f you can survive the first five minutes, you can survive forever. In my younger days I did a lot of long distance running and I noticed that within the first five minutes, I wanted to tap out. Every time. But if I got through the first half mile, the next ten were easy.
I am willing to bet this is the same for most people with most activities. It’s tough right away, but it gets much less challenging. Unfortunately, most people tap out in the first five minutes, thinking they are dying when easy street is right around the corner. They are right there. They have to push a little more, but they can’t.
In athletics and life, you must find a way to battle through the early struggle to get to the zen.
Zen is when you settle in, get into a rhythm, stop focusing on what you are doing, and just do.This pattern scales up infinitely.The first five minutes are more challenging than the next hour.The first day is more challenging than the rest of the week.The first week is more challenging than the rest of the month.The first month is more challenging than the rest of the year. The longer you go, the more comfortable and stronger you become, and the more you can do.
Perhaps most importantly, enduring the first five minutes when you want to quit proves you didn’t quit. And once you start proving that you don’t quit, you can do anything. The sky is the limit. Survive the first five minutes, and you can crush it!