We’ve all been through ups and downs in our lives, some much greater than others. It’s important to realize that training and the process of getting stronger will be riddled with mishaps, misfortunes, and rough times. Simply put, this is part of the beast. What’s important, is how we react to these moments and also to realize that moments of adversity shape our mental toughness, and are how we learn to push through barriers - both in the gym, and in life.
Remember when you first started training, and your goal was to knock out three pull ups, get a muscle up, learn clean form, or whatever the task may have been? The movement seemed impossible, was frustrating, challenging, and may have been extremely disheartening. Now, take a second and reflect upon that movement after months of training it. You don’t even think about it! When you see the barbell you approach it and crush it like it’s nobody’s business, throw the barbell down walk around like you own the place, right? Besides new found confidence, what happened?
Work! Work, is what happened. Work is the key to toughness. Being hungry, determined, and putting things into perspective is the only way to advance in the world of lifting, CrossFit, business, or life in general. Interestingly enough, work is the great equalizer that keeps people from doing what they want. It’s been said that talent will beat hard work, and that may sometimes be the case, especially in athletics. It can be argued that genetics plays a huge role in ability, which is true, but I’d take the hard worker who perseveres in my corner all day long. This is because hard work builds mental toughness, ability does not. In my experience, the people with the most ability, who have always been good at things, are some of the most mentally weak people I’ve met. When these people get into the suck, they tend to crumble. Why is that? Because he or she hasn’t been miserable before, and will most likely crack under pressure. It’s the people who push their boundaries, find others better than themselves, and strive to accomplish more each day that become the top percentile in their field.
What’s the point to this observation? To let you in on a secret. Success is simple, and it’s 100% in your hands. When you look at your personal records jumping by 20+ lbs, that’s your work being demonstrated to the world. When you hit your first three dead hang pull ups, that's your accomplishment - no one else can take credit for that. I’m proud to say that the community at 8th Street proves their mental toughness to me every day and all of you are hardworking badass people in my eyes. Keep at it, and keep building your mental fortitude!