how the ocean fixed my commitment issues

Exciting news my friend,

I just finished the ocean challenge!

Pretty simple deal I made with my roommate – jump in the ocean every day for 11 consecutive days. If only I knew what I was getting myself into...

Admittedly, it wasn’t easy. I guess that’s the point though, since everything we want is just outside our comfort zone.

Most of us breakdown as soon as we meet the first twinge of resistance at what I refer to as the “breaking point.” It’s that hard-etched boundary we’re conditioned to stop at.

But what’s on the other side of that breaking point if you don’t breakdown?

The breakthrough. The learnings, the growth, the shifts, the fist bumps, the aha’s and woohoo’s. Most people give up RIGHT before all that good stuff happens.

My breaking point was Day 5 when 11pm rolled around and I still hadn’t made it in the Pacific yet.

It would have been too easy to throw in the towel (pun intended) but I had made the decision to commit to this and I was sticking to it. When you want to do something in your life save yourself the subconscious struggle – sit or stand, don’t wobble. The decision for me was made. I was going in that ocean.

BUT was I really about to drive 20 minutes and jump in the cold water?

After all, it was 11pm, sleep was seducing me and my bed started flirting with me big time. With my 5am wakeup imminently approaching I found myself trying to come up with reasons NOT to go, the strongest of which rang the tune of “I don’t have enough time for this.”

Bullshit. There is ALWAYS enough time.  

Once I remembered that we spend 2 hours each day on social media on average, time ran out on this lame excuse.

We are each gifted 24 hours every day. Invest those 1440 minutes wisely, and you’ll get done a whole lot more than you thought to be possible.

Sometimes sleep gets cut out but as my grandma so brilliantly and brutally says, “You’ll have time to sleep when you’re dead!”

But it wasn’t my grandmother’s voice in my head or sheer willpower that dragged my tired self into the crashing waves under the stars on Day 5.

I knew that if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t just be letting myself down. I wasn’t in it alone.

Success is a team sport and accountability gives your squad the unfair advantage.

Motivation and willpower only get you so far before you inevitably hit that breaking point and lose steam. To avoid stalling out, create the environment that pulls you forward.

Research shows that having someone hold you accountable for a goal will increase your chance of success by up to 95%. 95% people! Use accountability as the turbo boost you need to rip through that wall and cross the finish line.

It takes these continual challenges to fuel the flame of growth. You gotta hit that breaking point to breakthrough to the next level.

I’m going to challenge myself more.

I challenge you to challenge yourself more.

Learn that new language that you’ve been telling yourself you will one day. Dust off that guitar in your closet that you try to forget. Actually pick up that book that you ordered from Amazon a month ago. Get your friends in on it too and hold each other to a higher standard. Take advantage of the 24 hours you were granted today.

What challenge do you choose to accept? Drop a comment & let me know!

The place is here and the time is now.

Happy Day One,

Joshua