Hardcore Achievers – The Secrets of their Success
Written by Dr. Mark Slaski – Organisational Psychologist
Read - 7 minutes
Whether you want to change your life or just be a better you, personal transformation is never easy - what can we learn from those who’ve done it? What is their secret - the difference that makes the difference?
Nathan Flear & Mark Slaski - January 2020
Whilst working in pre-Corona India earlier this year, I had the opportunity to catch-up with Nathan Flear, one of my absolute inspirational heroes. Reflecting on his story made me think – in these times of personal challenge and transformation, what can we learn from the hardcore achievers like Nathan? What’s the difference that makes the difference?
Nathan is an international elite ultra-marathon runner and was off-season training in Goa, so it was an easy decision to spend some time together. For Nathan, ‘off’ season means running only 15-30 miles per day in 35°c heat across incredibly steep hills! When competing, Nathan’s favoured race is the 24-hour ultra-marathon - last year he won the open-race in the 2019 World Championships. In running continuously for 24-hours Nathan covers more than 150 miles or the equivalent of six back-to-back marathons – often in mountain terrain!
If that wasn’t enough, what makes Nathan’s story truly amazing and inspirational is that on New Year’s Day 2015, at the age of 32, Nathan weighed 16 stone, smoked 40 cigarettes a day, couldn’t run to catch a bus and was married with 3 children under 7-years old!
“I’d spent the last 15-years with bad habits doing bad stuff, I had to change for the sake of myself and my family”.
Nathan recalls his drunken New Year’s Eve resolution was rather vague - get fitter and lose some weight. His first run was less than a mile downhill and ended in him coughing, retching and staggering home like a drunk. Only 5-years later Nathan has been selected for the Great Britain ultra-marathon team in the forthcoming 2020 European 24-hour Championships in Verona, Italy. No question - Nathan is an expert in personal transformation.
Sitting by the beach in beautiful Goa back in January now seems a lifetime ago. With several bottles of water and a plate piled high with vegetables, Nathan and I discussed the qualities needed to achieve such a staggering transformation in his life. I spoke about my work with successful business leaders, sports professionals and entertainers, and my own findings into the mindset of hardcore achievers. We discovered four characteristics are shared by all: Single-minded, Sacrifice, Discipline and Persistence.
1. Single-minded
What is it to be single-minded – of one-mind? For Nathan a defining moment came in February 2015 when he read about the historic Spartathlon - an ultra-marathon foot race that takes place every year in the mountains of Greece. The race is 245 km (152 miles) and runners must complete it in under 36-hours.
“right at that moment I knew I wanted to enter and finish that race - I made up my mind there and then”.
Bear in mind, at that point Nathan had only been running a total of 6-weeks - his longest run to date was still less than 5-miles - talk about aiming high! However, this does illustrate the first thing about hardcore achievers - they always have an incredibly clear goal and vision at the forefront of their mind, and the challenge never frightens them, it only excites them.
Nathan very quickly realised that the only way he was ever going to meet the Spartathlon challenge was to put running at the centre of everything he did.
“being single-minded means constantly checking-in with myself and asking if what I’m doing ‘right now’ is taking me closer or further from my goal – the goal drives everything - there is little room for compromise.”
No longer could Nathan’s training fit around his life, to stand any chance of achieving his goal and living his dream, Nathan’s life must now revolve around his running - that included his work and his family. Sacrifices would have to be made.
2. Sacrifice
The bigger the challenge the greater the sacrifice. Ironically, that’s sometimes what you need to really get you going – when the going gets tough, etc, etc. It’s not possible to list all the sacrifices made by Nathan and Victoria - his wife, over the past 5-years. Needless to say, there was no longer time to work 50-hours a week and train hard a further 3-hours a day - Nathan said goodbye to his 13-year career in sales.
Incredibly, unlike its little brother the 26-mile marathon, there is scant money for ultra-marathon runners - even at the elite and international level there is limited sponsorship or prize money. To optimise their finances Nathan and Victoria sold-up in the UK - leaving behind friends and family and a measure of security. They are now based in a small town in Bulgaria where they can live more cheaply, and Nathan can complete his summer training in the mountains prior to the big events later in the year.
For the European winters the family head out to Africa or the Far East, and the training continues. Last year they spent 3-months in a village in Northern Kenya where Nathan used his unique talents to coach the Kenyan ultra-marathon squad.
