How an Unattainable Goal and Rucking Changed My Life: A Journey from Better to More
Achievement knows no limits. — Jeremy Victor
Summary
In this personal narrative, I share how my journey from chasing finite fitness goals to embracing sustainable wellness mirrors a broader truth about human potential. Through rucking—a simple yet transformative practice—I discovered that true achievement isn’t about reaching specific numbers, but about becoming More every day.
Takeaways
- Finite goals often lead to cyclical success and setbacks.
- Sustainable transformation comes from pursuing unattainable goals.
- Simple practices can unlock profound personal growth.
- The choices we make today shape our capacity for tomorrow’s life.
Article
The endurance of human existence depends on our ability to become More. As we navigate an AI-driven world, this truth becomes even more critical in how we approach our physical and mental well-being.
At 38 and a half, with three kids under the age of 7, I found myself standing on the scale looking down at the number 198. I remember it like it was yesterday. It wasn’t just a number—it was a wake-up call. I thought to myself, “By the time I’m 40, if I don’t do something, I will be 220.” As someone who saw myself as an athlete, I didn’t want to be 220*. So I set a goal: Be 180 at 40.
The Pursuit Of Better
At the time, that felt like a mountain to climb. I wasn’t a runner, and the treadmill wasn’t exactly my friend. I started small—three miles, every other day, at a ten-minute pace. It wasn’t fast, but it was consistent. Over time, I steadily improved my pace and distance. And like many people do, I began to enjoy it.
Those early steps turned into something bigger. I remember completing my first 40-minute five-mile run—I did it while waiting for new tires at Costco (who remembers that!).
I read Born to Run and transitioned to barefoot running for a period of time. I moved on to half marathons (completing several), and then one night, sitting on my couch watching The Biggest Loser, I saw something that struck a chord. The contestants—many of them on their own journeys of transformation—were training for a triathlon. I’d always loved swimming, so I thought, “let me give that a try.”
That decision opened a new chapter.
Starting in 2012, triathlon became a bit of an obsession. Waking at 4:45 AM to swim 4-5 times a week before work, biking 25-40 miles on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and yes, also finding time for the runs. I completed several Olympic Triathlons and pushed myself one distance further, a Half Ironman Triathlon—a 70.3-mile race.
The Cycle of Finite Goals: When Better Isn’t Enough
My training for the September 2014 Princeton Half Ironman started on June 1st, with two workouts a day, six days a week. It was grueling, but it was also exhilarating. By race day in September, I was ready. I crossed the finish line in 5:45, comfortably beating my goal of 6 hours.
I was in the best shape of my life, the fittest I’d ever been.
And then I wasn’t.
After the Half Ironman, I kept up with triathlons for a while, but a pattern emerged. My fitness journey was tied to deadlines, race days. I trained hard for races, but once the race was over, the motivation faded. And by the time I was 48 and a half (4 years removed from any races), I found myself back around 185 pounds.
This was the moment I realized that pursuing “Better” wasn’t enough. What if the goal was simply to “Be Sustainably Fit“?
That question changed everything.
Discovering Rucking
Sometimes the most profound transformations come from the simplest shifts in perspective. For me, this shift arrived through an unexpected source.
In August of 2023, a few months after my fiftieth birthday, I came across a book called The Comfort Crisis. It introduced me to rucking. The concept is simple: walking with weight on your back. But don’t let its simplicity fool you—it’s transformative.
Rucking quickly became my primary form of exercise, paired with pushups. Together, they reshaped my fitness in ways I didn’t expect. While I may not have the endurance I had during my triathlon days, I feel stronger now, both physically and mentally. Rucking is about consistency, resilience, and showing up—not for a race or a medal, but for life itself.
The More Effect in Motion
Rucking exemplifies what I call The More Effect—where simple actions, consistently applied, unlock deeper potential. Like the intuition that helps us navigate complexity, or the gratitude that strengthens relationships, rucking teaches us that our most powerful tools are often the most fundamental. It’s not about reaching a specific number on a scale or clock, but about showing up every day to become more than we were yesterday. In an age where technology offers countless complex solutions, this simplicity becomes revolutionary.
Living for Tomorrow: The Ultimate Unattainable Goal
Rucking isn’t just about today’s workout. For me, every step I take, every pushup I do, is an investment in the future. It’s about extending my health span so that in my seventies, eighties, and nineties, I can still walk my dogs, visit my grandchildren (should they come), and watch (and coach) them play sports. I want to travel with my wife and experience the world with the strength and vitality to enjoy it fully.
The workouts I do now aren’t just for today’s goals—they’re for tomorrow’s life.
The Power of Sustainable Transformation
Unlike a race, this new goal has no finish line. It isn’t about hitting a number on a scale or a clock; it’s about showing up, day after day, to build a better tomorrow. It’s about the quiet progress of making choices that serve our health and well-being—choices that compound over time to create lasting change.
I follow the 80-20 rule in terms of my health and wellness: Eighty percent of the time, I make choices that align with my goal—what I eat, how I move, how I rest. The other twenty percent is for living. A meal I enjoy, a treat I savor, or a rest day when I need it. That balance has been life-changing.
This approach to fitness won’t look the same for everyone, and it doesn’t have to. What matters is finding what works for you—what keeps you moving, what inspires you to stay consistent, and what helps you show up for yourself and the people you love.
For me, it was rucking, pushups, and a mindset shift from Better to More. For you, it might be something else entirely. But the underlying truth remains: the choices we make today are about creating the life we want to live tomorrow.
As we face the rapid advancement of technology and AI:
these fundamental human practices—showing up, staying consistent, making intentional choices—become even more crucial. They ground us in what makes us uniquely human: our ability to transform through purposeful action.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. And it’s not about the finish line—it’s about the journey of becoming More.
*A note on the absolute number of my weight. It’s my belief that weight and how one feels about their number is very personal. I’m certain there are millions of people extremely comfortable and happy with 220, it’s nobody’s place to judge. I’m simply sharing my numbers to express how finite goals caused me to have greater fluctuations in my weight than striving to “be sustainably fit.”
About the Author: Jeremy Victor is the Chief Customer Officer at Noom and the creator of The More Effect, a framework for unlocking human potential in the age of AI. With over two decades of experience in technology and leadership, he brings a unique perspective on the future of work, combining insights from his corporate leadership with lessons learned from coaching Gen Z athletes.
Call to ActionIf you’re interested in joining this conversation, I encourage you to drop me an email at [email protected] or sign up for Business @ the Speed of AI to explore these ideas further.
Did you know?
“It will take 48 years for the representation of white women and women of color in senior leadership to reflect their share of the U.S. population.”
#PARITYNOW is my mission to close the gender gap, fix the broken rung (the first critical step on the corporate ladder that women often miss), and create equal opportunities in leadership, work, and life. I’m committed to raising awareness and driving change for true gender parity across all industries.
This cause was born realizing my daughters will be 68 and 64 when true parity is achieved. Why aren’t more dads outraged by this? Blind bias? I’m making it my mission to fix this. Will you join me?
Achievement knows no color. — Abraham Lincoln
Achievement knows no gender. — Jeremy Victor
There is literally no difference, based on gender or race, in anyone’s ability to perform a task, make a decision, or lead in the modern workplace.