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How I Think

🤕 Suck it Up... Hurt vs. Injured

Published over 1 year ago • 3 min read

Hey friend,

So I’m tapping out these words 33,000 feet in the air on a flight from NYC to Los Angeles. And I’m pleased to report that next to me there's a dude with a Yoda beard snoring louder than a stadium of NFL fans after their team scores a touchdown. Life could not be better.

But don’t you worry because my airpods are so deep in my eardrums that I can't hear anything anyway. (blasting Kanye West of course).

But this week we’re focused on a framework that’s been bouncing around in my brain for awhile.

It's the secret sauce that separates awesome versus average performers.

I call it the Hurt vs. Injured Framework.

But first, let me tell you a quiiiick story.

It’s my freshman year of college. I was recruited to play lacrosse at Yale. And for all the wrong reasons, I thought I was somewhat “accomplished” and “legit”.

So I get to campus freshman year…

And I get kicked in the teeth.

A week in the hospital with pneumonia.

A 6 month sinus infection that blew my face up like a bowling ball... followed by sinus surgery.

A brutally painful sports hernia... followed by sports hernia surgery.

A stomach ulcer (probably from stress tbh).

So yes... I guess you could say my freshman year was not pleasant.

And to top it off, my team won the division 1 national championship.

Welp.

To be honest with ya, my biggest contribution that year was being a punching bag in practice.

Now the summer after that freshman year I had a big decision to make.

Do I quit the team?

Or do I double down and prove I could “make” it on one of the most intense teams in the country?

Of course I took the 2nd option. And boy did I change everything.

Diet? No gluten or dairy.

Lifting? Religiously meticulous execution of our lifting plans including scouring the South of France for the only gym within 100 miles while on vacation.

Injury prevention? I stretched and foam rolled for an hour every single day.

Natural supplements? I took enough vitamins to make your 80 year old grandpa’s pill stash look skinny.

Now my borderline crazy attitude worked. Exactly 1 year later I was voted by my teammates and coaches as Yale lacrosse's Most Improved Player for the 2019 season.

That felt pretty damn good.

But what’s my point?

This story doesn't explain the real difference between the Sick + Injured Chris and Most Improved Chris.

Ok, what the heck do I mean? And how does this relate to Hurt vs. Injured framework?

Let’s define it:

  • Injured = you’re beat up so badly you can’t continue

You’re “injured” if you’re so sick you can't stop throwing up. You’re “injured” if you tear your calf muscle and can’t walk.

  • Hurt = conditions aren’t optimal

You're hurt if you have the sniffles. You're "hurt" if you're tired and not feeling well. You're hurt if you have a nagging hamstring issue that is bothering you.

Before, I was afraid to play hurt. And I let being “hurt” ruin my mood, mentality and psyche.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I definitely was “injured” a ton that year.

But that next year I won most improved? I got pneumonia again. I had plenty of nagging injuries.

But I fought through them with a laser focus on proving to myself (and others unfortunately) that I could “make” it on the best college lacrosse program in the country.

Why this Matters:

Look, if you’re smart (which of course you are since you subscribed to this newsletter) you know that life is literally never ideal.

Your co-worker quits and drops work on you. You get a little sick. The weather sucks. Your girlfriend dumps you. Your boss yells at you.

You always have an excuse to underperform or not perform at all.

But if you’re honest with yourself, are you actually “injured”? Or are you making excuses while “hurt”?

Trust me, I’ve done both.

But when you refuse to let “hurt” derail you from executing your mission (whether it be building a trillion dollar business or being the best Dad in the whole wide world), then there is nothing stopping you from accomplishing it.

So… Be honest.

Are you “hurt” or “injured”?

That’s all I got,

​Chris Hlad​

p.s. if you loved this, forward it to a friend. if you hated this, forward it to an enemy. And if you're new, hit the big blue button below...

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How I Think

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