— Gary Ryan Blair
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer knew what he was talking about when he said…
“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.”
It’s a tough job separating truth from legend, however I’ve found that all breakthroughs are the result of questioning conventional beliefs and accepted norms…and forging new paths ahead.
In the past, I’ve debunked the story of the Tortoise and the Hare…I’ve successfully demonstrated how you can Transform Your Life in Just 100 Days …and I’ve proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Patience is Not a Virtue when it comes to your goals and dreams.
With each new post…the same three stages present themselves. I expect the same pattern to take place today as it’s my objective to expose the fallacy of the statement Life is a Marathon, Not a Sprint.
Let’s start by having a close look under the belly of this false belief and ask:
“Where did you first learn this idea that life is a marathon nonsense, how long has it been reinforced…and what impact has this false and limiting belief had on your lifetime results?”
The truth is…from the moment you were born, you were unwittingly in the process of being indoctrinated into a multi-generational conspiracy designed to encourage conformity, instill self-doubt, and discourage original thought.
Throughout your entire life…you’ve been groomed, molded, and patterned to fit into the narrow and self-serving interests (ideology) of a particular group, company, institution, clothing line or party.
Since you were knee-high to a grasshopper, you’ve been told to…
Sit still. Stand in line. Keep your head down. Follow the rules. Do as you’re told. Play it safe. Don’t risk it. Wait your turn. Ask permission. Stop asking questions. Slow down…Life is Marathon, Not a Sprint.
I’ve got a news flash for you…this is terrible advice because it opens the door to procrastination, excuse making and all kinds of diversionary behavior which only succeed in sabotaging your chances of accelerating your results and enjoying the massively abundant fruits of life.
It implies that you have a long time to accomplish our goals. You don’t.
You have no choice but to accept the reality that you’re playing a high stakes game of ONE AND DONE.
You have exactly one life in which to do everything you’ll ever do. There are no do-overs, you will not receive a second chance…either use this life well or lose it.
That’s why it’s in your best interest to wake up to the truth that life is best viewed as a series of high-performance sprints, not a lengthy marathon.
Let’s face it… we live in a world of accelerated change and exponential growth. Technology is multiplying our capabilities as a civilization…yet, too many of us operate with antiquated beliefs, out-dated tactics and inferior execution skills.
Rather than adapt to the demands of change and accept the idea that short term-high performance sprints are the way to go by developing super fast reflexes and quick strike capabilities…the majority resist and some even reject the need for change and pay dearly for that decision.
However, if you look closely at any area of life or business…you’ll find a small group of people who refuse to think and act like the masses…who buck the system…who question conventional belief, and as a result, wind up doing extraordinary things in an implausibly short amount of time.
As creator of the 100 Day Challenge and someone who repeatedly, consistently, and quite routinely works with people and organizations who use high-performance sprints to accelerate from standing starts to giant accomplishments…driving exponential results quickly is my reality.
I’ve come to the understanding that 100 day performance sprints are the perfect unit of time to make headway on your big picture goals, and to give them the focus they need.
While one, three and five year marathon goals are helpful as they provide you with a vision of the future…they lack immediacy, gravity and urgency.
100 day high-performance sprints on the other-hand solve that problem by providing you with the focus, seriousness, and get it done now attitude you need to make big things happen quickly.
100 day high-performance sprints are powerful and empowering as they create breakthroughs through the intentional use of time compression.
How? When you set goals within the context of a 100 DAY SPRINT, you no longer have the luxury of putting off decisions or not taking action.
By compressing deadlines, enforcing accountability and taking massive, relentless action each day…you dramatically accelerate your goals and the speed by which you close any gaps in execution.
In addition, a well-executed high-performance sprint embodies…
• Flawless execution.
• Supreme attention to detail.
• Being more efficient in less time.
• Being focused and immersed in the moment.
• Starting fast and finishing every day and task strong.
• Summoning an intensity to fight through the tough days.
• Being full of energy, life, and efficiency while at ease.
• Sustained quality, speed and efficiency from beginning to end.
That’s the key to making big things happen at lightening speed.
THE PROOF WILL SET YOU FREE
Skeptical? Here’s indisputable proof that your results can be transformed with a well-executed 100 DAY SPRINT.
Every farmer lives by the law of sowing and reaping… They know that they can plant tiny seeds in one season, and watch them transform into a mighty harvest within 100 days.
The United States Army can take an out-of-shape recruit who has never held a weapon in their life and in a 100 day high-performance sprint…transform them not just into a well-disciplined soldier, but into a highly competent fighting machine.
Extreme fitness programs like P90X and INSANITY have built empires by creating radical body transformations for people all over the world…and in less than 100 days given them the abs, stomach, and booty they always dreamed of having.
Dancing With the Stars is so much more than a dance contest… it delivers a complete transformation in real time by thrusting celebrities from their comfort zone and turning them into world-class dancers in one season which by the way is less than 100 days.
Mother Nature is also in the transformation business as she has proven time and again when she goes from the dead of Winter to the abundance of Spring with its color-rich flowers, all in 100 days.
The thing to remember is that any task, goal or project takes as much time as you allow for it to take, and by playing a strong, relentless offense in the form of a 100 day sprint…it won’t take much time for you to start fast tracking your goals and transforming your life.
Long-term goals, the marathon approach to life and goal achievement unintentionally creates a barrier to high performance.
Inherently, you assume an unspoken and deeply held belief that there’s plenty of time on the clock to make things happen.
You lack a sense of real urgency and forget that every week is important, every day is game day, every moment and opportunity counts.
Life is a Sprint, Not a Marathon. That’s right…set your goals in the context 100 day high-performance challenge.
Do it three times per year…and provide yourself with some downtime to recover and recharge before beginning another sprint.
Think about the implications of a 100 Day Sprint…your level of excitement, energy and focus is at peak levels. Execution is happening on a daily, moment-by-moment basis…you’re fast tracking every goal you set in record time…and you’re living the life of your dreams.
How much procrastination can you withstand, and how many bad weeks can you experience in a 100 day high-performance sprint? Zip. Zero. Nada.
Gary Ryan Blair is creator of the 100 Day Challenge…a radical approach to goal achievement that shows you how to 10X your goals by applying the strategies of growth hacking.
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