Another great question I received regarding long term mental fortitude that I felt was worth answering here.
I guess the main issue I have is long term mental fortitude when it comes to, recovering properly from injuries,
attempting new strength exercises, attempting strength gains, training in general. I am impatient.
Too much TV has shortened my attention span and my real world expectations for how long things should take. Ha. (I laugh, but I think its quite serious)
Cheers
Dan
What you describe as long term mental fortitude could also be called persistence. I’m going to use that later term because it doesn’t take as much time for me to write 😉
Change Your Expectations
Well, if you realize that your expectations are wrong, the first thing you should do is change them. It is easy to become de-motivated when you want something to be accomplished in a month and come that time it still is not.
A good general rule is to double the amount of time that you expect something to take. Often times you’ll still be over-optimistic even then.
On that note perhaps it is good to stop or cut down on TV or other short term attention span things if you feel that is conditioning you in a way that isn’t helpful
Then with any goal it is good to break it up into sub-goals.
Change Your Motivations
Being persistent is not hard…if it is something that you’re excited to do.
It sounds like you’re treating these things like a chore, which then yes, you’ll always have to try to get motivated to do them.
But if they are something you GET to do then the activities themselves are motivating.
This article explains some of the differences between should’s, need’s, want’s and get to’s.
Yes, sometimes this is easier than other times to do. But ultimately, by digging through your WHY and sometimes even changing it, all this can fall into line.
Believe it or not I use to hate exercising too. But that was when I was going to a commercial gym.
When I found bodyweight exercises, and then kettlebells, then strongman, I much more enjoyed those things to the point where now you couldn’t stop me from doing them.
Nowadays, if I don’t move regularly I will become depressed.
Change Your Habits
An option, even if it something you don’t want to do, is to simply cultivate the habit of doing it.
Then you do it automatically, pretty much without thought, simply because it is something that you do.
Habits ultimately determine our success…or lack of it. And this applies to all areas of life.
While there are ways to make the habit change process easier, in the beginning it often takes a little bit of work.
But if you put in the right work at that time, it can pay off dividends for years to come.
Change Your Focus
How you focus your thoughts in time has a big impact on what you do.
Are you looking at the drudgery of what you need to do right now?
Or are you focusing on your longer term goal which you really want to accomplish, and feeling how the work you put in today leads you one step closer towards that aim?
Notice all your thoughts, what you see, what you tell yourself, how you feel, as it relates to these things you want to do.
Your mental focus is very much like bringing a camera into focus.
Between these four areas you should find something that can work for you. Ultimately a combination of all four would be best…