Muhammad Ali: Pain Is the Shortcut

Today’s athlete in focus is Muhammad Ali. Even years after his last fight, his name still means “The Greatest. " He was quick on his feet, knew how to put on a show, and had a mindset that made him unstoppable.

His lessons go beyond boxing. They can change the way you think about your sport and your life.

In this edition:

• We break down how Muhammad Ali became the greatest and why his mindset mattered more than his talent.

• We reveal the small habits that make or break an athlete and why skipping the little things comes back to haunt you.

• We share Ali’s ultimate lesson on pain, willpower, and what separates champions from everyone else. 

— Paco Raven, Editor & Founder

Will Over Skill

Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxers of all time. He won the heavyweight title three times, the first to do so, and successfully defended it 19 times.

A gold medalist in Rome, the face of legendary fights like The Rumble in the Jungle and The Thrilla in Manila. But what made Ali Ali wasn’t just his skill. It was his will.

Ali believed talent alone wasn’t enough. He fought men who were bigger, stronger, and younger.

But when the punches got heavy and exhaustion set in, it wasn’t power that decided the fight. It was who could push further.

Every athlete knows skill matters. But what carries you through when your legs are dead in the final minutes, when your lungs burn in the last sprint, when you’ve missed five shots in a row? That’s your will.

Ali took punches from George Foreman for eight rounds, letting Foreman tire himself out. He waited, suffered, and when the moment was right. He struck.

He won because his will was stronger than his suffering. When the will to win is strong, you can bear almost everything.

Know why you want to win and double down on that. That is what will make you a champion.

So when the moment comes when you want to quit, ask yourself: What’s stronger? Your skill or your will?

Small Habits, Big Consequences

Muhammad Ali knew that big goals don’t break you. It’s the small promises you break to yourself that do. Skipping the last set. Cutting a sprint short.

Stopping a mile early because your legs are screaming. It doesn’t seem like much in the moment. But it adds up.

Because when the real test comes; when you're in the final round, the last stretch, the dying seconds of the game.

Your body will remember. It’ll remember that you quit when it got hard. That when the pain sets in, you take the easy way. And in that moment, doubt creeps in.

Ali’s lesson? No matter how small a commitment may seem, fulfill it. Even if you have to slow down. Even if it’s ugly.

Because every time you cut corners, you plant a seed of doubt. And one day, when everything is on the line, that doubt will show up.

So the next time you feel like stopping early. Remind yourself you’re not just training your body.

You’re training your mind. And the habits you build now? They’ll decide who you are when it matters most.

Champions Train in the Dark

Muhammad Ali didn’t just show up on fight night expecting to win. The real battle happened when no one was watching.

The early morning roadwork, the rounds of sparring that left him gasping, the endless hours sharpening every move.

By the time he stepped into the ring, the work was already done. That’s what separates good from great.

Anyone can turn it on when the crowd is watching. But champions? They put in the work when no one is clapping.

Ask yourself and answer truthfully. Do you push just as hard in an empty gym as you would in front of a full stadium?

Do you finish every drill like it’s game day, or do you let yourself coast because “no one will know”?

Because when the moment comes, when the lights are on and the pressure is real. You won’t rise to the occasion.

You’ll fall to the level of your preparation. And if you haven’t put in the hours, there’s nowhere to hide.

Ali’s lesson is simple: success isn’t built in the spotlight. It’s built in the dark, in the quiet, in the moments when quitting would be easy.

Champions win long before the fight even begins.

Muhammad Ali’s lesson on pain

Pain is the signal that separates winners from everyone else. Most people run from it. Ali ran toward it. He didn’t stop when it hurt. He started.

That’s when progress happens. When the body wants to quit, but the mind refuses.

Anyone can train hard when it’s easy. But champions push past that moment when everyone else slows down.

That’s the shift you have to make. You have to stop avoiding pain and start chasing it. Maybe even embracing it.

Because pain isn’t the enemy. It’s the proof that you’re stepping into a level most will never reach.

Your instincts tell you to stop, to stay comfortable, to survive. But survival won’t make you great.

You have to rewire your mind to see pain as progress. To lean into it, not away.

Next time you feel the burn, don’t just endure it. Welcome it. That’s where the real work begins. That’s where champions are made.

Thank you for reading.

Next Monday, we are back with a new Q&A edition.

Have a question of your own? We’d love to hear it! Just send it to [email protected], and you might see it featured here in a future edition.

And if you missed last Monday’'s Q&A edition on building power that will last a full game, read it here.

Until next week,
Paco Raven, Editor & Founder
The Stoiclete