Mind Gym

Mind Gym explains why the performance of world-class athletes isn’t only a result of their physical training, but just as much due to their mentally fit minds and shows you how you can cultivate the mindset of a top performer yourself.

It’s a good thing our short-term memory can hold up to seven items, because that means if you lock and load this list of what the authors call the “Seven C’s of Mental Toughness,” you’re good to go:

Competitiveness. If you just want to be nice, not bash into any walls, please everyone and not rub any elbows, you’ll just be steamrolled by those who don’t mind. Courage. The thing that enables you to be competitive in the first place. It’s not that you can’t be afraid of your competitors. But you have to consciously decide to challenge them anyway. Confidence. Helps a great deal with being courageous. Control. The thing all Stoics focus on. Forget about what you can’t do. Look at what’s in your power. Composure. What to keep when you lose control. Dwelling doesn’t move you forward. Consistency. The result of not letting motivation or a lack of it derail you. Show up to practice anyway. Commitment. In the short and the long term. Forever and always. Until you win.

A pretty cool stack of good traits, huh? Think 3-2-2 in bundling them, but add them all together and you have all the attitudes you could ever need to succeed.

You’ve heard that one before. Take regular breaks, give yourself down time to recover, muscles only grow when they get rest, etc. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about actually going slower while you’re moving.

Let’s say you’re running a 10K. In this case, that’d mean for you to run at maximally 90% of your capacity, no matter which section of the run you’re on. Even on the last 100 m. And you’d be faster.

How?

The individual muscles in groups fall into one of two categories: agonists and antagonists. They’re push-and-pull types, meaning the agonist muscle will work to push you forward, while the antagonist muscle simultaneously pulls you back and slows you down.

So if you run at 100%, both of them will work their hardest and struggle against one another the most. But if you cap it at 90%, your agonist can use its power advantage over the antagonist better, because the antagonist won’t work as hard – and thus, you’ll be faster.

Fascinating, right?

Forget external yardsticks to measure your success by. Those by definition always depend on other people, so screw that. What you can instantly answer every time you look into the mirror is: Am I living…