How to Have a Perfect Day
In early 2017 I was at the airport perusing through some magazines at the newsstand near my gate. I wanted to get some light reading material for my flight from Atlanta to Munich and a particular magazine garnered my attention.
On the cover of the October 2016 edition of Outside Magazine were the following words: "Training Tips from the World's Greatest Athlete." This piqued my interest enough to pay the small price for the magazine and toss it in my backpack. In that moment, I had no idea the impact this edition of that magazine would have on my life.
The world's greatest athlete at the time was a man named Ashton Eaton, who was an American decathlete and two-time Olympic champion. The decathlon is an Olympic event comprised of ten events testing endurance, strength, speed, and overall athleticism. Traditionally, the title of "World's Greatest Athlete" has been given to the person who wins the decathlon at the Olympic Games. This began when King Gustav V of Sweden told Jim Thorpe, "Sir, you are the world's greatest athlete" after Thorpe won the decathlon at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912.
Inside the magazine was an interview with Eaton. Most of the questions were aimed at learning more about his training routine, dietary restrictions, recovery methods, and daily habits. But one simple question—and one simple answer—has stuck with me for a long time.
Interviewer: What is your idea of a perfect training day?
Eaton: A struggle, a breakthrough, and something gained mentally.
Wait, what?
What is a perfect training day?
According to the World's Greatest Athlete, it's an answer we should all probably scribble down and stow away for future use. If you want to have a perfect day, then this three-part equation is a surefire way to attain it:
Face Adversity + Display Grit = Experience Growth
How to have a perfect day?
Struggle with something (adversity), find a way to push through it (grit), and now be stronger because of it (growth).