Have you ever wondered why some people can persist in the face of failure, mistakes and challenges, and others not?
No matter what happens – be it at the gym, at work or in their day-to-day routine – some people can block out distractions, give it their all, and succeed in the face of adversity.
Maybe you’ve asked yourself why some people accomplish their goals while others fail?
What is their secret?
It’s simple. They have MENTAL TOUGHNESS.
What’s that? Mental toughness – sometimes called “grit” – is a measure of one’s resilience and confidence in their ability to perform. It’s also a key success indicator for health, business and life.
Mental toughness is essentially a collection of various cognitive skills that include focus, motivation, the ability to perform under pressure and unshakeable self-belief.
While some people are born with a knack for mental toughness, the good news is that you can cultivate it – and at any age.
Yes, you read right! You can train your mind to stay focused and not give up when obstacles stand in your way or when your inner voice tells you, “you can’t do that”.
How can you train mental toughness?
The only way to become mentally stronger is by putting yourself in situations where you are pushed to your limits.
Fortunately, Roark is a perfect arena for becoming mentally tough.
Here are 3 tips to help with mental toughness:
1. STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT IS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL
If it’s cold, complaining won’t make it any warmer. It’s only going to make you focus on being cold and probably remind people around you how being cold is making them unhappy, too.
Instead, focus on what you can control. Cold? Put on something warmer and get moving. Think about how the workout will be easier once you get going because you won’t get too hot.
If thrusters make you uncomfortable when you see them on the board, shift your mindset about them: you don’t have to do thrusters. You get to do thrusters.
There are people in this world that would give anything just to walk.
But you get to hit the gym, bang out some thrusters and become fitter and healthier because of it.
2. STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL AND MAKE THE CHANGE
Actually, just stop complaining.
You not only bring yourself down, but you bring the people around you down, too.
There’s nothing worse than walking into the gym pumped for training only to walk into a wall of negativity. Even if you’re joking, negativity breeds negativity.
Instead of “I can’t do…“, break it down: What can’t you do? Why can’t you do it? What do you need to do step by step to do it?
Talk to a coach. Focus on what you can do to get to the point where you can do what you couldn’t before.
3. BE MINDFUL OF HOW YOU TALK TO YOURSELF AND CONTROL YOUR SELF-TALK
Self-talk and anxiety go hand in hand because what we say to ourselves during a workout often induces stress.
What do you focus on? It’s as true in sports psychology as in life; you are what you focus on.
To increase your performance during workouts, take a moment to assess yourself. What do you think about before a workout? During? After?
Physical training is the key to becoming good at sports or workouts, but training the mind and becoming more mentally tough will reap huge rewards!
Are you ready to go all-in and get some grit in your life? We can’t wait to work together to help you achieve your health and fitness goals!