Never Give Up

This past Saturday, I participated in the Utah Half Ironman Triathlon. I had been preparing for many months and had my race day plan; I was eager to test my physical and mental fortitude. And boy did I.

After a better than expected 1.2 mile swim, I set off on the 56-mile bike course. But with 10 miles or so left, my quads started to lock up and cramp. I struggled just getting off the bike and thought my day was over; the thought of running 13 miles seemed nearly impossible. Faced with what seemed like an insurmountable challenge, I thought, “Let’s just see how it goes the first mile.” I’m confident anyone watching me thought that guy will never make it. But I thought of my family and friends cheering me on and kept going. I dug deep and before long realized I was passing the three-mile marker and my pace had picked up. I was running again.

Physically I thought I was done quite a few times, but mentally I wanted to succeed—so I persevered and kept going. In business and in life, we often face what seems like insurmountable obstacles that test all of our preparation and training. Should we give up? I say never. To succeed in life, and a triathlon, it takes preparation and a game plan. And when I hit some road bumps, I made adjustments, refueled, dug deep, and kept going.

Believe it or not, finishing that race gave me confidence to try again even harder the next time. I will train better and smarter, and now my experience will come into play to help me through the hard times. I have worked with many of you and know that during these tough times, you can and will prepare, work hard, dig deep, build your business by following your game plan. Take time to re-evaluate and refocus. Turn to a mentor and loving family and friends. And mostly, never give up.