The Million Dollar Challenge

Okay, I don't have a million dollars to give away. At least, not yet. But if I did, would you be up for "The Challenge?" How far could you run now if your life depended on it? I'll give you five minutes to change your shoes; then it is "go" time. How far could you go?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  Lao Tzu        

I did not have an answer when I was presented with this question. My first thought was, "If my life depends on it, then I'll run as far as it takes - or - until I die." Seemed like a logical conclusion. After all, that is the premise of the question. But then I got to thinking; always a problem for me because the gears won't stop until I can give myself a solid, confident answer.

Here is the math in my head. Okay, I can run a Spartan Beast in around three hours. That is generally about fifteen miles in rough terrain with lots of obstacles. So I know I can make it that far. I'm told that you can run three times longer than distances you train for, so that puts me at forty-five. Now, I'll double that since I'm overconfident. Then, since death is on the line, I'll double that again and then round up to give me the benefit of the doubt. Conclusion: 200 miles. More if I train.

And there it was—the answer; "If" I trained for it.

Never go in against a Sicilian, when death is on the line!  - Vizzini        

If you have ever watched The Princess Bride, the image captured from one of the famous scenes above and this renowned line should look familiar. When the Man in Black bested Vizzini, the Sicilian, in a battle of wits, it was not because he was lucky. It was because he was prepared. While we may not need to innoculate ourselves against the deadly Iocane Powder to win an unscheduled battle of wits, we should, as police officers, be prepared to succeed in the challenges we know we will face. And we should build a buffer to keep us alive at the edges of our limits.

So, when Performance Protocol Coach, Greg Zaroslinksi, presented me with a challenge question he poses to his clients, I had to stop and think. The question is: "If I put a million dollars in a mailbox thirty miles away and gave you six hours to run to it, would you make it in time?" If you are doing the math, that is at least five miles per hour for six hours.

For a trained athlete, this challenge is relatively easy. It would be an easy million. If only life worked that way, getting paid and rewarded for being prepared.

If only life worked that way, getting paid and rewarded for being prepared.          

And, as simple as it sounds, sometimes it is just that damn hard - being prepared. Success is no further away than mastery of basic life skills. The problem lies in the gap between knowing what to do and how to do it. When we hit spaces like this in our lives and careers, and we all will, it helps to have a guide navigate us. That is what coaches are for. Not to do the work for us but to help us understand the work we should be doing and develop plans to make it happen. To hold us accountable.

This was a great conversation with a great coach, one of the most popular and booked coaches in the Performance Protocol cabal of coaches.

As far as running thirty miles goes, this challenge may come your way, or maybe not. One thing is for sure. Okay, two things. First, I don't have a million dollars to offer this challenge, but would you be ready if I did? Second, there are challenges that you should be prepared for, but you're not. Where are your gaps? It is up to you to figure it out. If you need help, feel free to ask for a coach.

Now, enough for today; it's time to do the work!