Execution Over Feelings

How you feel doesn’t matter. It never did.

What do I mean by this?

You can’t achieve anything in life if you continuously wait until you “feel good” or until you’re “ready to go.”

I first learned this lesson in high school when beginning to compete in the decathlon - a 2 day track and field event comprised of 10 events total (5 on day 1 and 5 on day 2).

I went through the first day feeling powerful, strong, and ready to win. Gaining points on my opponents in every event and feeling like I was going to take gold easy.

Then I woke up for day 2…

I ached like an old man trying to crawl out of bed and gather my things for the second day…5 more events to go? Including the 1500m ??? WTF ??????

My lower back was screaming, my hamstrings felt like 2 bricks, my ankles were sore as can be, and my mind was telling me to just quit. Over and over and over again.

I warmed up and tried to consume as much caffeine as possible (without causing some anxiety 😅 ).

I was locked up, trying everything to stay loose and get myself ready to go.

Couple splashes of cold water and some slaps to the face should do the trick…

And what ended up happening that day? I executed every single event to the best of my ability and broke the Alabama state record…even while I felt like staying in that hotel bed and sleeping for 10 more hours.

And every heptathlon / decathlon I did in college was the same. I was ripping and roaring on day 1 and then day 2 I woke up feeling like I got hit by a train. Every…single…time.

I even had a coach at Alabama constantly remind us that “Feel will f*** you.” And damn was he right.

But I take this lesson with me in every single thing I do. No matter what is going on, I show up and I work.

I have issues at home, I lose a best friend, I have a damn near career ending injury, my girlfriend of 4 years decides she doesn’t want to be in this relationship anymore…no matter what…

I never miss a day of training / rehab, I break records, I help win championships, I finish my degrees with honors, I continue to go above and beyond at work, I continue to make content and share my journey, I continue to stick to my diet, I continue to do it all.

I don’t say this to brag, I say it to tell you that you can outpace everyone else if you just show up and do the work no matter how you feel. Every wildly successful person I know never shuts down. They can’t stop. No matter what’s going on in their life.

They know there’s work to be done. There’s goals to accomplish. They tell me that the world doesn’t care how you feel. Things still need to get done. It’s a harsh reality that sports taught me and that we live through daily.

Sad, anxious, depressed, worthless, whatever you’re feeling, there’s always work to be done. But most often, the other side of that work is where all the joy in the world is waiting. On the days where I feel my absolute worst, the work always pulls me out of the hole and reminds me we’re working towards something big.

Charlie Munger has a quote about compounding interest that is absolutely applicable here. He says that, “The first rule of compounding is to never interrupt it unnecessarily.”

Your daily habits and tasks to complete are necessary to create compounding success. By allowing your feelings to determine what you complete in the day, you are interrupting your lifelong compounding.

So…just show up, start the work, and prove to yourself that you execute no matter what’s going on in your head. I promise you’ll carry yourself with a confidence you never previously thought possible.

So here’s to the compounding…let’s keep it going day after day my friend :)