We hear a lot about extreme sports nowadays. But how about extreme performers in a normal sport?

No one can match Stefaan Engels in that regard. Running one marathon now and then is not for him. He just finished running 365 in a single year.

His average time was about four hours, not nearly enough to win anything against an elite field. But that’s not the point. What really matters is his single-mindedness, his willingness to select a hard challenge and then pursue it.

Think of  the level of focus in his life. Aside from the four hours spent running, he must somehow eat, sleep, dress, recover and get to the next venue. Not too much time left over for watching TV or munching potato chips.

Do you suppose anyone in the Super Bowl prepares in such an extreme fashion? Does anyone on the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Green Bay Packers offer such a textbook example of time management?

If you truly want to be great at coaching, you must have more than a little Stefaan Engels in your gut. You must be able to identify great goals and then pursue them with uncommon focus. It’s truly a mental game.

Your sport may not be extreme, but you must be extreme in your sport.