I recently read an incredible story that’s changed the way I think about what we believe we can do versus what we can actually do.
It’s a story about a guy named Jesse Itzler.
Jesse’s a billionaire. He started Marquis Jet — the world’s largest private jet company — and that’s a pretty amazing fact on its own.
But here’s another jaw-dropper…
Jesse happens to be married to Sara Blakely. Some of you may recognize the name. She’s the founder of Spanx and a billionaire in her own right.
Talk about a power couple!
You’d think they’d be happy with their achievements but that’s not how power couples operate.
Jesse and Sara decided they were getting too comfortable, too complacent in their day to day life.
So, they made the decision to shake things up.
They hired a Navy SEAL to come live with their family for 31 days and train them in mental toughness.
The entire training was focused around one powerful concept… the 40% rule.
The rule goes something like this…
Right at the moment when you think, “I’m done. I’m completely DONE. Nothing left in the tank,” you’re actually only 40% done. There’s 60% more of you — your energy, focus, attention, drive — that’s still available.
60% more.
That’s why people hit a “wall” when they’re running a marathon. They think they’ve nothing left to give. They believe they can’t take another step.
This could happen at anytime… mile 16 or 17 or 22.
But even though just about every marathoner hits the wall, 99% get to the finish line.
And it’s because they have more in the tank than they thought.
Jesse Itzler thought he hit that wall on the very first day of his “mental toughness bootcamp”
His Navy SEAL trainer asked him to do as many pull ups as he could.
Jesse did eight. The trainer asked him to do more. Jesse barely managed 6. And the next time it was 4 and then 3.
But the Navy SEAL said to him, “You’re not done yet. Now let’s do 100.”
Jesse was like, “NO way can I do 100!”
But you know what? He did hit 100 pull ups.
One. At. A. Time.
And it was such an incredible lesson because he realized he could do something he thought was completely impossible for him.
The SEAL taught Jesse to get uncomfortable and it created a new baseline for him in terms of mental toughness and what’s possible.
The lesson here for all of us is that we all have this incredible will as humans to do what’s “impossible” for us. The sad thing is, most of us don’t use that will to achieve everyday greatness.
But let me ask you this…
What would happen if you use your incredible human will, every single day? What would become possible for you?
Remember: when you think you’re done, when you think you have nothing left… you’re just 40% done and there’s 60% more in you.
Those moments in my life — whether I was on a stage, whether I was in front of a camera or up against “impossible” writing deadlines — I could always pull more out of myself.
There was more left to give, more left in the tank.
And you know what? I’ve not reached the end of what’s possible for me…
Every single day I’m challenging myself to do more, be more.
How about you?
How can YOU build more mental toughness? How can you build more mental resilience?
Let me know in the comments!
So much more is possible for you than you ever imagined because I guarantee you…
Your will can move mountains. Your will can change the freakin’ world.
So go out there and Live Your Message.
