The Wrong Question to Ask when looking at people who have accomplished a goal you have set for yourself is, unfortunately, the one that’s asked the most frequently.
I recently recorded a TV documentary on the National Ironman Triathlon held in Hawaii every year. That goal is still on my bucket list, and as I watched, I found myself asking the wrong question almost immediately.
“How do they train for such an ultimate test of physical endurance?” The answer of course, lies in hundreds of training books and online resources. The first question out of people’s mouths when I lost 60 pounds in college was “How did you do that?” As for the goals and New Year’s Resolutions that you have set, it is easy to find out “how” to do something. As a matter of fact, you can find out “How” to do almost anything in the world with today’s technology; just ask “Google®.”
So, if “how” is the wrong question to ask, what is the right question? The short interview with the eighty five year old man racing in the Ironman brought me back to my senses. Before the “How?” question, a person should first ask “What or Why?”
“What drove him or Why was he able to train for such an ultimate test of physical endurance?” He has a simple life belief: “Go anaerobic once a day.” He believed in being active and pushing him self once a day into an anaerobic state while exercising.
“What drives me or Why am I training to run a 100-mile race?” For me, running is the most whole and complete personal experience. It is mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually fulfilling.
Buried within the “What and Why’s” are the BELIEFS that will bridge the gap between setting the goal to run an ironman, and learning “How” to do it from the hundreds of books out there. Everyone knows “How” to lose weight. The true challenge for people is that they are not connected enough to the “What and Why’s” that have allowed others to succeed, and adopted them as their own.
If you are struggling with your New Year’s Resolutions already, look at someone who has achieved those results. Don’t ask the wrong question “How have they accomplished it?” Instead, ask the right question: “What has driven them?” or “Why have they achieved this goal?” Seek out the beliefs that have allowed them to succeed and make them your own. And then ask, “How did they do it?”
“What could you accomplish this year that would be the most mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually fulfilling experience?” I run consistently because I believe that doing something that provides a whole and complete experience makes me a better husband, father, coach, and person.
Next time you hear someone ask “How did you do that?” ask the right question instead, identify those empowering beliefs, and make them your own. Then ask, “How did they do that?” and put those steps into action. Enjoy your Ironman!
To your continued success,
James
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