How to Push Through When Everything Feels Impossible

We all face moments where quitting feels like the only option. Whether it’s a grueling training program, a fitness goal that seems out of reach, or just life throwing everything at you at once. The key to making it through is simple: don’t look at the whole mountain—just focus on the next step.

Breaking Down the Impossible

During my time in British Army Infantry training, there was one moment that nearly broke me. We were in the Scottish Highlands, where it rains about 187 days a year, and had already spent three days in the field—soaked, exhausted, and constantly on the move. We’d spent the days trekking across mountains, through swamps, and executing ambushes where we’d lie in wait for hours, unable to move, barely even allowed to roll to our sides to relieve ourselves.

Each night followed the same brutal routine: strip off soaked gear, put on dry clothes, crawl into a sleeping bag for whatever rest we could get—only to be woken at 2 a.m. by chaos. Smoke grenades exploded around us, practice grenades banged, and blank rounds fired in the dark. The simulated enemy attack meant one thing—move. We scrambled to collapse our harbor area, destroy our shell scrapes, pack our kit, and ruck to a new location: Eagle’s Nest.

The move started with a 6 km ruck under full kit. By the time we reached the base of Eagle’s Nest, we were already wrecked. Then came the final stretch—a 150-meter climb straight up a near-vertical hill, with 100 lb bergens on our backs. The only way up was grabbing onto trees, using them to haul ourselves forward, step by brutal step.

Finally, we reached the top, ditched our bergens, and thought we’d have a moment to recover. Instead, we were told to gear up for a reconnaissance patrol in 30 minutes. We met at the bottom of the hill for an equipment check—only for one guy to realize he’d left his smoke grenades in his bergen at the top.

Our instructor snapped.

“What the f*?!”**

As punishment, we were ordered to climb back up to retrieve not just his grenades, but every jerry can for the entire platoon and our bergens and bring them to the bottom. Each one weighed 44 lbs, and there were eight of them—one per man.

So, back up we went. By this point, my legs were screaming, my body was shaking, and I felt completely drained. We grabbed our bergens and the jerry cans, made our way down to the bottom, unpacked everything, and got what we needed. Then, we were told to carry all of it back up the hill—and do it again, but with everything packed and ready for the mission.

That third climb nearly broke me. It felt endless. My body wanted to quit. But instead of thinking about the next few days, or the whole night ahead, I told myself:

“Just reach that next tree, then the next tree, then the next one”—not even focused on the whole climb itself, just the points along the way to make it to the top.

Not the whole mission. Not the whole training. Just this one challenge.

The Lesson: One Step at a Time

This mindset applies to everything. When a challenge feels overwhelming, break it down:

✅ Focus on the Next Small Win – Don’t think about the full 28 weeks, the whole marathon, or the entire weight loss journey. Just focus on what’s next.
✅ Adjust Your Perspective – Pain, discomfort, and struggle all have an end. No punishment lasts forever.
✅ Use the Runner’s Mindset – Long-distance runners don’t focus on 26.2 miles at once. They focus on the next mile, the next marker. You can apply this to training, business, or any challenge.

Final Thought

You’re stronger than you think—you just need to give yourself the chance to prove it. You don’t have to do it all today—just the next thing. Let’s figure out what that is together. Book a call with me or one of our coaches at www.masterathletic.com today.

Nat Galloway

Coach, Master Athletic Performance