BIG Goals & the Magic of Hard Work

Last September, my husband Mark completed his second Ironman in Cambridge, Maryland.

When he was contemplating signing up for his first one at Lake Placid in 2018, I’m not sure he ever thought he could do it.

I must admit I was quite worried about him trying. Putting your body through 140 miles of exertion didn’t sound, ironically to me, so healthy.

But with the encouragement of a couple triathlon friends at the gym, he decided he was willing to try. Lots of hours of training were tallied. He was committed and consistent. He had a community of support.

And he did it! And did it well.

At the end of his 2nd race last year, he was ready to close this chapter.

But my daughter, Eliza, had another plan formulating in her head.

She was volunteering at the Ironman race, and swept into the magic of the event, understanding and admiring the perseverance and hard work required for such a daunting achievement.

She was also taking in how meaningful this achievement was. She observed the look of elation that washed over the racer’s faces when they crossed the finish line, realizing they had done it. It was a BIG DEAL.

And I think in that moment she realized not to be afraid or dismissive of “big goals” - and that life’s greatest rewards take a lot of hard work.

Shortly after Mark crossed the finish line, she got in front of him. “Dad, this can’t be your last race. You have to do one with me.”

And how can a Dad say no to that? Well, he couldn’t. Eliza promptly found a race, a half Ironman (70.3 miles) in Laconia, New Hampshire, a year later.

And that just happened this past weekend. I must say I was pretty dang proud of these two.

Competing in an Ironman is a huge, lofty goal. Most people (including me) would think “I could never do that.”

But every big goal is overwhelming if you just let it sit there as a huge goal.

Too big to wrap our minds around. So hard to take the first step.

So we take the path of less resistance, and talk ourselves out of trying. And move on. And while it may nag at us from time to time, we forget about it.

Before you dismiss a particular goal as “too big,” or unachievable, think about:

How important is this goal to me and why?

What would it feel like to accomplish this goal?

If those answers are enough to get you curious and open-minded about the goal in front of you, take the next step … and start figuring out what the doing is going to look like.

Tackling that huge hurdle, like all the big goals in life, is figuring out how to break it down.

One step at a time, one day at a time.

Some days may be rougher or more challenging than others. But with consistent focus, you learn that you can do it.

And guess what comes from taking that first step? Confidence - something that is not innate, but builds over time.

Confidence is a result of taking that first step and then the next. The “doing” propels us along. The “doing” builds our confidence.

So to embrace this mindset of expansion … when you’re thinking about the possibilities, remember:

• We can all do the HARD THINGS. We just need to take the time to put a thoughtful game plan in place.
  

• Believe in yourself. Because anything is possible when you put your mind to it.
  

• Find your community. Big goals require a support network. It keeps you going and accountable when you get frustrated or stuck.

As a cheerleader at three of these races, I’ve realized that anyone of us, with the right mindset, can accomplish these big lofty goals.

What differentiates an Ironman is the power of his/her mindset - not their physique or their age.

What they share in common is the strength of their conviction to succeed. Because they know they’ve put in the hard work. Day by day.

And out of all of that, strong bodies develop that get you through one heck of an arduous race.

I can remember being at the first Lake Placid Ironman. Lake Placid is notorious for its racers, who after finishing, stay in the stands at the finish line, cheering on everyone else.

It was late, and midnight was approaching. Midnight is the cut off for the race. If you don’t make it in before then, you are disqualified. And keep in mind that at midnight, races have been in motion since 7AM - a full 17 hours.

The announcer was telling the stories of some of the competitors. Many were profound. What mostly made them profound was the commitment to keep trying, and not giving up.

You can’t imagine how emotional it was to witness an 80-year old man, in his third attempt at completing an Ironman, get over the finish line just in the nick of time.

There weren’t too many dry eyes in the crowd … and of course deafening applause.

So where do we end this?

No, I’m not saying that we should all go sign up for an Ironman. I just want you to believe that if you had any interest in doing it, that you absolutely could achieve it.

When it comes to our exercise routine, sometimes it's helpful to have a reach goal. Something to sign up for to motivate us to get out there and get it done.

So think about what appeals to you. A 5K? A commitment to 30 days of yoga or walking 60 miles in a month? A marathon? Joining a golf league or paddle tennis league?

Think about making it a bit bigger than what you normally would do.

It can be anything. But just try to dismiss the notion that you can’t do something, whatever it is. Because you can, as soon as you put your mind to it.

I’ve never been a runner … but I’m in a family who likes to run. So I’m signing up for the 5k Turkey Trot at Thanksgiving.

It’s not an Ironman, but I’m still going to have to turn my happy walker self into a runner. Not a walk/runner, which I've mastered. So while many of you probably could run a 5k in your sleep, for me it will be a notable achievement. And hopefully from there it will grow. Another reach goal will replace the original one.

It's all personal. Figuring out what fits for you.

And that’s all that matters. Commitment to achieving a goal, breaking down the work, and getting it done.