My competitive life in sports has helped me to develop a strong mindset. Having competed in many different types of sports my whole life, I benefited in many aspects. The obvious benefit is having a healthy, vibrant youthful body but looking back on the journey of becoming competitive, I realize that one aspect seems to have developed that has helped me in all of my entrepreneurial ventures.
I learn to develop a strong mindset…
What I built was a character that helped me push myself. It is never easy to incorporate additional training for whatever sport that I may have been into at the time which translated a new skill and that is called…Balance.
Learning to balance is one of THE most amazing skills a person can learn. Balance in one area is easily transferred to another. There were times when it got tough. I was tired and feeling as though I needed to focus on this or that at the time but when you are committed to a goal, you do what it takes.
Commitment is yet another amazing skill that I developed. I see this skill is not as prevalent today in the mainstream population as it should but seems to be almost innate in entrepreneurs. Without commitment you can’t see your project through to the end. This can be a problem because some entrepreneurs don’t know when to give up on an idea that isn’t working.
Who would have thought that working out or any level of physical fitness would help a person to develop a strong mindset? It’s true.
Are you experiencing situations that put a strain on your mental processes? Do you feel stressed out and unable to make decisions? A strong mindset can be difficult to acquire, if you haven’t trained your mind but it’s much easier goal to achieve if you focus on achieving physical fitness first and any level of physical competition.
By ensuring your body is strong, challenged, and fully tuned, you can encourage mental toughness and realize awesome physical achievements. Remember…it’s a journey. One that you should be on for a lifetime and not a fad.
Try these strategies to strengthen both your mental and physical fitness:
- Make your workouts uncomfortable. It’s important to challenge yourself. Instead of doing what you know you can, test your limits. Keep changing the game so you build determination.
- Develop an indomitable spirit by jogging outdoors during winter instead of on the treadmill. It’s easy and comfortable to use the treadmill. Running outside in cold climates tests your limits. It also allows you to feel confident in your abilities when you succeed.
- Fitness challenges help you transfer that confidence and determination to other parts of your life. Uncomfortable life situations can really take a toll. But you’ve already overcome fitness challenges. Now, you can use those victories to equip you with coping mechanisms for mentally challenging situations.
- Participate in physical competitions. Competitions are usually intimidating, especially if you have a formidable opponent. But as you participate in more competitions, your self-esteem develops at the same time.
- Invite someone who is better at a challenge than you to a contest. Having that person as an opponent helps you readily identify your shortcomings and strengthen your skills.
- As you compete, you come to terms with your abilities. And although you may be less impressive than your opponent, you can truly develop an appreciation for the level you’ve reached.
- In all your competitions, avoid allowing pride to push you beyond your limits. You probably want to prove that you’re solid competition. But avoid doing so at risk of hurting yourself physically of course. Men are horrible at this…sorry guys but you are. It’s the hormones, you can’t help it. It’s all good…
- Take part in speed training. I LOVE this! It gets me so charged up…You’ll see. You may have other strong suits that don’t include being fast on your feet. But you’d be surprised how much speed training can help you mentally. Practicing sprints and trying to shorten reaction time can help you work more efficiently. Even doing interval training works well for those that can’t do sprints. This is where you go fairly slow then kick it up for 30 to 60 seconds to push yourself. A great calorie burner and an excellent way to push yourself.
- When you develop a quick reaction time, it’s easier for you to make good decisions under pressure.
- Speed training also helps you to work quickly and accurately. It’s great if you can speed through tasks. But it’s even better if your accuracy level is always high. Develop an effective combination through speed training.
Take the time today to acknowledge the connection between your mind and body. They support each other on a day to day basis. Be sure your mind functions optimally by keeping your body in tune. Your professional life and personal life will both benefit. Learn to develop a strong mindset today…you won’t regret it. Leave your comments below to tell me your thoughts on how you develop a strong mindset.
