Lessons Learned From My 100 Miles Goggins Challenge
Here’re the 7 lessons I learned that can help you forge more resilience & discipline:
1. Keep the promise to yourself
Like New Year's resolutions, how often do we make plans only to give up when faced with the first obstacle?
But what happens when you deliver on your plans?
You become who you aspire to be and that's the most important promise to keep.
2. Find a bigger purpose
As a parent and as a leader at work, it's never about you, but it's all on you.
My purpose is to be The Example for my 6 kids.
Lacing up my running shoes when the storm hit outside showed them that pursuing your dreams requires sacrifice + hard work.
3. Invite adversity into your life
Life will always throw curveballs, for example, last-minute work deadlines or a child getting ill.
If you try and shy away from adversity you won't be prepared when it comes.
Instead, sign up for something scary and overcome the obstacles.
4. Define your limits, then shatter them
I'd never run further than 35 miles in a week.
That was my limit.
It was scary facing a distance 3x longer, but I was determined to not listen to my self-limiting beliefs and just go out and see: how far can I push the envelope?
5. Know that you will succeed, deep in your heart
When you want to forge more resilience, you got to go out and test yourself.
But you need to find something that has a high chance of failure.
Your secret weapon becomes your belief with every fibre that you'll be victorious.
6. Finish strong vs finish well
When I did Goggins the first time round (4x4x48) my last run was the fastest one.
Not this time.
I was utterly depleted.
I couldn't finish strong. But I could finish well, knowing I'd forged a stronger version of myself in the process.
7. Be your own hero
No one was out there running with me in the rain at night.
It was all on me to complete each of the 25 4-mile runs, no matter how I felt or the weather conditions.
And after each run I took a minute to acknowledge a growing sensation: I was proud of myself.
