3 questions to Wolfgang Fasching, extreme athlete

1. The power of thought is essential if you want to change the basics. Thoughts alone don't do much - they have to affect behavior. Do people really have the chance to break out of life-long routines?

Fasching: Basically, routines are a good thing. Because they ensure that important things are done automatically without having to think about them first. Think about when you get in the car and buckle up automatically. For me, the power of thoughts is more about the quality of the thoughts. The words and images that I have in my head determine my feelings and behavior - depending on whether they are interpreted positively or negatively. You have to start here. The most important thing is that I believe in what I think. Only then thoughts can be effective. It is possible to work on it deliberately. Remember what it's like to defeat your inner bastard. Especially when it comes to exercise and sport, it is not fun at first. That's where positive thoughts help. But let's not kid ourselves: the beginning is always difficult, no matter in which area. You shouldn't pretend that! But the good news is that tasks or activities that are difficult at first, get really easier over time. But it is also important that you should not want to change everything that is difficult for you. That’s also not possible. Life has to stay in balance - you don't have to master everything.

2. What is the biggest obstacle currently - apart from your own thoughts - for people on the way to achieving a goal?

Fasching: Generalizing is always difficult because everyone is different, everyone has their own, different perceptions. Humans are individuals. That is why there is no one blanket obstacle. If a goal is not achieved, there is always an important, central question: Was the goal a real goal? Did I really want to get to the last fiber of my heart? Sometimes pressure to really want to change something are not strong enough. Or there is simply a lack of enthusiasm, joy. If you secretly think “it actually fits that way”, then it doesn't work with the goal. People who want to achieve a goal must also see the meaning behind it. An unconditional "yes" is necessary. So you have to ask yourself beforehand: What price am I willing to pay to achieve the goal? If I am aware of all the consequences and accept that it will be difficult, especially at the beginning, and still make my way, then the biggest obstacle has already been removed.

3. Is there a goal that you have not yet achieved yourself, although you have strived for it for a long time?

Fasching: There are a lot of goals that I have not achieved. In the sporting field there will always be something that you cannot get at all, although you would like to. This also includes the mental strength to recognize that it is simply not possible for me, for example, to climb the summit of K2. There is also a bike trip from Cairo to Cape Town that I have had in my head for 15 years ... But in the end it is also good if you do not reach every destination. Failing is part of life. It’s also important. You learn that there is a high after every low and then you appreciate the goals you have achieved even more.