3 Saboteurs of Human Performance and Mental Strength

I think everyone deserves to have mental strength, don’t you? 

 Before I begin I’d like to give a quick definition of what mental strength is.  For the sake of this post let’s define mental strength as “The ability to overcome mental resistance and intentionally cause things to happen” (i.e. human performance). We could break this definition into many parts and examine each of them – check into my other posts for further information.

 For this post I’d like to focus on “mental resistance.”  Without resistance of any kind strength cannot be developed.  Look at muscles.  If they don’t meet with some resistance, i.e. weightlifting, they will not gain strength.  The same is with mental strength.  The mind and your thoughts have to meet with mental resistance and move past them.  Once you move past them you’ll then gain mental strength.  Then next time you face the same or similar situation (resistance) it will be easier for you to move past it.

The trick is not to break under the pressure of the resistance.  If we use our personal power and consciously and intentionally move past the resistance we develop our mental strength.  The opposite is also true.  If we give in, we develop mental weakness.  This difference can be subtle, but to be an aware observer it is quite obvious. 

To help become an aware observer here are the 3 saboteurs when facing mental resistance: 

1. Don’t Attempt the Perceived Threatening Activity:  If you listened to your conditioned mind you when facing a perceived threatening experience you’ll say “This is crazy, I don’t have to prove anything, and I’m out of here!” Sometimes (very rarely) is this the appropriate action.  But most of time if you do the opposite you not only survive and develop mental strength, you also have some fun!
2. Compromise Your Personal Goals:  Let’s say you get all jazzed about accomplishing something great.  You set the goal and off you go. Then at the first or second sign of resistance you question yourself and your goal.  You them bring the goal down, in other words, you compromise your goal.  This automatically reduces the mental resistance associated with the goal and you lose the mental strength needed to reach your original goal.
3. Try to be Mentally Stronger:  This may sound like a contradiction, how can this be a saboteur?  If you want to become mental stronger you tell yourself I’ll try to be mentally stronger.  Now I’m sure you’ve heard a thousands times the famous Yoda quote, “Do or do not, there is no try.” Well this hits so hard that many of us just laugh it off.  But when you really, I mean really think about it, “try” has an automatic failure built in.  “Try” looked at as failure with respect.  You can practice mental strength, but you cannot try to be mentally stronger. 

So, as Nancy Passmore said, “Awareness is participating in your own evolution.”  I hope these three simple, yet powerful points have brought awareness to you so that you can step into your personal power, evolve and develop the mental strength required to achieve your personal goals!

OK…your thoughts?  Let me know in comments below.

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