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Here it is …read on. I hope you’ll find it interesting. Don’t forget to check my offer at the end of this post.
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Have you ever heard of the “Marathon Monks” of central Japan?
If you haven’t, you’re in for one crazy story (and two lessons I’ll be sharing right after)…
So, in central Japan on a mountain called Mt. Hiei, there’s this group of monks
called the ‘Tendai Buddhist Monks’. And these monks believe that extreme self–denial
and physical exertion leads to enlightenment…
So for hundreds of years, they have been running a marathon challenge called
the “Kaihogyo” (which literally means in Japanese: “circling the mountain”)…
But this isn’t like any marathon challenge you’ve EVER heard of.
It’s a 1,000 day challenge that takes place over 7 years…
And if you fail the challenge – you actually have to end your own life.
Yes. It’s that serious.
Here’s what awaits monks that accept this challenge:
Year 1: Run 30 km per day (about 18 miles) for 100 straight days.
Year 2: Run 30 km per day for 100 straight days.
Year 3: Run 30 km per day for 100 straight days.
Year 4: Run 30 km per day for 200 straight days.
Year 5: Run 30 km per day for 200 straight days.
After completing the fifth year of running, the monk must go for 9 straight days
without any food, water, or rest. (Two monks actually stand beside him and
watch him so he doesn’t fall asleep).
Year 6: Run 60 km (about 37 miles) per day for 100 straight days.
Year 7: Run 84 km (about 52 miles) per day for 100 straight days.
And then, for the final 100 days of year 7, he must run another 30 km per day.
This amount of running is actually insane, and is the equivalent of
running around the entire Earth!
But there is one part of the challenge that makes The Kaihogyo unlike anything else ever…
Do you know what it is?
The monk can quit The Kaihogyo for the first 100 days.
But from Day 101 onwards, there is no quitting…
The monk will either successfully complete EVERY SINGLE DAY of the Kaihogyo …
or take his own life.
No second chances…
So when these monks go running – they actually carry a length of rope and
a small sword at all times on their journey. Just in case…
And in the last 400+ years, only 46 have actually completed this challenge.
Now, what does all have to do with you?
Well, if you want to KILL your procrastination for good – here are two lessons
we can learn from these Marathon Monks.
1) A Task Expands Into The Size Of Its Deadline
“Hey, go run 36,000 kilometers, good luck.”
If this was what the Marathon Monks were told on Day 1 – how many people
would actually start the challenge, and complete it within just 7 years?
Probably no one.
So Marathon Monks don’t approach the Kaihogyo like this,
they approach it in bite sizes.
They make non negotiable daily deadlines.
And that’s what you should do too.
Many people set a goal for themselves but only reevaluate at the end of the year.
They make a goal in January, and then in December they ask themselves:
“Did I hit my goal?”
Instead of doing this, break what you want to do into daily pieces.
This way, you’ll very quickly know if you’re on track or not.
And this way, you’re actually training your mind to get something done within a time period.
And the second part to this is…
2) Set ‘Do Or Die’ Deadlines
Marathon Monks take what they have to do seriously. And if they don’t get done
what they say they’re going to get done in the day…
…they have pretty devastating consequences…
Now, you don’t have to carry a knife with you to work to make sure you finish a project.
But you can give yourself consequences for not finishing things on time…
For example:
“If I don’t finish X by 6 PM, I have to do 20 pushups.”
“If I don’t finish X by 6 PM, I have to tell my friend
that was keeping me accountable that I failed.”
“Or if I don’t finish X by 6 PM, I have to give my friend 100 bucks.”
Whatever it is you decide for consequences, they need to be more painful
than procrastinating.
We usually procrastinate because we think it’s LESS painful to procrastinate.
But when the consequences of procrastination are even MORE painful than getting it done – then it’s a LOT easier to do.
Keep going. And remember:
Kill procrastination, or procrastination will kill you.
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