This week’s conversation is with Colin O’Brady, an explorer and elite endurance athlete, who has set multiple records and pushed the boundaries of what we understand to be possible.

He was a previous guest on Finding Mastery – episode 36 – and I’m excited to have him back on to talk about his latest feat, the world’s first solo, unsupported and completely human powered crossing of Antarctica.

Previous to this, he set speed records for the Explorers Grand Slam and the Seven Summits.

The Explorers Grand Slam involves climbing the tallest mountain on each continent and skiing the last degree of latitude to the North and South Poles – and Colin completed it in a mere 139 days.

Colin also recently published a book called, The Impossible First, a bestselling adventure memoir.

We cover so much in this conversation including what continues to drive him, his thoughts on human potential, and why he believes many people are settling, when they’re capable of so much more.

I’m confident you’ll leave this conversation inspired.

“We’re going to have hard things happen to us, whether that’s on the field of play, in business, or interpersonally. That’s life. We’re not in control of that necessarily, but we are in control of our minds and how we choose to react.”

In This Episode:

• Setting the record for first solo trek across Antartica… what drove him to do it?
• The early framework he developed…  the world is hard, it’s up to you how to respond
• How that framework has helped him accomplish each feat he attempts
• Living his life with alignment… why “love’ plays a big role in why he does anything
• Being on a mission to understand himself better and what the solo trek taught him
• How does he balance the external vs internal validation that comes with these projects
• Is his identity tied to exploration?
• Has he found inner peace?
• If his ability to do these expeditions were to be taken away from him, would he be ok?
• His purpose in life
• How does he define human potential and why does it matter?
• Does pushing the boundaries of what we believe to be possible matter to everyone or only the more fortunate?
• Why he believes many of us settle, living our lives between the 4-6 range and don’t strive for a 9-10
• What we can do to exceed that 4-6 range and why he believes thats where true fulfillment happens
• Staying true to himself and the micro choices he faces that test his authenticity