Working out and eating right is only one part of being in shape. You have a whole other dimension to your body which is being strong mentally and spiritually. They aren’t often talked about, because we spend so much time concentrating on the most obvious indicators of health….which is a lean body that simply looks in shape. After all, it makes sense. Your body is tangible. It’s what everybody sees when they first meet you. When you’re trying to figure out if someone’s in shape the first thing you will look at is their body. But what about the mind? This subject needs to be talked about more in the fitness industry, so I wrote this article to tell you how to reach your goals by staying mentally tough.
To be successful in ANYTHING, you can’t just work at it when you feel like it. It has to be an everyday thing…..when you’re feeling lazy, upset, stressed, or even if the weather’s bad.
No one in this world was ever born with mental toughness. It’s a decision that you make within yourself. You can have all the money in the world. You can be the most naturally gifted person in the world……but mental toughness is the great equalizer. Everyone has to make that decision.
My college basketball coach always told us:
“Mental toughness is the ability to make the right decisions, and perform when you’re tired…..No one cares that you’re tired!!!…..You can have all the talent in the world, but mental toughness wins ball games.”
Just like lifting weights to strengthen your skeletal muscles, mental strength can be acquired numerous ways. Reading books is a good way to feed your mind, and finding God is how you’ll feed your spirit.
Having a strong mind helps when the situation calls for you to mentally tough. Every time your body is tired and you consciously make a decision to keep moving, you take one stride in mental toughness.
Forcing yourself to do something that you don’t feel like doing, just because you know it will make you better……that’s how you make gains.
Physical fitness and overall health is that ever elusive characteristic that we all want, but without mental toughness it’s hard to come by.
I hope this article convinced you to take a really hard look at how in shape you are in the mental toughness department. Please take a second to share this on facebook. You’ll probably also like to find out 5 Fitness Myths That Have Been Debunked.
About Adam Pegg
