What was the toughest physical PR you achieved?

The elusive time, weight, score or opponent taunted you from just beyond your reach. The personal record (PR) was yours, and yours alone to achieve. Did it keep you up at night? Were you angry that it continued to dance beyond your ability? How did this drive you to train harder?

Saying no, to more sleep and yes, to rolling out of bed for the early morning workouts. Saying no, to the office donuts, bagels, and cakes. Skipping the late nights of drinking and movies to get up early for training. Rebuffing the families disbelief and wagging heads as you pursued the goal. Grateful for those that understand and support.

Confidence grows as progress is made. Plateau's are overcome. The points increase, the weights get heavier and the seconds drop. Feet move faster, mobility increases, muscles grow and lungs inhale more of the world. Ever closer, but not attained.

At last, the goal is achieved.

The accolades come. Be it a cheer from the FaceBook video post, or a medal around the neck. The loudest cheer is screamed internally as the heart swells with satisfaction.

Done.

Congratulations on your achievement, it is yours.

Going Further: How did you determine to pursue this PR? What were your particular struggles during the pursuit of this PR? Who did you count on for support? What were your darkest moments? What helped you get through the dark moments? What did you change during your pursuit to achieve the PR? What did you think and feel as you reached this goal? How did you celebrate?

How have you displayed grit in pursuit of your passion?

The Merriam-Webster definition of grit is the "firmness of mind or spirit: unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger." Not the definition of a friend used to describe his dissatisfaction of a contemporary as "the grit in the gears of progress." Your personal definition has probably matured over the years as you think beyond cramming for a school final.

We don't run from bears and saber-toothed tigers, so our biggest challenges are self-imposed. We claim to do hard things by skipping a meal and at the first temptation the donut gets dropped into the face trap. Skipping a meal is a daily occurrence for much of the world, and it is hard to justify this as grit. The second element is thriving in these conditions for a sustained period. It is clear that long-suffering is a component of grit and runs counter-culture to our give-it-to-me-now, always-on society.

The perseverance to stick it through to the end is critical when the project is necessary. Each minute of your life is invaluable, and your passions demand your time and effort to make the dream a reality. Pursuing your first muscle-up, achieving a deadlift personal record or helping struggling kids, over years, place well on college entrance exams, require grit to submit the final product and await a verdict. Pushing through the brain fog to produce good work, despite the long nights and little sleep produce grit.

What is your history with grit? How does this inquiry challenge you and encourage you? What challenge did made you appreciate grit? Who is your real-life example of grit?

YouTube: How have you displayed grit in pursuit of your passion?