When John F. Kennedy said, “We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard,” I doubt he was thinking about eating as many McDonald’s chicken nuggets as possible in 20 minutes.
Yet, when I reflect on “The Great American Nug-off,” which myself and some fellow Argonaut editors participated in, it seems like JFK thought right.
We risked gastrointestinal suicide for the title of “Nug Lord” and loved every second of it.
Going into it, none of us thought we could eat more than 40 in 20 minutes. But, we wanted to challenge ourselves to see what we were capable of.
As it turns out, I am capable of 36 McNuggets in 20 minutes while the crowned “Nug Lord” ate 50.
We paid the price the next day as the sodium overtook our bodies and we experienced a nugget hangover.
Some had it worse than others. The winner couldn’t eat anything the day after the challenge.
But, it was a small price to pay. It allowed us to see how far we could push ourselves and set the bar for the next nugget challenge.
The nugget challenge is analogous to the larger challenges we face in life.
Going to college, finding the right career or even final exams are all challenges we face to test ourselves and grow.
Compared to 50 nuggets, my measly 36 may seem like a colossal defeat. Instead of comparing myself to someone else, 36 becomes the bar I must beat.
I didn’t fail, I set a new challenge for my future self.
Did you get a C on the first test of the semester? Don’t let that phase you, use it as a
Griffen Winget | Argonaut
benchmark to one day surpass.
Never stop challenging yourself to be better — when you do, then you stop living.
There is an opposite extreme that is just as dangerous as giving up. Not knowing your limits can lead to the lowest of lows.
There is a fine line that must be walked between being confident in yourself and not knowing when to quit.
Take the movie “Whiplash.” The character dedicates his life to becoming better at the drums.
He meets a real-world version of his inner drive in the form of J.K. Simmons and he loses the ability to stop.
Even greatness isn’t good enough for him and Simmons stokes the fire until he breaks.
He becomes a prodigy, but to get to that point he had to sacrifice family, a relationship and a normal life.
Goals should make you a better person. Learn what you are willing to sacrifice and do not be afraid to dedicate yourself to achieve your goals. Equally as important is knowing when enough is enough, when to throw in the towel and try again another day.
The best motivation, in my experience, comes from other people. The expectations they hold can drive you to new heights.
Just make sure that the people who expect greatness from you also expect to help you up when you fall.
Griffen Winget can be reached at [email protected]