Anything worthwhile has two prerequisites: endurance and difficulty. It's going to take a long time and it's going to test you in more ways than you could imagine.
In April 2019, Nims Purja started the trek of what he called Project Possible. He set out to climb the fourteen highest peaks in the world in around seven months. The previous record was seven years. He wasn't just trying to break the record, Nims wanted to challenge the limits of mankind.
"A challenge of that magnitude, with a deadline of only half a year or so, might have sounded like madness to most people. But for me, it was an opportunity to prove the world that everything, anything, was possible if you dedicated your heart and mind to a plan."
Such a feat, like climbing the killer mountains of Everest, K2, and Makalu, within a short time with little regard for weather and storms, was a near-death wish. To climb a couple in that time frame was reasonable. To do all fourteen, simply impossible.
To supplement the stress, Nims didn't have the financial resources to fund the trip, requiring him to refinance his house, putting his family in financial ruin if he failed.
That stress, that burden, hung on his shoulders. Every time he left on an expedition, every moment he was getting tired and wanted to stop, the pressure of it all was used for him. He would close his eyes and do the following practice,
"I saw myself a year down the line, fuming at my inability to pull through at the end. I thought of the people who had put their faith in me, the friends I had made along the way. And most of all, I considered Suchi [his wife] and the family. They needed me to get back. Finally, I envisioned the finish line, my ascent on Shishapangma and the reception in Kathmandu as the world learned of my successes. The fog of despair was lifting."
Michael Jordan did a similar thing after getting cut from his JV basketball team in high school.
The following days, weeks, months, and years, Jordan found himself in the Laney High School gym every morning working on his game. He had weaknesses to fix, skills to add, and a hunger to satisfy.
But there were times when he wanted to quit. After an hour or so, as he was dripping in sweat and the mental demons were making their presence telling him to stop, he would undergo a powerful practice:
"Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it, and that usually got me going again."
Jordan closed his eyes and used the past suffering and heartbreaks to fuel his fire. It gave him that extra push to keep going, and it was those extra hours of work after he wanted to quit that turned Jordan into a six-time NBA championship and the greatest to ever play the game.
Closing his eyes is what helped Nims turn project posssible into a reality, climbing all fourteen peaks in just over six months.
Whenever you want to quit or stop or give up and give in, take a moment to see the darkness and just imagine.
Imagine the pain of regret if you stopped or the feelings of joy if you kept going.
Imagine all the lives you could impact if you didn’t stop.
Imagine all the people counting on you; all the people you represent.
Imagine the struggles and obstacles and challenges you’ve been through.
By closing your eyes, you keep your eyes on the prize.
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You can check out the podcast on Nims Purja and Michael Jordan for a deeper dive into their lives.
You can check out other episodes of the Greatness Podcast, where I dive into the lives and stories of the world's greatest individuals.
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