How many have noticed this week that cold is relative. What was cold in December about 35 degrees now feels like a heat wave after a few weeks of 10-15 degrees. Just an observation on the ability of the human body to acclimate and "get tougher".

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This LIVE QA intro is about the Top Ten Ways (I think) that you can build mental toughness. Check it out - ask questions after the intro. Check out https://www.stewsmithfitness.com for more information found in article, books, ebook, coaching, and membership pages.

Setting high standards is a commendable goal, but you are not going to win everything. You will have good days and bad days. Perfectionism can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome. Instead of striving for unattainable ideals, aim for excellence. This means accepting that mistakes (and failing) are part of the process. Setting high, ever-progressing, and achievable standards creates a more sustainable path that allows for growth. Break your goals into smaller, actionable steps, and celebrate every achievement. This practice reinforces a sense of accomplishment and combats self-doubt. It is not uncommon to see highly talented people attempt challenging programs like SEAL training and medical school and attend demanding learning institutions and not be able to handle the inevitable failures and setbacks BECAUSE they have never experienced failure before nor had to work hard to excel at anything.

Some of my favorite quotes on failing:

• "Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." - John Wooden
• "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - R.F. Kennedy
• "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Edison
• "The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure." - John C. Maxwell
• "Failure is success in progress." - Albert Einstein

We Are Human and Make Mistakes - Be Kind To Yourself and Don't Dwell on It

When facing tough times, forgiveness is key. It’s easy to be critical of yourself when things don’t go as planned, but self-compassion is an antidote to failure. Understand that everyone makes mistakes; it’s part of being human. Recognizing what you can learn from your experiences is a way to reframe past failures so you do not dwell and waste one thought on the negative. Acknowledge your disappointment, and permit yourself to move forward - now smarter to continue the process. Personally, reading Edison's quote on failing does it for me. Finding ways that do not work is a success - not a failure. This keeps your self-confidence high, and you see the fuel to keep on going again.

The very definition of mental toughness (in my opinion) is:
Finding the fuel when the tank is empty.

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While it is a little more complicated than the title may imply, fueling with the right food (not caffeine), sleeping better, and exercising are the three activities that will give you the energy to exercise and be more productive throughout the day. The next time you say you don’t have the energy to exercise, try these helpful physical and mental tips to get something done:

Do It, Especially When You Do Not Feel Like It—You will rarely wake up first thing in the morning and be 100% ready to do anything. If you rely on your motivation to get up and do something, STOP. None of us are motivated to do things consistently all the time. There may be 1-2 days per week that you are excited to exercise in the morning. On other days, you must push yourself and ignore the inner voice saying to stay in bed. To do things consistently, we must build habits through discipline, even when we do not feel like it. This is a needed practice to combine your mindset and physical action to make this a habit. But the good news is each time you do this, you will realize that you feel better than if you stay in bed, and you get a little tougher along the way. With this practice, you will build mental toughness and discipline one scoop at a time, making this process easier.

Instead of Caffeine – Eat a Piece of Fruit – If you want real fuel, eat real food. Bananas, apples, oranges, or grapes are all GO-TO snacks that help to FUEL you. Caffeine elevates your heart rate and blocks the “feeling” of being tired. While caffeine can help with alertness, it does not provide energy (unless sugar is in your caffeine). You can add protein and fat to your pre-workout meal for more calories, but finding what works best for your digestive system and activity performance may require some experimentation. Do you need those “pre-workout” drinks loaded with caffeine? No – just add water and some real food. I recently gave up caffeine and replaced my energy needs with fruit.

Sleep Better—Want to Sleep Better? Exercise! This is a cruel natural process regarding being energized to exercise. You may need to sleep better. However, sleeping better may also require exercise or some physical activity. Though a good night’s sleep relies on more than just exercise, being physically tired or working off the stresses of the day will help you sleep better. Read the related article on caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol – the three horsemen to interrupting your sleep. And how to create a restful place to fall asleep with the Restorative Sleep article.

Another way to mentally and physically get you over the hump is to give the warmup of your workout 10 minutes. While fuel and sleep are your primary resources to produce energy to exercise,
Here are some basic exercises to get you moving when you don't feel like it. These do not need to be a complete workout but a small segment of your time during work breaks.

Break Through with Your Warmup – Try your scheduled warmup that you would do for your workout. Maybe it is 10 minutes of cardio and some stretching, or a quick jog/walk mixed with calisthenics and stretches like I prefer, depending on the muscle groups worked that day. For instance, the leg day warmup is the squat half pyramid, and it takes about 5-7 minutes to complete. Start with 1 squat, jog/walk 50-100m, then do 2 squats, jog/walk 50-100m, keep going up the pyramid until you feel warmed up, and stop at level 10. You can do the same thing with pushups, dips, or pullups on upper body days. This has often been just enough to get you through the rest of the workout.