If you're going to quit, do it tomorrow 🧨

Happy Thursday Three!

Here are this week's coaching tip, exercise tutorial and question to ponder for the week.

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I. Keeping your world small.

I learned the hard way what happens when you let your world get too big!

My legs and lungs were burning as I struggled to keep pace. The main group was barely visible in the distance as I fell further and further behind.

"You gonna quit Stumpe?" Bellowed the training staff. "No staff!" I instinctively shouted back. "Well ******* get on with it then! Drop back anymore, and you're done!" He barked back.

I had spent the last 18 months training for this opportunity and was about to blow it.

This was our final confirmation exercise, where we had two days to prove that we had what it takes to attend the infamous two-week "Reserve Forces Commando course." in Lympstone. The final part of the course being the four commando tests, one of which was a 9-mile speed march, just like the one I was struggling with now.

I still had a few miles to go, and I was falling behind badly. I could hear the training team's transit van creeping up behind me. The "wrap wagon", as it was known, was not where I wanted to be, getting in meant failure.

All I could think about was how if I couldn't do this run now, I had no chance of passing it on the commando course. It was further, and I would be even more tired. I just kept thinking about all the hurdles I had yet to overcome, and my world kept getting bigger and bigger!

I first had to pass the week-long field exercise without any major injuries or screw-ups, then the cliff assaults and abseiling training, and then pass the first commando test, the endurance course. Only then would I get to the 9-mile speed march. After that, I still had the Tarzan assault course and the infamous 30-miler to contend with. Problem after problem stacking up against me.

I'm not sure what snapped me out of it, but I finally decided I was going to quit, but not today. I was at least going to finish this run. Quitting tomorrow versus today doesn't sound like a winning mindset, but in that moment, my world went from being a mountain of problems to just ONE. Finish this speed march.

With gritted teeth, off I went. I focused on catching up to the next guy who had fallen behind. Then I repeated again and again until slowly but surely, I finally caught up and rejoined the group to finish just before the cutoff time.

Funny enough, once I had finished and stopped feeling sorry for myself, the idea of quitting soon faded away. I had simply gotten overwhelmed and let my world get too big. I started worrying about problems before they were even problems. A big world equals big problems.

We are all capable of doing it. We get overwhelmed, start catastrophising all the what-ifs and roadblocks, and talk ourselves out of action and into inaction.

If you find yourself stuck in a big world, zoom in and find that one thing you can deal with now. Shrink your world to that one thing. For me, it was catching up to the next guy, and if you're thinking about quitting, fine, but do it tomorrow!

Oh, and in case you're interested, when I finally got to the 9-mile speed march on the commando course, it certainly wasn't easy, but I ran it with no issues, never falling behind.

II. Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is a high-value exercise that gives you a lot of bang for your buck. It strengthens your back, core, legs and glutes.

It challenges your strength and your cardio.

You can go heavy for low reps or go lighter for high reps. You can do it one-handed or two. .

For a quick demo and walkthrough, check it out here...

III. Quote to ponder

"There are more things likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality." - Seneca

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P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, share it with a friend.

Thanks,

Jamie