A frequently referenced blogger on
Trifuel.com made a bold statement in one of his posts last year: "Anyone can do an Ironman".
Let's think about this for a moment... ANYONE can do it?
Why yes of course,
anyone can do an Ironman race.
One needs only to see
Scott Rigsby(first double-amputee Ironman), to realize that the human body is capable of performing the most extraodinary feats that the mind can dream up. And that is exactly where your focus should be, if you wish to accomplish ANY big goal...especially an Ironman.
For the majority of people, it is not a matter of physical ability. If you don't believe that, let me remind you that there was a time that you couldn't crawl, a time that you couldn't walk, a time that you couldn't talk, a time that you couldn't even feed yourself! Over a period of time...you eventually overcame all of those challenges, with the help of both your parents and your own will to achieve.
What's the secret? By now I am sure you have figured out that to accomplish anything you set your mind to, you must focus squarely on one thing: COMMITMENT.
Your level of commitment will ultimately decide whether or not your goal will be realized. In the timeless words of the wise old sage, Yoda...."Do or do not, there is no try!".
You Must Declare ItSo now you're saying, "Okay, so I'll make my goal be to finish the Bay to Breakers 12K race in under 2 hours!"...and you're thinking that declaring this to the world in a firm and unwavering voice is the affirmation of your commitment to get it done.
In fact you would be right! Declaring your intention publicly is an excellent way to ensure that you are held accountable to, and are deeply vested in your goal. When you keep your goal to yourself, it is often too easy to "fudge" it, or even withdraw from it completely.
Granted you are still doing this for yourself, and no one else....but having more people aware of your objective creates a bigger expectation and can psychologically give you more motivation to get it done. But is this declaration enough?
It Must Be Deeply Important To YouOver 7 years ago, my soulmate and I took vows and openly made the commitment(there's that word again) to spend the rest of our lives together and to challenge the game of life as a team. So far we have met and overcome every challenge in life by working together, and to this day we can emphatically say that we have succeeded in keeping the promises we made to each other in 2001.
Why do I rely on the institution of marriage to illustrate this point? Because if you ask anyone who is married, the true commitment goes far beyond simply declaring your love for one another in front of all those people. It involves taking the time to learn, evolve, and more importantly sacrifice a lot of oneself to achieve a grander purpose. And on that note...
Dare To Dream HUGE
Before you make the commitment, size up your goal. Is it big enough? This question is not rhetorical, nor is it meant to be facetious. Choose a goal that is too fantastic, and your chances of success will be greatly diminished. Choose too small of a goal (e.g. a race distance you've already completed), and you will too easily allow yourself the luxury of "winging" it. Therefore you must pick something in between.
Go ahead...make a mountain out of a molehill. If your goal is a new activity that you've never tried before, it's probably the right thing for you to take baby steps before plunging into something huge.
Just remember that once you've conquered that molehill, it is NO LONGER a mountain. As far as you are concerned, it has just become a molehill.
Congratulations on your achievement! Time to move up to the next rung on the ladder! A good measure would be something 10%-20% longer than the longest race you've ever done. This gives you room to grow steadily, conquering each progressive milestone until you reach the peak of your capabilities.
Do Whatever It Takes
Now that you have set a sizable goal relative to your capabilities, you must recognize that the commitment necessary to achieve it will be just as big. Do not be afraid, as this should not be a source of anxiety for you, rather it must be a badge of honor that you proudly wear, knowing that the reward for all of your hard work justifies it.
This where the proof is in the pudding. Your level of commitment will be your guiding principle to ensure that you do whatever it takes to make your dream a reality. Having said that, are you committed to any or all of these?
- **Studying everything necessary to execute properly (technique guides, articles, training presentations, clinics). Knowing when, how, and who to turn to if you need help on improving.
- **Following a structured program, missing very few(if any) of the scheduled traning sessions day in and day out. This may require you to rearrange your schedule to fit everything in, but if your commitment is strong, you will find a way!
- **Using the right equipment, and learning how to properly and safely operate it so that at race time it is second nature. Never use new equipment or techniques on the day of your race!
- **Eating properly to ensure that the right fuel is used in the engine that will carry you to the finish line. If the owner's manual calls for 92 octane...don't even think about putting 87 in!
- **Doing things that help you achieve your goal, and declining or avoiding activities or invitations thereto that may hamper or even harm(yikes!) your chances of achieving your goal.
- **Communicating the importance of your goal to your loved ones and friends. The more you reinforce how important this goal is to you, the better they will be able to understand and support you through the various sacrifices of energy and time you will be making. This is all the more important if you are married or have children.
There Is Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself
So...are you afraid of commitment? Don't be. Just make it a point to do some soul-searching, take an inventory of how much you have available to give to this endeavor, and go through this process until you realize beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will not be denied the goal that you have chosen for yourself.
Only then will you be able to truly commit to achieve whatever monumental goal you wish for. For true commitment to a huge goal is something that requires careful thought and preparation if your dream is to become a reality.
