If your life is Hell

Don't judge yourself by the temperatures you can endure

Have you ever noticed that there's actually a 4th event in triathlons?

After torturing themselves for 70.3 miles or more on the weekends, triathletes frequently go on to work 70+ hour work weeks.

Because something strange happens when your entire life is hell. You begin to judge your self worth based on how much pain you can endure. Ask any investment banking analyst, law firm associate, management consultant, or medical resident:

One of the most common coping mechanisms used to transcend torturous work weeks is wearing the torture as a badge of honor. Competing with your peers to see who can be the most tortured.

Don't get me wrong, competing in ultra-endurance sports is a *Functional* skill if you are immersed in corporate hell. There is a reason triathletes have higher incomes than powerlifters.

But if your coping mechanism for torture is more torture, you have to wonder, is this really the life you want to live?

Sure, it may be a healthier hobby than alcohol or recreational drug use. But that doesn't mean it is healthy or a sign that your life is on track.

If you've competed in an ultra-endurance event, the good news is you can in fact tolerate more pain than most people.

But you'll make the biggest breakthroughs in your life and career when you realize that creativity, not sheer willpower, is what will separate you from the pack.

I never tell my Performance clients that they need to be tougher or work harder. They already bring that to the table. The biggest breakthroughs come when we open their eyes to opportunities that their rigid work ethic precluded them from realizing on their own.