Stay on the Road — Sustaining Yourself to the Goal


We can have the aspiration to do something and have it be for all the wrong reasons.

“…And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” — Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV

It’s been said that there is a difference between being driven and godly drive.

We can have the aspiration to do something and have it be for all the wrong reasons.

We can also have the drive to do something and have it be for all the right reasons.

There’s an expression in sports that we don’t play for the name on the back, but for the team on the front.

“We need to live our purpose and serve God by leaving an impact on this world but with the hope that people would not remember our name but remember Jesus’s name.”

Sometimes we can get carried away in our ambitions, in making a name for ourselves, in building a “legacy” and none of those things are particularly bad on their own. However, it’s the carried away part that’s dangerous.

We can get caught doing things that we should be doing but get caught doing them for the wrong reasons. That’s when we get into trouble.

Here’s the thing.

Here’s what I told my group:

“Let’s start AND finish. All for God’s glory. Let’s become the BEST vessels we can.”

I have completed 75 Hard, the best mental toughness program, twice before. August 24, Wednesday, is going to be my day 1 for 2022. I am completing this a third time this year. I need to build back to where I know I need to be. I have such high standards for myself and have fallen beneath them.

2020 reflection on the beginning of 75 Hard, the first time through.

There is a purpose behind every single one of our actions. Even when we can’t understand the conscious reason for doing something (because maybe there’s only a subconscious reason), there is still a reason.

Let me tell you all once again why I’m doing 75 Hard this year.

I’m capable and I’ve become confident in my capabilities. However, I need to make sure that I am acutely aware that any of the success that I am about to experience is not solely because of me and that whatever I accomplish is because of God. Not because I’m with God, but because of God.

75 Hard is going to force me to weed out everything that does not matter.

The reason I love this program is that it forces intentionality. I have to be prudent with every single decision. There is nothing too small that I can just go along with. Last year’s completion of this program included some late night workouts to the tune of 1am or 2am. That won’t happen this year. It can’t. I won’t allow it.

The focus of this program for me is twofold:

  1. I want to develop greater quiet and closeness with God. For the outdoor workouts I am going to be pushing myself. I am going to be running and walking for probably 60+ of the 75 days that require a 45-minute outdoor workout. Last year I would walk with a weight vest; this year, there will be no weight vest as it isn’t good for my back. I am going to exert myself and work some days to run in silence so I can get closer to God.
  2. I also want to master the mundane. These go together, clearly. Look, I don’t like running. I only like running for 3 seconds! The 3 seconds where I look at the clock, pat myself on the back and finish! The entire time before that is simply terrible. I just don’t like it. But, I know that with my goals, I need to master the mundane and execute with excellence on the things that I do not like to do.

I have a path. I have a race in front of me.

Many many people have said the same things to me. Many many people that I admire and respect and love. I know that there is purpose in my life and it is essential that I can pursue everything God has for me for HIS glory. That’s the intention of this program.

I am going to climb, chase, run, push, pull, and execute on everything in front of me.

It’s go time.

“God let me be the one to say that if you’re bringing them, I will be the one to make sure they have a seat at the table.” — Earl McLellan
“Seek God in silence. Linger with His Spirit in stillness.” — Tyler Gay
“You will realize how powerful you are when you love yourself first.” — Harrison Wendland
“Suck it up and execute.” — Harrison Wendland
“Through His fellowship with the Father, Jesus ordered His life around the will of His Father. Communion with Jesus is the building block on which our days are to be built.” — Vance Pitman
“Does it never register for you that the reason you’re not getting anywhere is because you keep trying to change things to make them convenient for you rather than just dominating what’s in front of your face?” — Andy Frisella

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