Why you shouldn’t skip the struggle

We’ve reached the final week of our F.O.O.L.S. series—five powerful reminders of what not to be if you’re serious about converting habits to skills in the Zone.

So far, we’ve exposed:

Now, to close out April, we focus on the most dangerous form of foolishness:

S – Skipping the Struggle

The struggle is where the separation happens.
It’s where habits are tested and skills are born.
To skip the struggle is to skip the growth.
And only fools think they can level up without getting low first.

The Truth About the Struggle

Struggle doesn’t mean something is wrong.
Struggle means something real is happening.

In the conversion phase, the Zone, you’re not just repeating drills—you’re simulating pressure. You’re training your body and your brain to be calm in chaos. You’re forging skills.

Skill isn’t built on ease. It’s built on effort, execution and exhaustion. It’s built when the voice in your head says “quit” and you respond with, “keep going.”

Why Players Try to Skip the Struggle

Let’s call it what it is:

They want the spotlight without the sweat.
They want the contract without the commitment.
They want the jersey, the ranking, the following—but not the fight.

In today’s pay-to-play travel baseball system, you can literally pay to avoid the process. Players jump from team to team the moment they face adversity, and parents enable it because struggle has been mistaken for a sign of poor coaching or failure.

But the truth is this:

Struggle is not a punishment. It’s a path.

And if you skip it, you stay stuck. Period.

The Science of Skill-Building Under Stress

Let’s revisit the framework:

Talent = What you do well
Habits = What you do well repeatedly without thought
Skills = What you do well repeatedly without thought while under stress

Struggle is where the stress gets introduced.
You need it to strengthen your habits into skills.

Without struggle:

You don’t learn to adjust.
You don’t discover your limits.
You don’t know what you’re made of.

Fools fear the fire. Professionals feed off of it.

The Global Game is Coming

As I’ve said before, Major League Baseball is expanding. I predict we’ll see teams based outside North America within the next five to eight years. A worldwide MLB draft will shift the game permanently.

The competition will be more fierce. The evaluation will be more honest. The performance bar will be raised.

There will be no room for fools.
No space for players who haven’t struggled.
No market for those who paid for reps but didn’t train for reality.

If you’re not built for the struggle, you won’t survive the system.

How to Embrace the Struggle in the Zone

Acknowledge it – Say it out loud: “This is hard.” It should be.
Don’t numb it – Don’t escape with excuses. Lean in.
Document it – Keep track of what you learned when it hurts.
Share it – Let your coaches and teammates in on the journey.
Train through it – Use the pressure to level up your mindset and your method.

From Foolishness to Fortitude

This series wasn’t just about calling players out—it was about calling them up.

Because we’ve all been foolish.
I’ve been foolish.
I coached foolishly. I moved foolishly. I avoided struggle.

But I learned this:

The struggle isn’t the enemy—it’s the education.
The Zone is where boys become ballplayers.
And only fools skip class.

The F.O.O.L.S. Series

F – Failure Without Feedback
O – Overthinking the Outcome
O – Operating Outside of Structure
L – Lacking Leadership
S – Skipping the Struggle

Print it. Post it. Remember it.

Because in this game, especially as it goes global, skills pay bills—and foolishness gets you cut.

The struggle is sacred. If you’re in it, you’re growing. Don’t skip it. Don’t run from it. Don’t fear it. Only fools skip the struggle.

Be smarter than that.

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today.

If you found this inspiring and thought-provoking, or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, add me on Discord and let’s go deeper.

C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.