Mental Toughness Tools

We set goals to improve how we look on the outside and how we feel on the inside. For many of us, it’s about eating less and moving more. We create a plan of action and prepare for success.

Then the inevitable happens and we are confronted with temptation. Should I eat dessert? Should I stay home with the family and miss this week’s yoga? Everyone looks so happy drinking beer and wine at the party, should I join in on the fun?

With temptation comes an important decision to either indulge or stay committed to your goals. When you choose to indulge it’s easy to justify your actions with, “I have worked really hard the past week and this will be my reward.“ For a minute you feel instant gratification, but soon that happy moment is replaced with long-term disappointment.

Why did you do it? Why can’t you break the pattern of giving in to temptation and finally achieve the results you desperately want?

It starts with the way your reward yourself.  Rewards are powerful. They can undermine your progress when used inappropriately and nurture your commitment, confidence and concentration when use effectively.

Rewards are designed to influence positive behavior. When you achieve your goals each week, it is important to reward yourself for a job well done. The problem arises when you choose a reward that offsets your efforts to be healthy. When your goals are to eat less and move more, why would you reward yourself with eating more and moving less?

Stop rewarding yourself with things that counteract the progress you’ve made. Instead, reward yourself with other things you enjoy. Take a few hours to read a book, get a pedicure or massage, buy a new shirt or journal about your achievements. Use these rewards to symbolize a ‘pat on the back’ for a successful week.

Only reward yourself when you achieve your weekly goals. That way, it will have a greater effect on your confidence. When you feel confident, you’ll be more motivated to have another successful week. When you’re motivated, you’ll be more focused on your nutrition and fitness. When you’re focused, you’ll achieve more results.

Call to Action: Write down three possible rewards for yourself. Choose one and reward yourself for achieving your goals this week. Do not put your reward on hold for when you have time. Make time this week to reward yourself and then use your confidence to commit to next week’s action plan.

Believe and Achieve,

*Haley Perlus, Ph.D.*

P.S. be sure to leave a comment to let Dr. Haley know your thoughts.

On Wednesday I participated in a cycle class with about 30 other fitness enthusiasts. Each bike had a small computer, attached to the handlebars, to record various performances including watts, RPM, caloric output and miles per hour.

As I was setting up my bike for the class, an individual (let’s call her Rachel) started setting up the bike to my right. When she was ready, she began pedaling to warm-up. Within about 30 seconds, she got off the bike, collected her things and moved to use another bike.

Two minutes later, a second member (let’s call her Wendy) started setting up the same bike. Similar to Rachel, she quickly got off the bike and moved to use the bike on my left.

Three minutes into class, a third person (let’s call her Tammy) chose to ride the bike on my ride. To save her the effort, I leaned over to warn her that two riders had begun riding that bike, but then quickly moved to another bone. I was under the impression that something was wrong with the bike. Maybe it was the resistance or the clips that were giving Rachel and Wendy trouble. Tammy thanked me and quickly chose another bike.

To cure my curiosity, I looked to Wendy, who was on my left, and asked her why she had switched bikes. She said that the computer wasn’t working. The information, especially the caloric output and RPM, were catalysts for her motivation and she wanted to use them during class to help her persevere.

What Rachel and Wendy have learned, and what I want to teach you today is the importance of measuring your performance. Wendy said that the computer’s measurements increased her motivation on the bike. The reason for this is because the numbers allow her to compete against herself. For example, in that particular cycle class, we performed three sets of two-minute intervals. If Wendy’s RPM for the first interval was between 85 and 90 for the first interval, she was motivated to either stay within the same range or beat it for the next two intervals. Also, if the computer said Wendy used 453 calories in last week’s cycle class, Wendy would be motivated to use more calories in today’s class.

Logging numbers is also a great way to increase your confidence. Your caloric output, distance covered, RPM, speed and heart rate provide evidence of what you can accomplish when you train. When those numbers change, as a result of your increased strength, speed and overall health condition, you will develop a powerful belief in yourself and your ability to achieve your fitness goals. Nothing will stop you from looking the way you want to look and feeling the way you want to feel!

Call to Action

Use one or two measurements to track your progress. Use your numbers to set goals during your fitness training. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get motivated and exert high levels of effort and intensity when you train.

Believe and Achieve,
*Haley Perlus, Ph.D.*

P.S. Leave a comment to tell me what you think or if you have any questions.
P.P.S. Click here to download a copy of this article to share with a friend

DO dream big. What do you want feel like in 2010? What do you want look like? What do you want your healthy and fit body to do this year?

Have fun when you’re setting your 2010 intentions. Do you want to compete in an ironman? Do you want to climb a 4000 footer? Anything and everything is possible when you have a dream, believe in that dream, and do what is necessary for it to come true.

DON’T expect to be perfect. Give yourself the best opportunity for success by committing to excellence and not perfection.

2010 will bring you many achievements and great success when you focus on your effort. After all, effort is the only thing you can control.

Things will happen to cause you to skip a training session or eat a delicious meal that is not the healthiest. So what? You can enjoy it all when you understand that your desire to be healthy and fit does not mean you have to be perfect 100% of the time.

DO add variety to your nutrition and fitness. One of the top reasons for dropping out of fitness is boredom. Start 2010 off right by mixing things up. With nutrition, continue to eat foods you like but start to experiment with new healthy foods. With fitness, add a variety of training techniques to keep things interesting and fun.

DON’T set your 2010 intentions in stone. Leave room for change. Twelve months is a long time with plenty of room for adjustments. As the year progresses, you may choose to modify your intentions.

Remind yourself that the reason for New Year resolutions is to grow and be happy. At the end of the year, if you can honestly say that you have grown as a person and are happy, your New Year resolution has been a success.

DO challenge yourself. It’s wonderful to dream big. However, the only way to make your dreams come true is to set daily/weekly intentions that are challenging, yet realistic.

If your current level of ability is a 7/10, set an intention to improve that to an 8/10 where you are challenged to exert more effort but it is still realistic to achieve.

As you continue to improve with these short-term realistic challenges, you will get closer to the big dream.

Believe and Achieve,
*Haley Perlus, Ph.D.*

PS. Click here to download a copy of this article to share with friends

PPS. Visit www.TheUltimateAchievementJournal.com and make it easier to achieve your goal