4 Things Amazingly Mentally Fit Never Do
Being strong mentally comes at a price…
Do you ever wonder what separates average person from someone that’s mentally fit?
Both individuals are capable of achieving their fitness goals — may go to gym and lift weights. Or push themselves during intensive runs, ending in drench sweat. But something that separates both of them — their mentality and self-talk.
To become reasonably fit — you need to be able to push yourself past your comfort zones. Avoid junk food and showing up when you don’t feel like it.
It takes a strong mindset, discipline and consistency to maintain a high level of mental fitness. So it’s no surprise, mentally fit people struggle less compare to everyone else.
Here are four things — amazingly mentally fit people never do.
1. Give Up After Failure
Becoming mentally fit takes resilience and perseverance — through physical training.
It’s normal to feel embarrassed, discouraged, and downright defeated when your first attempts don’t work. You’ve to understand that failure is part of the process — success. From a young age, we’re often taught that failure is bad, but it’s impossible to succeed if you never fail.
Failure teaches us:
- There is no one ‘right’ way.
- You don’t always have to be right.
- Failures always come before success.
- You don’t know what you’re capable of until you try.
- Others don’t hold your failure against you as much as you think.
Mentally strong people view failure as proof — that they’re pushing themselves to the limits in their efforts to reach their full potential.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas A. Edison
2. Shy Away From Change
Change is hard. Mentally fit people understand this — but they know it’s part of life.
Although we feel safest when we stay within our comfort zones — avoiding new challenges serves as the biggest obstacle to living a full and rich life. You have to embrace change — it’s inevitable. Train your mind and body with physical exercise.
Here are common excuses by mentally unfit people:
- I can’t handle change.
- I’m not ready for change.
- I’m not sure this will do anything for me.
- People will think I’m crazy for doing this.
Let go of the excuses — you’ll never regret it. The more you practice tolerating the uncomfortable feelings associated with change — whether it involves taking on a new job or leaving an unhealthy relationship — the more confident you’ll become in your ability to create your future.
“Every day the clock resets. Your wins don’t matter. Your failures don’t matter. Don't stress on what was, fight for what could be.” — Sean Higgins
3. Fear Taking Calculated Risks
We make dozens — if not hundreds of choices every day with every little consideration of the risks we’re taking.
Whether we choose to wear a helmet on a bike ride, or we decide to take out a loan, we often based our choices on our emotions, not the true level of risk. It is important to decisions growth and logic. Making decisions based on the level of your fear isn’t an accurate way to calculate risk.
Emotions are often irrational and unreliable.
You don’t get to be extraordinary without taking risks, and learning how to accurately calculate risk will ensure you’re making the best choices — calculated risks.
4. Expect Immediate Results
Mentally fit people understand everything takes patience — there are no shortcuts.
Wouldn’t it be nice if everything in life could happen at the touch of a button? We often grow so accustomed to our “no lines, no waiting’ world, that our brains begin to believe that everything should happen instantaneously or quickly.
But self-growth develops at of a snail’s pace — rather than at lightning speed.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or become a better writer on Medium — slow and steady wins the race and expecting immediate results only leads to disappointments.
Mentally strong people know that true change takes time and they’re willing to work hard to see the results.
Are you willing to work hard and grind for a long time?
The Bottom Line
The good news is, everyone has the ability to build mental strength. But to do so, you need to develop self-awareness about the self-destructive thoughts, behaviours, and feelings that prevent you from reaching your full potential.
Once you recognise areas that need work — committing to mental strength exercises will help you create — healthier habits and build your mental muscle.
