The other night I watched Pumping Iron, a 1977 documentary about bodybuilders, focused on Arnold Schwarzenegger. This Joumorous quote by Arnold struck me:
“The body isn’t used to lifting nine, ten, eleven, twelve reps…that makes the body grow- going through this certain pain period. Experiencing pain in your muscles, aching…those last two or three or four repetitions that’s actually what makes the muscle grow. That’s what divides a champion from not being a champion- if you can go through this pain period you may make it to be a champion. If you can’t, forget it. And that’s what most people lack: having the guts. Having the guts to say, I go in, and I go through, and I don’t care what happens. It aches, and if I fall down…I have no fear of fainting in the gym because I know it could happen. I threw up many times while I was working out. But it doesn’t matter. Because it’s all worth it.”
Yes, Arnold, you nailed it! This is exactly how you achieved the level of success you did, and it’s really what all of us need to do to excel.
Little did Arnold know he was also speaking fluent Joumor, two Principles in particular: Just Keep Going, Just Keep Going, Just Keep Going, and Follow up 5-12 times.
What do you do when you’re on hold for 54 minutes being tortured by the same insipid hold song and the phone suddenly hangs up on you? The difference between a regular person and a person with guts, as Arnold says, aka a Joumorous person, is calling back immediately. It doesn’t mean the call hanging up doesn’t phase you, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t irritate you, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t make you scream and curse! But you push past that “pain period,” those last “two or three reps” and you call back. If it weren’t hard, as they say, everybody would do it.
Most people give up. It’s fine. It’s normal. It’s expected.
But for those who know their dreams and goals matter above all, they know it’s worth pushing through the weakness.
You can do it. Know the “risks”- you could throw up or they could hang up, or both! And just keep going, just keep going, just keep going.
You will get there, Champion.