A must read for everyone. The Ultra Mindset, by Travis Macy is a wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and was disappointed when I got to the end. Travis Macy is a highly successful endurance athlete, and based upon reading of his other accomplishments, a very successful person, husband, father and business professional.
I enjoyed reading of his harrowing adventures and extremely difficult challenges that he was able to navigate successfully through a combination of fitness, determination and mental toughness.
I really liked the format of this book: Lessons learned from endurance event competitions that are applied to “regular” life and business. No matter your circumstances, the 8 principles articulated in The Ultra Mindset are practical and actionable solutions that can be applied to everyday life – a very real world orientation.
In particular, “The 4:30 a.m. Rule” resonated with me. This is all about making a commitment, setting forth the tasks that need to be acted upon in order to fulfill the commitment and then getting it done. I believe this is a fundamental trait of every successful person – whether in personal life, business, athletic competition, or whatever. Clearly Mr. Macy has this ability, which he writes was instilled in him early on by his father, also an accomplished endurance athlete.
Something all of us “normal” folks can take comfort from is the author’s admission of self-doubt that creeps in one’s mind at all the wrong times and how he used this as a motivator, not a reason to throw in the towel. How he was able to recognize the tendency to rationalize why quitting is a good thing. And then using this as a mantra to not quit, to persevere, to achieve. Mr. Macy put it best, he began to focus on the “why” not the “what” to get through to the next stage.
Travis Macy summited glacial peaks in the French Alps, rappelled into vast limestone caves in China, and ran through parched deserts in Utah. Most famously, he won one of the country's marquee ultra-distance events: Leadman, a high-altitude series of super-long-distance races, culminating with a 100-mile mountain biking race and a 100-mile trail run. Macy accomplished it without exceptional strength, speed, or flexibility, and without high-tech performance labs or performance-enhancing drugs.
His secret? A precise and particular outlook he calls the "Ultra Mindset," principles for daily life that are neither mysterious nor the sole province of ascetics or elite athletes: embrace fear, rewrite stories we tell ourselves, and master the art of seeking help, among others. By applying the principles such as "It's All Good Mental Training," "When you have no choice, anything is possible," and "Never quit...except when you should quit" to other areas of life, anyone can find success that otherwise would have seemed impossible.
Coauthored with award-winning running writer and journalist John Hanc, The Ultra Mindset blends exciting personal memoir with actionable, research-based advice. Dramatic stories of Macy's far-flung experiences in the professional endurance-racing world lead into relevant mindset principles, reflective self-assessments, mind- and body-enhancing workouts and activities, and compelling case studies. Macy's stories keep the pages turning as you forge your own winning outlook for success in business, sports, and life.
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