You’ve initiated it, now the brain has to accept that you’ve entered past the state it had you projected for. You’ve entered extra space, where everything from here on out is extra. For however many more you may end up doing today, know that it is already more than what you started today with. Use the momentum though, don’t let this struggle be for nothing. At least get yourself some good footing for the next 3 days to come. You’ll have to finish 1,000 push ups in the next 3 days so whatever you can manage to do extra right now will only serve to let you rest sooner later on. Either way you’re going to have to feel a struggle and strain, I mean you’re already doing it now you may as well push the stick down the field a bit. Lighten up the ask for the next days.
This space you’re in now—this extra space—isn’t just physical. It’s mental. It’s the part of the journey where the brain tries to convince you to stop, to conserve energy, to pull back. But you’ve overridden that signal. You’re here, doing more than what was expected, more than what was comfortable. And every single rep, every moment you push forward, you’re building something stronger than just muscles. You’re building resolve. A foundation that tells you, “I can always do more.”
Momentum doesn’t come easy. It’s built in these moments, when quitting seems like the logical choice, but you push forward instead. These moments are where the future days are made easier. Every extra effort now is time saved and strain lessened later. This is the grind that pays off. Not today, not in this moment, but tomorrow, and the day after that. It’s a deposit into the bank of your endurance and determination, and it will compound with every extra rep you give.
Don’t focus on the 1,000 push-ups waiting for you over the next few days. That number is a distraction, a mountain designed to overwhelm. Focus instead on the next rep, the next set. That’s all that matters right now. With every push, you’re chipping away at the ask, shrinking the task for tomorrow and the days after. And when the time comes to face the next challenge, you’ll be ready, standing on the momentum you built right here, right now.
You’ve already proven you can endure the strain, so let it work for you. Let the struggle fuel the fire instead of extinguishing it. You’re not just surviving this; you’re owning it, bending it to your will. When the next three days come, and they will, you’ll be able to look back at this moment and know you did everything you could to make them lighter, to give yourself a fighting chance. And that’s what makes the effort worth it.
