Find Your ‘Why Not’ In A World Of ‘Why Bother! Not Today Blog 51
A while ago I listened to Jamie Carr on the Progress Theory Podcast. Jamie will experience a year in 2022 that most of us wouldn’t dare. In three weeks, he will run the Marathon des Sables, and just eight months later he will be rowing solo across the Atlantic. Listening to Jamie, I realised that his “why not?” is bigger than his “why?”. Here’s why you should find your “why not?” in a world of “why bother?”
The Fine Line Between Adventurous and Mad
Let me repeat. Jamie is taking part in the MdS at the end of March. A seven-day, 250-kilometre footrace through the Sahara Desert. He will sleep in communal tents with seven other people and walk up to 86 kilometres a day through sharp sand and in temperatures of up to 50 °C, carrying his own kit and food.
And as if that wasn’t enough, he is rowing alone across the Atlantic in December as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. A 3000-mile rowing race from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, unsupported.
The toughest footrace on the planet and the world’s toughest row in one year. Madness.
I have a big fear of looking back and go, “I wish I had done that”.
Jamie Carr
A World of ‘Why Bother’
As a child, we are told that we can be anything. That we can do anything. But soon these affirmations of infinite possibilities turn into impositions of limits.
Suddenly we are told to aim for a safe life. But what does safe mean? What should we be afraid of?
Ironically, it is often the people we don’t look up to who give us the most advice.
Is what they are suggesting really the safe way or just the easy way? “Do what everyone else is doing.”
Finding reasons to not try something new or do something differently becomes more comfortable.
Why Not Do Hard Things?
There is a lot of possibility behind what is normal.
Going where no one else goes is an incomparable teacher. It’s there where you will develop your potential. And people notice that.
By doing hard things you will inspire others to try different ways.
You could be the reason people discover how to switch off autopilot and experience life fully. This is where people find solutions to real problems instead of solving the same problems over and over again.
Our heads and our voices in our heads are going to probably talk us out of things a lot quicker than they talk us into things. […] Especially when they’re hard.
Jamie Carr
What Am I Risking By Asking Myself: ‘Why Not?
Trying extraordinary things isn’t going to be easy.
With boldness comes doubt, comes resistance, comes pain and ultimately success or failure.
Your path isn’t going to be paved. Think of Jamie. The Sahara Desert isn’t famous for its road races. He will be running on uneven, rocky and stony ground with a fifth of the distance in sand dunes.
His feet will suffer not only during but also in the months leading up to the race.
Be prepared for people to doubt you because you are doing something different. You may get to a point where you doubt yourself. The thing is all people do regardless of which path they choose.
Know that arriving on the other side may not give you the feeling of accomplishment, but one of possibility. It may not be the end but the start of something completely new.
I could think of a million reasons why I’m not cut out to do this. But I think having the courage to try is probably the most underrated thing in life.
Jamie Carr
What Is My Why Not?
Ask yourself what sparks a flame in you. Be radically honest to yourself. It doesn’t matter whether someone you know has ever done it or not. Write your ideas down.
What helped me in the past was to create vision boards.
For a week, I would take a window of time each day to think about things I wanted to do, see or create before it was “too late”. At the end of the week, I had a list of destinations, activities, goals and people. My bucket list.
The following one or two weeks, I would use the same time block each day to download photos of each bullet point on Google Images. Whenever I was sure that I wanted to do one of the things from the list I would print out my favourite photo and put it up on the board.
In the end, I had a vision board with things like skydiving, travelling to all 7 new wonders of the world, opening a bar, starting a blog, opening a school, finding solutions to plastic pollution and going on a 10-day silent meditation retreat.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform, pause or reflect.
Mark Twain
Where Do I Start?
From then on it was easy. I didn’t have to pick what I wanted to try next. The activities would find me. To this day, I wake up to the same 2nd version of my 2019 Vision Board. Sometimes I stare at it for minutes and try to imagine what it would feel like to experience one of these things.
In 2019, I took a chance and registered for the Tokyo Marathon, knowing full well that I probably wouldn’t get in. It was a ballot entry where out of over 300,000 registrants, only about 35,000 would be allowed to start. I was drawn at the first attempt. Although I had never run a marathon before I thought: Why not? Let’s pay the entry fee and fucking run the Tokyo Marathon!
If you’re starting to have an itch for one of your ideas, learn everything you can about it. The internet is your friend.
It took five blog posts to make me realise that rowing across oceans is indeed possible. Once I got over that barrier, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And the next thing I knew, like Jamie, I had signed up to row across the Atlantic.
You will find that you have a mountain of work facing you. But you need to take the first step. And that doesn’t mean that you have to drop everything then and there. If it’s important to you, you will find a way.
You don’t have to quit your job to become a painter. You can get up an hour earlier each day and paint.
Are You In For The Right Reasons?
Once you have determined your next goal ask yourself if you’re doing it for the right reasons.
If you are aiming to get attention only, consider getting a face tattoo. It’s probably cheaper, quicker and probably less painful haha.
Think about what skills you can learn from the path you are about to take and how it can help you serve your community afterwards.
Could your project add value to the people around you?
Commit
Do it.
Be as present as you can and experience everything fully. You are in for the highs and the lows. Know that both will create wisdom.
But be careful who you share your idea with at the beginning. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it.
How you are going to do it? This is what Jamie says:
There is no magic formula. My best way of doing it is research the hell out of it, ask people that have done these events previously and prepare myself to do things that I won’t enjoy and that most of us won’t do.
Why Not Today?
It’s time to be bold. The best day to take the first step is today.
Here are a few ideas of things to do. Maybe there’s something that resonates with you.
- Start a blog. I started mine because I found it super hard to find personal experience reports about the Tokyo Marathon. I wanted to change that. Two and a half years later and I’m still here.
- Climb a volcano. The Rinjani in Indonesia maybe? I have been and it was incredible.
- Learn a language or learn coding.
- Start a Tik Tok account or Youtube Channel.
- Sign up for a running event. There are 5Ks, 10Ks, Half Marathons, Marathons (how about running the six majors?). Or go even bigger. How about a foot march through Mongolia with Racing The Planet, or if you’re as mad as Jamie the Marathon Des Sables?
- Start a business.
- Buy property and rent it out.
Because, why not? And above all: Why not today?
D
