“You grow from the tough experiences in life,” we are sure you’ve heard someone say. No one improves from taking the easy path, even though the easy path is so appealing. You’ve probably heard Coach Matt say something like, “Good Struggle,” when you push hard to complete a movement or lift. You may even hear other coaches say, “good,” even when you miss a lift or don’t complete full range of motion. Why? Because, in the end, it’s all about how you respond.
The concept of struggling to grow is in our Core Values: always overcome adversity. Former Navy SEAL commander Jocko Willink helped make the concept popular by making lessons learned during his time in the SEALs more mainstream. Everything about the man is tough. He wakes up at 4:30am every morning. He begins every day with a workout before doing anything else. Why? Simply because it is hard. He knows that constantly testing himself is the only way to get better.
Life is a Test
We are obviously a big fan of this mindset. Life isn’t hard or easy. It is a stream of tests. Pass the test or learn from the experience. You never fail anything as long as you learn from it.
However, while tough experience create tough people, it is hard being in the middle of the tough part. We want out. We want to be comfortable. We want “it” to be easy. When the going gets tough, try this:
“I know that I can overcome whatever life throws at me. I’ve done it before. That’s how I got here today. I know I can handle it. I’ve learned that when I want something I am a stronger person than I thought I was, capable of adapting to the challenges in front of me.”
So, today, don’t look at life as hard or easy. Instead, ask how you can test yourself. When you test yourself, you have two possible outcomes: pass the test or learn more about yourself. That’s how you grow mentally tough.
(inspiration provided by Jay Rhodes at Crossfitoutlawnorth.com)
