So what makes the impossible, possible? For years, so many athletes had tried and failed to run a mile in less than four minutes that people made it out to be a physical impossibility. For more than a decade the world record for the mile had remained stuck at 4:01. Many thought it unbreakable, and dozens of medical journals reported that it was physiologically impossible for the human body to break through the barrier. In 1954, after more than ten years of various athletes trying, Roger Bannister, a medical student from Oxford, broke that impossible barrier. Articles had been written that breaking the barrier would cause such oxygen deprivation that it would result in death to attempt it. Bannister’s world record in the mile did not stand long, and the record continued to be lowered with increasingly controlled climatic and surface conditions, more accurate timing devices, and improvements in training and running techniques. The “sub-four” is still a notable time, but top international runners now routinely accomplish the feat and now the record stands at 3:43.13…
I failed at completing the P90X3 90 Day Challenge about 6 times before I finally figured out how to beat it. Since then I have beaten it over a half dozen times. Impossible mountains get climbed; challenges overcome. Honnold climbed El Capitan on the Freerider Route without ropes in a seemingly impossible feat and now several climbers are training to do the same. It seems like once a challenge falls, then people line up to try it. In September of 2019 I watched as Matt Zhang did 30 Murphs in 30 days, after 8 months of thinking about it, training for it and then going all out, I finished the same feat at the end of June 2020. Now there are dozens of pages, videos, blogs and videos out there with people easily accomplishing it… How is this possible?
All these example have one thing in common: Average people will tell you, “that’s not possible…” I like to hear that uttered. It catches my attention and perks me right up like a triple espresso… “Can’t be done” means one thing to me: Hide and fucking watch because I know that somewhere out there is a person training for it, focusing on it, attempting it for the fifth time… If the Wright Bothers had listened to the naysayers, we would still be on boats to get to Europe. instead they started a scientific revolution that took us to the moon and now, Elon Musk is planning a crewed journey to Mars. Yeah, flying is impossible…
How are these things possible? Clearly, positive thoughts like “I can climb El Capitan Freedrider Route with no ropes” are much more powerful than the negative statement “Attempting El Cap without ropes is not only stupid, but it also isn’t possible…” Well, apparently Alex Honnold is stupid. Not only is he stupid, but he is also now famous, the star of an academy award winning documentary and probably one of the most inspirational characters of our time. These negative statements tell us quite a bit about the people who make them. Do you think that the person who utters “that’s not possible” will attempt it? When I saw Zhang do 30 Murphs in 30 Days my only thought was, I can do that… Now listen, it took 8 months of training, mental preparation and focus to attempt it. Alex Honnold climbed El Cap after literally years of training, memorizing the route and prepping for the 3,000 foot climb. These feats of strength, stamina and skill take hundreds of hours to prep for and I think that is why the average person just finalizes their decision so quickly. The average person doesn’t have the discipline, courage, or the drive to step up and declare “Yeah, I can do that…” Reason numero uno: Negative mindset is easier than prepping mentally and physically… Don’t mistake “It cannot be done” with “I don’t want to…”
Right on the heels of negativity? Belief… World records are not set by people who doubt themselves… In our culture, belief in yourself is great, but don’t take it too far… Beat your addiction? Perfect! Did you get a job? Wonderful! Change the way the world looks at something? Well, don’t get excited there cowboy… Luckily, nobody convinced Steve Jobs that his vision to change the way people communicate was a little bit too much… How narcissistic to think that your name would become synonymous with communication… Jobs believed in himself and he believed in the people around him.
When I stepped up to the plate for my 30 in 30 Challenge, I had a little trepidation and at one point, I quit… I laid in the floor underneath the pull-up bar and cried… Then I gathered my anger at myself, turned it back into belief in myself and I did it. The day before he successfully bested El Cap, Honnold failed. He got part way up and said, I can’t do this, and he came down… The next day, he stepped up, envisioned it, and did it…
You need a vision. Visualize yourself speaking French and you will speak French. Visualize yourself playing guitar, put your mind in learning mode and I guarantee that in a month you will be shocking yourself. Believe in yourself and anything is possible. If you step up to the bar and “hope” you can, you are already defeated… If you approach your diet with “gee whiz I hope I can stop myself from overeating…” then you are standing in the way of a train, hoping it will swerve… Trains don’t swerve and hope isn’t a mindset, it’s a wish… Remember my grandpa? “Wish in one hand, shit in the other and see which gets fullest fastest.” To conquer, you must believe you can. Reason numero dos: Belief is paramount. Don’t mistake “It cannot be done” with “I don’t believe in myself…”
Lastly… It just boils down to simple discipline. Learning is painful, time consuming and tedious at times. That’s why I challenged myself to play my guitar every single day for 90 days. My fingers were sore for a week, and if you want the truth, that first few days, I hated that thing… Picked it up anyway. Disciplined myself to practice even though the twangs, buzzes and missed chords hurt my soul. Did it behind closed doors because I know how it sounded. A few nights ago, played a riff of “You” by The Pretty Reckless, recorded it and sent it to a few folks… Why? Because I was proud that that the song was recognizable… Yesterday I got closer to a mistake free session… Why? Because I practiced, because I had the discipline to play every day whether or not “I felt like it…” One of my favorite all time quotes is from comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan… “If I only worked out when I felt like it, I would be a fat motherfucker…” Internalize that and swish it around in your mouth a little… So now I can say, if I only played guitar when I felt it, my guitar would be a dusty motherfucker… So third reason: Do not mistake “That’s not possible” with “I’m too fucking lazy to do it…”
There… Now you know why these impossible feats become possible. Ditch your excuses… Saying shit like “there isn’t enough time in the day to exercise...” is just another way of saying “I don’t want to…”
Whatever your goals, whatever your desire to learn, do or be… Stop the negativity, believe you can and for the love of god, get off your ass and stop being lazy about it. Imagine a better you, believe in a better you and get to work!
Oh, my 90 Day Personal Challenge to better myself? Fuck… I’m Killing it… Thanks for asking…
Have a day…
Love ya! Mean it!
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