Do You Have the Guts?

Several years ago, a friend invited me to join his exercise group. “It will change your life,” he said.

The workouts were early in the morning, very painful and I honestly wasn’t sure I had the guts to keep doing them.

Around the time I started participating, the group read Jesse Itzler’s book Living With a Seal , which lays out the 40% rule. It goes like this:

When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possibly go any further, you’re only actually 40% done.

Itzler tells the story of his own utter exhaustion in the middle of a 100-mile run with a former Navy Seal . The Seal says, “Jesse, I’m going to tell you something about me that I’ve never told you: I never get tired.”

“Haha, yeah right,” Jesse responds, with barely enough energy to talk.

“No, truly, I never get tired. Say that with me: I never get tired.”

“I never get tired.”

“Say it loud, like you mean it.”

“I never get tired!”

“Ok, let’s go.”

They took off and ran the remainder of the race in faster splits than any earlier point in the race.

The 40% rule.

It doesn’t just apply to perceived physical limits. It’s about whatever holds you back from doing hard, meaningful things.

You might be realizing only 40% of your potential in:

• Relationships with people you care about
• Engagement at work
• Leadership and influence
• Confidence to take risks
• Making choices that reflect your values

As I wrote in my last post , you and I have the power to observe and manage our thoughts. We can either let our fears hold us back, or we can push past them to realize our full potential.

Find Your Sisu

After the winter war of 1940 with Russia, Finland began using the word Sisu , which derives from the word for “guts” in Finnish. It characterized their tenacity and strength while outnumbered in brutal conditions.

Over time, Sisu has become a Finnish mantra for doing the hard things that you can or should do. It’s the spirit of drive and determination required to get through a hard winter, to move beyond your fears.

On a deeper level, one expert in Sisu says:

Sisu is always an invitation for inner work, a vehicle for character building and healing, and at best a pathway toward reconciling the fabric of our human relations.

This suggests that Sisu isn’t just head-butting bravado or masochistic suffering.

It’s the guts to press onward toward important objectives despite your pain, fear or discomfort.

It’s the courage to believe that you have more in you across all parts of your life.

It’s what I want for my family, our company, our community and for myself.

Last week, our exercise group — the one I joined several years ago — ran through the snowy woods at 5:30 AM in complete darkness, the trail illuminated only by our headlamps.

As we stretched after the run, we talked honestly with each other about challenges we were experiencing at life and work.

All of it required Sisu. And it has changed my life.

In what part of your work or life could you demonstrate more Sisu in the weeks and months ahead?

Patterns are Inevitable. Growth is Optional. Check out my award-winning book Four Patterns of Healthy People to become more aware of the healthy and unhealthy patterns in your thoughts, relationships, ego, and daily operations.

Analyze Your Opportunities for Growth.?Join other leaders and discover how well you are leveraging your strengths and opportunities. It’s a free tool for your self-awareness. Just click here .

About the Author. Matt Norman coaches and advises executives on how to build great people and culture. He is President & CEO of Norman & Associates, which offers custom coaching and consulting in the areas of talent strategy, personal effectiveness, planning, and goal alignment. Norman & Associates also provides Dale Carnegie cohort-style action learning programs to help people improve how they communicate, lead, influence, and work together.

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