The title of this post is actually a book by Rick Pitino. It came out in 1998 and I read it way back then. I honestly don’t remember much about the book except one of the lines from it that said “it’s only a dream until you write it down, then it’s a goal”. That line will be stuck in my head for the rest of my life.

I do think success is a choice. I also think it’s incredibly hard work to succeed.

I wonder what the success level is for those people who are trying to climb the corporate ladder while training for Ironman. We know it’s more than just 18-30 weeks of training. If you have the bug like I do and want to do one or more Iron distance every year as well as several other short distances is it possible to truly succeed in your career?

Making a lifetime commitment to the iron distance is essentially training 48-50 weeks a year of 4-6 days a week.

Succeeding in your career is a loaded definition. You can define it anyway you want. But to do ‘only’ 40 hours a week at your job, training 10-15 hours a week,  and family commitments I believe makes it incredibly hard to climb the ladder. I am sure it’s been done and some of you are currently doing it but to have many commitments something has to give.

I wrestle with this thought all the time. I believe I am at a point in my career where moving up will come more slowly than it did say 10 years ago. I am ok with this. The role I am in doesn’t have the same opportunities as I had with Hewitt, where I spent nine years. That I am ok with as well. I don’t want to work in an environment where I (and others) have to work 50+ hours every week just to have the chance to move up. I don’t mind doing 50+ hours a week but when it’s every week it causes burnout and I don’t give myself the chance to workout as much.

For me to truly succeed in life I feel I need to be an entrepreneur. Or at least have some type of side business that doesn’t compete or interfere with my current job. For example, the thought of being a software developer has always been a dream of mine but yet for the last 4-5 years I have yet to take this step. Why? I can give all the excuses in the world as to why I haven’t yet but the answer that keeps coming back to me is I still enjoy working out way to much to give it up.

I have it in my head that I need to totally immerse myself into this endeavor that I have yet to spend more than a few hours a year on it. I believe instead of training 10-15 hours a week I need to turn this free time into being a developer. I suppose this isn’t completely true but something would have to give.

Have you ever thought of this? Would you give up your normal training routine to try and pursue a new passion?

One thought I have is maybe just train Monday through Friday morning’s with no expectations. As mentioned earlier maybe I would just do a couple of 1/2 marathons with no pressure. I know as soon as I cut back on my training I would immediately put on 10-15 pounds. Is that something I am willing to do?

A few years back I came up with a plan that I would do a few Ironman distance’s, run the Boston Marathon, and then give it up to try and be an entrepreneur. I am close to the end of my racing plan and suppose to move on to 2.0 of my career. The thought was my path to being an entrepreneur was suppose to start in 2016.

If you told me today that I would have to give up my Ironman passion for say 10 years to totally 100% succeed at being an entrepreneur I am not sure I would say yes to that today.

I struggle with the thought of this balance almost everyday. I really don’t have a clear answer on what I should/will do. From an amateur standpoint I feel I have done ok with some of my performances. I am not satisfied overall with my results because I haven’t reached my full potential. I wonder if I have to have better results before I am willing to give up this training. Right now I am not sure.

But at some point in my life I really want/need to pursue making a better life for myself in my career. Success is a choice! The question is will I succeed?