In the spring of 2000, in the aftermath of his worst-ever college wrestling season, which saw the Purdue University physical education major earn just eight wins against 31 defeats, Jon Fitch started documenting his workouts in a journal to keep himself accountable. In the opening chapter of his new book, Failing Upward/Death by Ego, he describes this undertaking as a way of re-committing himself to his craft, internalizing a more positive mindset and escaping the pitfalls of partying and toxic relationships. “You can lie to others,” Fitch reasoned, “but you can’t lie to yourself.”
Fitch’s initial journal entries, set out in first quarter of the book -- itself the first volume in an eventual four-part series -- are brief but revealing.