZB