Don’t Be Afraid of the Circus: The Secret to Building Resilience

Hey, Arjun here.

6 words I wish I had learned 6 years ago:

Don’t be afraid of the circus.

The 2-Minute Hack: Seek Out Your “Circus”

What is The Circus? And why should you be afraid of it?

As Navy SEAL William H. McRaven explains, in Navy SEAL training, if you finished last in a physical fitness challenge, you got sent to The Circus.

To put it bluntly, The Circus is extra physical training for those who aren’t hitting the Navy SEAL standards.

One could say it’s like extra homework when your grades aren’t up to par.

At first, when McRaven was sent to The Circus, like anyone else, he was discouraged.

The exercise was already grueling…

And with more exercise wouldn’t his performance continue to suffer more as his body was taxed?

But here’s what he realized:

As he repeatedly went to The Circus, and the extra training took its toll… instead of his performance suffering, he actually realized he was improving and becoming stronger.

Instead of finishing last in physical fitness challenges, he’d now not only finish first but also win by a hefty margin, smoking the rest of the competition.

He then realized something about his mind that was happening here:

It’s so easy to fear failure.

It’s natural: we all fear failure.

The feeling of discouragement or embarrassment for not achieving a goal, even before it happens, is anxiety inducing.

And it feels worse when this failure is public.

But here’s the thing:

Failure is temporary.

Every time we get knocked down, and we get up and we try again, we are building the “success muscle.”

Instead of seeing failure as a negative, reframing it to see it as an opportunity to learn can shift your entire perspective.

Failure is a chance to reflect, analyze, and improve upon what is and isn’t working and to move forward in a smarter way.

This perspective shift or mindset is sometimes called a growth mindset.

This also might remind you of the term “grit.”

For more on grit check out Angela Duckworth’s work – she’s the leading expert on the subject.

At the end of the day, embracing a growth mindset, and strengthening your inner grit can be absolute game changers in all aspects of life:

• Your hobbies

• Your physical pursuits

• Your 9-5

• Your business

How to apply this:

1. Identify your “Circus” – What are you avoiding because it’s difficult?

2. Lean into discomfort – Schedule regular sessions with your most challenging tasks

3. Track progress – Notice how repeated exposure to difficulty builds strength

4. Build recovery time – Even Navy SEALs need rest between difficult sessions

5. Celebrate small wins – Acknowledge improvement, not just achievement

So next time you’re fearing a hard task, or hard work, remember: Don’t be afraid of the circus.

You’re only going to come out stronger.

What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.

What’s your “Circus” right now? The thing you’re avoiding that could make you stronger? Hit reply and let me know.

See you next week.

Let’s doola it ⚡

Arjun

P.S. If starting or growing your business feels like your personal “Circus,” we can help make that process simpler at doola. Sometimes the right support system makes all the difference in facing challenges.