Close your eyes for a moment and envision your partner and yourself crossing the finish line in Bear Valley on September 9th. You have just spent the last 30 hours hiking, swimming, climbing, and navigating your way through the wilderness and you’ve lugged around your pack for most of it. Today, in this moment, does it seem possible? Crossing the line on Sunday might seem like an objective that’s out of reach, but we stand by the statement that the Endeavor Team Challenge will get you to do things you never thought possible.

This begs the question of “What’s holding you back?” The mind is a powerful tool, but it unfortunately can limit performance if not trained properly. It is easy to fall prey to negative thoughts and self-talk. Regardless of your preconceived notions of your capabilities, being able to block the thoughts encouraging you to quit and fill your mind in a positive way is essential. In the case of the Endeavor Team Challenge, if you have trouble envisioning yourself crossing the finish line now, crossing it in September will be that much more difficult. Adjust your mindset now so that this vision becomes a reality. Envision your success.

Creating the success in your mind that you want to achieve is one way to overcome mental limitations, but your mind can also limit your physical performance. There will come a time during the Endeavor Team Challenge when your mind won’t want you to continue. The Navy SEALs have a rule that pertains to tough times like these – the 40% rule. This rule suggests that when your mind tells you that you’re done, you’re really only functioning at 40% of your capacity. Imagine that – your mind is screaming at you to stop, but you actually have 60% more effort you’re able to give. Use this 40% rule to push harder in training and to turn that imagination exercise from the beginning into a reality.