At 43, today’s guest committed to leaving the alcoholic version of himself in the past. By age 49, he began his personal challenge to defy the limits of what’s humanly possible, transforming physically, mentally, and spiritually well into his 50s. Now, he’s competing in ultra-endurance events. He recently published a book, Do it Anyway, which follows him, Scott Harlow, on his journey from a self-destructive and insecure young man to a fitness coach, actor, and athlete.
The decision to become an ultra-endurance athlete came slowly at first, starting with getting off the couch and making the choice to become healthy. While on a trip to Rome with his girlfriend, Scott came upon a book called The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. This was a lightbulb moment–he realized he was getting older and wasn’t in the shape he was and wanted to be. So, just like that, he cut gluten, dairy, and sugars and began to run around the streets of Italy. When he returned with a refreshed perspective, he picked up where he left off and continued his fitness journey.
He wanted to become healthy more than I wanted to consume unhealthy drinks and foods. Quitting drinking alcohol he had to make and still makes every day. He knew if he made the decision to change, he would follow through with it. He knew that if he put his mind to it, he could certainly do it. And it’s the same for anybody, he says, it starts with a decision. Paralysis through analysis is the biggest hurdle. It’s about starting–you don’t need motivation when you have discipline.
Everything is geared around making things easier, which can lead to building perceived mental limits. It is easy to become complacent. The growth is in stepping out of your comfort zone and crawling past that challenge. To combat this, he recommends never taking more than one day off in a row.
It starts with the mentality of “I’m going to do the things that I need to do to make my business successful.” Thoughts lead to actions, which lead to endorphins and momentum.
That same mentality is what pushed Scott to train for and compete in ultra-endurance events, where he focuses on positive speaking and breath control to calm the mind and bring clarity while you’re in high-pressure and high-stress situations and push you forward, especially when you don’t want to.
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