I Hate It When I Hear This...

A close friend said this four years ago, and it stuck with me:

“I Hate When People Lose and Say They Tried Their Best.”

I remember feeling defensive. People try their best. they fail, sure, but that doesn’t make them mediocre, right?

At the time, I brushed it off. But those words lived in the back of my mind, quietly reshaping how I saw effort, failure, and the fine line between good and great.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: Showing up isn’t enough.

You can’t just be someone who’s there. Presence alone won’t move the needle. It’s a foundation, yes, but it’s not the thing that separates you.

Winning requires something else. Something uncomfortable.

And it starts with looking at effort differently.

What It Means to “Try Your Best”

We love telling ourselves we “tried our best” because it lets us off the hook.

It’s a comforting shield against the sting of falling short. But did we really?

Because here’s the real question:

Did you give your best effort, or just the most effort you were willing to give?

There’s a difference.

Most people never operate at their actual peak because peak effort is painful. It demands more than what feels reasonable.

It means pushing past the point where your brain begs for relief.

It means showing up when every cell in your body is making a case for why you don’t need to.

It means setting a new standard for what “best” actually means.

Why It Matters

I realized this the hard way.

When you have skin in the game—when you’re building something that matters—you quickly learn that mediocrity is unforgiving.

Winning and losing aren’t just outcomes. They’re habits.

Because the truth is:

📌 Winning forces you to embrace failure.

You can’t love the thrill of success without learning to live with the weight of falling short.

📌 Effort isn’t optional—it’s everything.

Every win I’ve had was built on immense effort—and a long trail of losses.

I’ve sent 100 cold emails that never got a reply.

Some turned into opportunities. Most didn’t. But those opportunities wouldn’t have existed if I hadn’t kept trying.

📌 Your peak is what separates you.

Every day, I challenge myself:

• Can I run one more mile?

• Can I lift heavier?

• Can I push through the doubt and discomfort?

The answer is almost always yes—but only if I refuse to let my mind settle for less.

Last week, after six months, I finally broke my deadlift PR—198 lbs.

I didn’t think I could. But I went for it anyway.

And that’s the thing—most limits exist only until we decide to test them.

The Difference Between Showing Up & Giving Your Peak

Showing up makes you one of many.

Giving your peak makes you the only one in the room who can do what you do.

People who truly change things—who redefine what’s possible—don’t just show up.

They obsess. They chase something they can’t ignore. They live it, breathe it, build their lives around it.

Reminds me of Mamba Mentality:

“It’s about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy, and then trusting the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform.”

It’s about:

✔ Showing up when you want to the least.

✔ Overcoming self-doubt when it’s at its peak.

✔ Competing not with others, but with yourself—always raising the bar.

That’s how you become undeniable.

The Boring Stuff That Wins

People say “work isn’t everything.”

I get it. There’s life outside of work, outside of the chase.

But if you truly love something—whether it’s work, fitness, music, building a business—you don’t just “do it for a few hours a week.”

You live through it.

And winning is boring. The breakthroughs at 2 AM? Cool. The moments of sudden genius? Great.

But the real wins come from doing the same hard things, every single day, when no one’s watching.

For me, it’s:

📌 First 3 hours of deep work – non-negotiable.

📌 5-8 PM: My time (gym, reset, focus) – non-negotiable.

Is it boring? Maybe.

Do I enjoy it? Absolutely.

Because I love the feeling of being useful. Of making an impact—not just in my life, but in the lives of the people around me.

The Truth About Discipline

People say “discipline is hard.”

Maybe. But I don’t think about it like that anymore.

Because when you’re obsessed with something—when an idea won’t leave your mind, when you wake up thinking about it, when it’s the only thing you want to talk about—discipline doesn’t even feel like a factor.

You don’t need to force yourself to work on something you love.

You just do it.

And if someone tells me they can’t carve out an hour or two a day for what they claim to be passionate about?

I don’t think they love it enough. That’s the brutal truth.

The Bottom Line

Showing up is a baseline. Giving your peak is the standard.

If you’re chasing something—if you actually care—don’t just be present.

Show up like you’re the only one who can make it happen.

Trust the work. Push your limits. And when the time comes to perform, know that you’ve already done more than anyone else would.

That’s how you win. Bending the world to your will. Doing what needs to be done.

All I know is, a winner is just somebody who failed yet tried again.

That’s all for this week. I’ll catch you next Tuesday. 👋

– Kanishka