The Key to Doing Big Things in Life

A few years ago, I wrote an article for the Active network about Ajay Picket, who, at the time, had the fastest known time (FKT) on the 310-mile long Superior Hiking Trail. I’ve written over 80 articles for Active, but this is the only one I regularly still think about because Picket’s story was bad-ass, and because of one thing he told me.

Do For Yourself

It’s interesting that I interviewed Picket at all, because even at the time I wrote the article, someone else had actually covered the distance faster. I chose to talk to him because he had the fastest unsupported time on the trail back then, meaning that no one (including himself) had stashed food, water or other supplies at key points along the trail. He carried everything he needed — 27 pounds’ worth — on his back.

Just Don’t Stop

When I recall my interview with Picket, I imagine him alone on that rugged trail, braving the chilly September nights with his small pack and just a pair of trail runners on his feet, and I’m still impressed. But what sticks with me most is one thing he said.

I was writing the article for the Running channel on Active.com, so I was asking him about his pace and the percentage of time he spent walking versus running (because runners are really into the stats). My fingers hovered above the keys, ready to take down the meticulous pace and mileage plan that allowed him to gain the FKT, when he stopped me short. “The ratio of running to fast walking or hiking is skewed to walking. The key is in not stopping.”

Picket didn’t pay much attention to how fast he was traveling. What he was meticulous about was waking every morning at 6:00 and being on the trail by 6:30, stopping for only 30–45 minutes to eat lunch, and bedding down for the night at 9:00 or 9:30, meaning he was on his feet and moving for 14 or 15 hours every day.

Persevere in the Face of Defeat

To someone like me, this was already super bad-ass. I’d done a bit of trail running, and a bit of backpacking, so I knew the level of misery he must have been enduring to combine 14-hour days with nights spent on a flimsy mat in an overly light sleeping bag (if he even had those “comforts.”) But the real bad-assery came five days into his journey, when he caught a root with his toe, summersaulted head over heels, broke his leg, and then kept going.

Picket said that he had built enough time on the front end of his journey so that he thought he could still break the FKT, so he didn’t give up. This meant that he walked the last 110 miles with each step shooting pain up his leg that he described as “nine-and-a-half out of ten.”

So, it’s easy to see why I think about Picket’s example whenever I’m facing a tough challenge. His story is inspiring, but his methodical approach is the really important part.

Now rather than hurling myself at a thing full-throttle, I just nudge myself into motion, and then try not to stop. This approach works because it’s not tied to emotion, only to action. Long after that first jolt of excitement or fear (or whatever has prompted you to begin your endeavor in the first place) wears off, persistent perseverence will get the job done every single time, even if you fall and break something along the way.

Note: You can read my original article for Active.com here.