The thing about setting big goals is...

you don't always reach them.

Last weekend I led the ladies in my last group coaching series of 2023 on a misogi.

What is a misogi? It's a Japanese term that derives from an ancient Shinto practice of ritual purification.

Originally referring to bathing under an icy waterfall to purify the body and mind, it has evolved to encompass physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually demanding challenges that leave the participant stronger, renewed.

The idea for our misogi came from a book we read together, Embracing Discomfort by Michael Easter. If you've had a conversation with me or been to one of my fitness classes in the last 6 months, there's a solid chance we've talked about it because it's so damn good I think everyone should read it.

But I digress.

In the book, Easter discusses the 2 rules of a misogi:

1. Make it really, really hard.

2. Don't die.

And yes, the rules are given in that order.

Now, the second rule is pretty obvious. But what does "really, really hard" mean? Easter says that you should only have a 50/50 chance of accomplishing your task at best. Any greater chance and it's not hard enough.

This means running a marathon you've been training for doesn't count but signing up to run a half marathon when you haven't been running in years would. (Of course, you have to then keep rule #2 in mind--and extend the rule to encompass not doing bodily harm that will permanently injure or immobilize you.)

So after reading about misogis, I proposed to the ladies in my group that we undertake one ourselves: hiking the Manitou Incline.

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with The Incline, it's 0.88 miles of walking straight up. It's approximately 2,744 steps gaining 2,011 feet in elevation with an average grade of 45% (and as steep as 68%).

You might be thinking, "It's not even a mile." But it's the hardest mile of your life. It's literally where Olympic athletes at the Colorado Springs training center go to train.

None of us on the misogi were even close to being Olympic athletes. In fact, a year and a half ago one of the ladies was at a basketball game for her grandson and was looking for the elevator after to avoid walking up 30 stairs.

The night before our hike, it snowed about 6". But we'd come prepared and went anyway. Our goal was to go slow & steady, stop when we needed to, and stay together.

We hiked for 2.5 hours.

We didn't make it to the top.

Instead we got to the last turnoff point before the summit. With almost 1,000 steps still left to go (taking, as the sign told us, an average of 1 more hour to complete), the sun already setting, and one of our knees starting to give out, it wasn't smart or safe to keep going.

Afterward, when I asked one of the ladies how she felt about it, she said, "Well, I feel a little disappointed because we didn't do it."

I corrected her: "But you did do it. You hiked 2/3 of the way to the top. That's the thing about setting big goals: Sometimes, you don't make them. But you make it a lot farther than you would have if you'd never set them."

I watched the aha of victory cross her face. This was the same woman who just months before had been looking for an elevator to avoid one flight of stairs.

Of course, the same thing is true about setting small goals. You don't always reach those either. The difference is in how far you get...

In my next email, I'm going to share with you my personal process for New Year's goal setting. I've never once been "100% successful" using this process. But let me tell you, I have done so many things I wouldn't otherwise have done, and those are the real success stories...

With Fierce Love,

Chazz

P.S.

Both the ladies in this group started with my Radical Reset program. It's the foundational work necessary if you want to work your way up to big misogis like this.

If reading about this misogi inspired you, see below for more details.

Or simply email me to set up a free consultation. We'll talk about your goals and see if Radical Reset would be a good fit for you (and you for it). If not, I'll point you toward the right resources & support.