5 steps that will help you achieve anything

Justin and I attended a @HEAVYCHEF masterclass with Ryan Stramrood (@STRAMMIE) last week, on grit. Ryan has an astounding story to tell – what he has achieved is nothing short of incredible. However, what we really learnt from this is that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. Ryan is an ordinary bloke (no really, he is, I’ve known him most of my life). But he has grit. Loads of it.

So this past week we pushed through 10,000 pushups for November. Nothing quite like swimming an ice-mile in Antarctica, but I’m stoked. It took consistency, effort, a bit of pain, and a little grit. And I learnt a bit about myself, and about how to get things done:

• IF IT SEEMS UNMANAGEABLE, BREAK IT INTO SMALLER PIECES. 10,000 PUSHUPS IS INSURMOUNTABLE, 25 PUSHUPS AN HOUR IS A PIECE OF CAKE
• YOU HAVE TO START SOMETIME, MIGHT AS WELL BE NOW. LIKE RIGHT NOW. DO IT.
• CONSISTENCY IS EVERYTHING. YOU WILL THINK OF EVERY EXCUSE IN THE BOOK TO STOP, TO TAKE A BREAK, TO NOT DO IT TODAY. LEARN TO RECOGNISE THIS, GET ANGRY, AND TELL THAT VOICE WHERE TO GET OFF.
• THE TORTOISE BEATS THE HARE, EVERY TIME. IT’S THE SCOTT VS AMUNDSEN THEORY. SCOTT SAT OUT THE BAD WEATHER, AND PUSHED AS HARD AS HE COULD ON THE GOOD DAYS. AMUNDSEN GOT UP EVERY DAY AND DID A LITTLE BIT. AMUNDSEN WON, SCOTT DIED. IN OUR PUSHUP CHALLENGE OUR MATE DAVE CLOCKED 1,100 PUSHUPS IN A SINGLE FRIDAY, BUT HE WAS BROKEN AND DID NONE ON SATURDAY AND 60 ON SUNDAY. I DID 400 ON FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY (AND PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY)
• YOU NEED A CLEAR GOAL THAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE. DOING ANYTHING REALLY WELL OR EXTRAORDINARY REQUIRES LONG TERM COMMITMENT. IT’S DAY IN, DAY OUT. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO IMAGINE THE END GOAL SOMETIMES TO GET YOU THROUGH THE DARK DAYS.

And don’t forget to celebrate! Not only the end goal, but the little victories, the hurdles you get over every day. Pat yourself on the back, you deserve it.

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