Train for the Pain
Say Yes & Push Through
For those who have been following me for a while now, you would be familiar with the 80% wall concept, meaning that on a career continuum we parallel the experiences of elite athletes. We hit a wall, it hurts and very few of us break through that wall to run that final 20% of the race, where it is less crowded and more pleasurable. Elite athletes push through that wall but very few regular career dwellers or business owners do.
Humans don’t like pain. Humans like to avoid pain. Elite athletes and dancers, navy seals and ‘Top Gun’ pilots don’t like pain either but they train for the pain. In addition, they pack mentors, coaches and team members into their kit bags before they set off as they know that these are the people who will help them sidestep the sharks, the landmines, the knee pain and the altitude sickness to give them the updraft and momentum that eases the pain and pushes them through.
From The Mouths Of The Elite On Pain
A world champion triathlete Chrissie Wellington upon being interviewed said, "Come race day, I never think, “this is going to be a perfect race, and it isn’t going to be painful.” Her advice? “Expect it will be painful and have faith in yourself that you will overcome those dark times.”
I interviewed my own elite performer for this article. I asked my son, an elite dancer, currently studying in a pre-professional program in New Zealand, what keeps you going? What has kept you going all these years? "I don’t know. Yes, I definitely need my coaches, my team mates, that’s a given, but it is also the thought of, this has to be done, there is no way around it. It’s like that We’re Going on a Bear Hunt song. You can’t go under it, you can’t go around it, you’ve got to go through it. I think, oh no, there is a Performance and it’s two weeks out and I think, it’s too much, but then I think, the only way is through, there is no way around it and I get into the zone, into that flow and I do it"
From The Mouths Of The Elite On Mentors & Momentum
Jack Welch, in his book Winning, cites that business is like a game. It has players, pain and rhythm. You must surround yourself with mentors. They are the people who cheer you on, give you the momentum and challenge you in equal measure. (I would argue they can help to numb the pain).
Clearly, Jack has proven himself to be in that top 20% zone. Although the book is now somewhat dated and the way we work in workplaces has changed since the book’s publication, there are still some true gems worth mining for as you skim read the book. (Perhaps you stumble across the book in a second-hand book store, you flick through the pages and some of Jack’s gems fly out at you).
From Seals to Pilots
Admiral William H McRaven, former Navy SEAL at a University of Texas 2014 Commencement Speech, left the graduates with a memorable piece of advice: “If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.” He elaborates by saying that any time a Navy SEAL wants to quit their training and leave, all they have to do is go up to the bell and ring it. “What is your bell? Let it be our last breath and let each of us have a life worth living”.
Given I am asking you to ponder on the grit of Navy Seals, let’s move on to the iconic Top Gun movie and its recent sequel. The protagonist moves us through stories of pain and gives us glimpses of what it’s like to live in that less crowded top zone. (My sidebar question for you, what’s not to love about the wingman theme that features so heavily in both movies? Perhaps this will be the essence of a future blog post i.e. the importance of wingmen in your life).
Italian composer, Georgio Moroder, when penning the lyrics for ‘Danger Zone’ the theme song for the original movie, provides us with a key message – a one liner hidden in the middle of 6 verses. “You’ll never know what you can do until you get it up as high as you can go”.
In closing then, aim high, push through, definitely don’t ring the bell, surround yourself with mentors, cheerleaders and wingmen. Train for the pain and I’ll see you in the zone.
First written in 2017. Edited and republished in 2023.