At competition time in France, Italy, Greece, UK, wherever, Victoria and the children follow every step of the way doubling as Nathan’s support team. In this nomadic life on a shoestring, sacrifices are daily and endless, but for Nathan and Victoria that’s what makes their life a rich adventure.
3. Discipline
It’s obvious that some people are very planned, organised and structured, and others are more intuitive, imaginative and spontaneous; and all points in between. Wherever you sit on this personality continuum you can always nurture better self-discipline.
Discipline for Nathan means not only rigorously sticking to the running schedules that he maps meticulously – its needed for nearly every decision he makes. Nathan needs to be disciplined and mindful around what he eats, hydration, sleep and relaxation, managing stress, looking after his body and staying injury free.
Despite the ultra-running goal, Nathan and Victoria’s mission is to be great parents and raise their 3 children successfully - that means spending quality time with them. Time is very precious, so scheduling it daily is a key discipline – they rarely waste a moment. Often on the road, Victoria organises the children’s education with a blend of home and local schooling.
“having a detailed vision and strategy is essential, but you need discipline to execute - for me discipline is simple - it’s a choice you make in the moment - either choose to do something or not do it – some mornings I can barely walk but I resist the urge to stay in bed and choose to run 20 miles instead - the end goal is so worth it”.
Goals don’t achieve themselves, having a specific goal and a structured plan is essential but developing a disciplined mindset requires an inner strength to suspend short-term pleasure in favour of the greater goal - ‘doing the right thing’ in every moment with every choice.
4. Persistence
There are many times in Nathan’s sport when the mind and body scream - “I can’t go on - I can’t do this anymore – just quit!” Imagine the black hole you can find yourself in at 1.00 a.m. in the morning when you’ve spent the last 18-hours running a century of miles; you’re vomiting as you run, and there’s still another 50-miles to go.
What drives persistence in hardcore achievers are two things, firstly an absolute belief and conviction that they can overhaul their ultimate challenge, and secondly, good mental strategies to overcome the inevitable tough times failures and setbacks along the way.
Many years ago, a reporter asked Muhammed Ali whether he ever feared getting beaten and badly hurt. Ali’s immediate response illustrates his mindset:
“there is a dark room somewhere in my mind where the possibility of pain and defeat exist – I simply choose not to go into that room.” - Ali
According to eminent psychologist Martin Seligman – “a key learning from 20th century psychology is that we can choose the way we think”. Not only did Ali have an unshakeable belief in himself as the ‘Greatest’, but he was smart enough to understand the destructive nature of his own mind when he was literally ‘on the ropes’ - he chose not to indulge in negative or ‘stinking’ thinking and chose to stay in the positive.
Most psychologists agree that if you don’t think you can win you’ve already lost! Like most elite sports professionals, mastering his mind and emotions and staying out of the dark-room are key strategies when Nathan’s demons come visiting.
Incredibly in September 2017, less than 3-years after his first faltering effort at running, Nathan reached his ultimate goal - he finished his first Spartathlon.
From a field of 265 of the world’s toughest hardcore athletes Nathan finished in 19th place. A year later, despite straining a calf-muscle with 20-miles to go, he hobbled home in 13th place; completing the 152-miles in a little over 26-hours.
Nathan believes his best running is still ahead, and he has set his sights on winning the race in 2021.
Granted Nathan’s story is exceptional to us mere mortals, but human history is filled with stories of great achievement and incredible survival - it is amazing what body and mind can achieve and endure given the right mindset. We can literally choose who we want to be.
Personal transformation is never easy, but consider these four questions to help you on your way and go beyond:
· Are you single-minded around your challenge – what distracts you from your goal?
· What more sacrifices do you need to make – what fundamentals in your life do you need to change?
· Can you boost your discipline and make the right choices – ‘do the right thing’ in every moment?
· Can you develop greater persistence and stay out of the dark room?
If you are designing your own transformation and seeking inspiration - in your darkest moments, ask yourself one question – what would Nathan do?
Written by Dr. Mark Slaski - C.Psychol, AFBPsS
If you wish to discuss our work further or to comment on the article please contact mark@workplacebuzz.co.uk
*Nathan Flear operates an online endurance coaching service and organises camps to train ultra-marathon runners. https://www.nathanflear.co.uk/