When I first heard about an Ironman, it didn’t sound difficult. It sounded impossible.

A 3.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile cycle, followed by a full marathon. Back to back.

At the time, I’d barely been running six months. I didn’t own a bike. I hadn’t swum properly since school.

And that’s exactly why it interested me.

I genuinely didn’t think it was possible. Turns out it was.

But standing at the start line, knowing you’ve got 12 to 14 hours of continuous effort ahead of you, your mind can’t process it. It’s too big. Too far outside anything you’ve done before.

So you don’t think about it like that. You can’t.

Break It Down or Break Yourself

In training, I spent a lot of time doing what’s called “brick sessions”.

Long rides, sometimes over 100 miles, straight into a run. Or a swim straight into a run. All while still trying to lift weights alongside it.

The workload was ridiculous. But the biggest lesson wasn’t physical. It was mental.

When I was cycling, I only thought about cycling. Not the run that was coming after it. When I was swimming, I focused on the swim. When I was running, I focused on the next part of the run. That’s it.

Because the second you zoom out and think about everything at once, it overwhelms you.

I had to run the Marathon in 2 Mile Blocks

During the marathon section of the race, I didn’t think “26.2 miles”.

I thought in 2-mile blocks.

At the end of each block, I’d ask myself a simple question:

“If this was life or death, would you stop?”

The answer was always no. So I kept going.

I’d tell myself stories. “If a bear was chasing you, would you stop?”

“If your family needed you, would you stop?”

It sounds extreme, but it works. Because it brings the problem back into something your brain can deal with.

Not 26 miles. Just the next 2.

Life Isn’t That Different

Most people feel overwhelmed.

Work. Business. Family. Fitness. Health. Friends. Everything we want to do.

Too many plates are spinning, and eventually, they start to fall.

That feeling isn’t because life is impossible.cIt’s because you’re trying to hold the whole thing in your head at once. Just like the Ironman.

Multitasking Is a Lie

There’s a reason for this. The brain doesn’t multitask. It switches.

Every time you jump between tasks, you lose focus, you lose efficiency, and you burn more mental energy. Research in cognitive psychology shows task switching can reduce productivity by up to 40%.

You’re not doing multiple things at once. You’re just doing multiple things badly.

I’ve been guilty of it myself. Trying to run the business while spending time with my son. Half working, half present.

You end up doing neither properly.

Compartmentalise or Get Overwhelmed

The biggest lesson I took from Ironman wasn’t endurance. It was focus. Compartmentalise your time.

When you train, train. That’s your time.

When you work, work. Be all in.

When you’re with family, put the phone down and be there.

Even schedule time for nothing. Time to think. Time to reset. If it’s not scheduled, it usually doesn’t happen, so if its important, schedule it.

Stop Spinning All the Plates at Once

When I was training for Ironman, I made a mistake. I lost focus on the business.

Sales were fine, but costs spiralled and margins dropped to their lowest level.

Why?

Because I tried to do too much at once. It’s the same mistake most people make.

We’re told we should be able to do everything, all at once.

You can’t. Spin one plate. Put it down. Spin the next.

Focus on What Actually Moves You Forward

As a business owner, the to-do list never ends.

You could work 24 hours a day and still not finish.

The same can be said for training. You could always be faster, stronger, leaner, more mobile.

There is no finish line. That’s the reality.

So instead of trying to do everything, I focus on 3 to 5 critical tasks each day.

The ones that actually move things forward.

Everything else gets delegated, outsourced, or ignored.

That’s the job.

Final Thoughts on this

Ironman taught me something simple. Big things become manageable when you break them down.

Overwhelm comes from trying to hold too much at once. Progress comes from focusing on what’s right in front of you.

Not everything. Just the next thing.