Mental Muscle!

Remember above all that mental stability comes by examining the contents of the mind, not by avoidance. -Vernon Howard (1912-1992), American author, philosopher and spiritual teacher.

I’m Going To Do It

The end of the year arrives and we roll up our sleeves. We say that this is the year when we’ll finally do it. We’ll get in better shape. We’ll stop overeating. We’ll sign up for the gym and be there everyday and get after it. We’ll look great this summer at the beach. Once we’re in shape we’ll be able to get up earlier each day. We’ll make more money and move in the direction of the financial freedom we so desperately desire. This year, nothing will stand in our way!

Many of us actually get out of the blocks fast while some trip right when the gun goes off. We struggle forward but it seems just so easy to fall back into our routine. Sleep in, snack often, and unfortunately the mirror won’t lie to us as much as we hope it will. The obvious fact is that breaking out of our physical habits is really hard to do no matter how many new year resolutions we make. The worst part of all of this is really how helpless this makes us feel as our self-image down the sewer.

False Resolutions

So what’s wrong here? Why is it so hard to keep those new year resolutions? It’s almost a universal joke that this resolve is even possible. So hopeless that many people don’t even bother making them anymore, they simply surrender in advance of the fight. But what if there was an easy explanation? What if the resolution was within our control but we just missed it?

Maybe we’re just starting at the wrong starting point. Maybe we’re not even ready to make a resolution to improve our physical and financial position. How can that be you ask? Let’s consider another angle. Is there really any argument that the best athletes in the world have completed an enormous amount of “mental” training; some even dating back to childhood? You can see the intense level of mental preparation even by professionals competing for a championship. Why does a diver close her eyes before taking the leap? Why does a basketball player throw an imaginary free throw before shooting the real ball? Why does a wide receiver run a pattern and catch a phantom pass? How about a fighter “shadow” boxing? As we sit in our arm chairs and watch them “prepare” for the real deal, we seem to be missing the obvious clue…the first step is mental preparation.

Concert Performance

Let’s pretend for a minute that our life is the equivalent of a professional sports event. In front of us is the big game. So why not just step out on the field and start playing? Or how about seeing our new year as a concert performance. Why not just step out onto the stage in front of the massive audience and bang on those keys? I bet just the thought of it would put you in a state of fear!

So if lack of mental preparation seems so ridiculous with respect to a performance, then why do we think something as major as our own lives would require no mental preparation. Those people with great will power might assume they can simply do it on the mental muscle, but consider the muscle bound fighter that gets knocked out by the seemingly lesser developed opponent. There is simply too many examples of how the seemingly weak underdog tapped into the power of the mind to find victory.

Mind Clarity

So get after it. The key is to understand that we’re going nowhere without working on the head stuff first and there’s no doubt that this is the critical first start. So now what? You must design a system for preparing mentally for any challenge, but primarily, you must clearly tell your mind what you want. Your mind is the equivalent of your own home team genius just sitting on the bench waiting for some direction, so tell it what you want…when you want it, and what you’re willing to give up to get it.

Why not build a vision for an internal team of geniuses? Imagine that you have Einstein sitting on your mental bench; he might advise you that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is simply ridiculous. He might also tell you to stop wasting his time and simply tell him what you want. You see Einstein was certainly brilliant, but he also knew that envisioning end results was a critical component in getting what you want…this is were you might have Steven Covey on your mental team and hear him yelling: start with the end in mind!

Successful Ghosts

But you’re scared that you’ll embarrass yourself by dreaming too big. That’s just when you’ll see Edison sitting side your head and he’ll remind you how he promised the world a functioning incandescent light bulb well before he had perfected it, much like he had done with the phonograph. Step up, he might tell you. Who cares what you have not done yet he would argue and he might even prod you on by insinuating that you’re just lazy like most people who miss opportunity because they are afraid to do the work that it really takes.

But how could you hear this advice? How would you even know the thoughts and beliefs of these successful people? Because your mental preparation would have included reading about them. Listening to taped recordings of them speaking and if those didn’t exist then finding the works of those who came after them and study them. It’s not rocket science, but it is work.

No Heavy Lifting

You see the pandemic here is that with the advance of our modern world, there are too many conveniences and it has spoiled us. Life is just not rugged enough anymore. We can adjust the thermostat to be just right, the T.V. station to the best mind numbing channel and if all else fails we can pop a pill, run to the mall and spend some credit card companies money! So this year overcome for real! Don’t make yourself any promise other than that you’ll start exercising your mind. No heavy lifting, just a simple book that helps you understand something you’re interested in. You’ll be very surprised by how easy it is to begin to grow your the most powerful muscle to Hurculean strength!