Why would any sane person want to try to accomplish the “impossible?” On July 25 2015, against all odds, James Lawrence, the “Iron Cowboy”, achieved the amazing goal on completing 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 days in 50 states! Self-described as a guy with limited genetic gifts, limited physical abilities, and limited resources… who peaked in high school. He could have gone from Seattle to Miami and back with still 430 miles left to go after completing this feat.
It’s an amazing story of how he kept going despite wanting to call it quits on the 3rd day… from sleep deprivation, blistered feet, and saddle sores so painful he could barely sit. 50 consecutive triathlons seem impossible. So how did he do it? He focused on the “whys.”
He found out quickly that one “why” wasn’t enough with 40 other reasons to quit every day. It’s easy to find reasons to quit. James kept a “bag full of whys” and refilled it daily. His motivations were varied: like his 12 year old daughter who ran the 5Ks with him until the end of the 50, the hugs at the end of the triathlons, the foundation he was raising money for, the donors, and even the haters that wanted him to fail. He said if he only had 1 why, he would’ve eventually quit.
Simply put, your reasons to keep going have to outnumber your reasons to quit. To accomplish the impossible, there are no shortages of “WHY.”
A bag of “WHYS”
