No matter what you want to accomplish in life, it’s going to involve discomfort:
A great career or business requires hard work. A healthy body needs exercise and foods you
don’t necessarily like. Meaningful relationships need vulnerability
and compromises. In fact, anything worthwhile often requires
that you do what you don’t want to do. And that can be hard.
But it doesn’t have to be.
I used to take my thoughts very seriously. Whenever one of them popped into my head,
I’d immediately identify with it and perceive it as the “truth.”
If a thought told me I was tired and bored, I’d immediately look for a way out.
But I’ve since learned that I am not my thoughts and that my mind is nothing more
than a suggestion box. Because of that, I don’t take my thoughts
as seriously as I used to. And that, in turn, has made a huge difference
in my subsequent behavior and the results I get.
These days, when my mind tells me I’m restless and should do something else, I simply thank
it for the suggestion and then get back to the task at hand.
It’s never the discomfort that stops you; it’s how you perceive the discomfort.
Your beliefs determine your response, and what you choose to believe is within your
control. You can assign whatever meaning you want to
discomfort. I used to believe it was a signal that I should
stop. These days, I believe it’s a signal that
I should keep going. I’ve decided that anytime I feel discomfort,
that just means I’ve stepped into my mental gym and that it’s time for my mental resistance
training.
Willpower is a lot like muscle power. The more you exercise it, the stronger it will
get. If you practice it for an extended period
of time, you can change your behavior around completely.
You’ll be able to do what others dread doing and to stay away from things that others can’t
resist doing. That level of self-control is exactly what’s
needed to become a remarkable person and create extraordinary results.
So, how do you get started?
The best way to practice mental resistance training is through voluntary hardship. Here
are a few examples: Underdress for cold weather.
Turn off the air conditioning in your house or car.
Take cold showers. Occasional fasting.
Drink only water. Sleep without a pillow.
High-intensity exercise. These are just a few ideas to help you come
up with your personal mental resistance training. The important thing is that you choose one
and commit to it. And just like in a physical gym, you don’t
want to use the heaviest weights right away. There’s no point getting overwhelmed or
injured. So, start small and then get a little bit
every day. If your willpower muscle is weak right now,
it’s perfectly fine to start by making your bed each morning. Or reading one page in a
book. Or flossing one tooth.
If you’re thinking to yourself right now; “I’m not the kind of person who practices
voluntary discomfort,” be very mindful of the fact that this is the same voice you want
to take control over. Don’t take it as literal truth. Remember — it’s
just a suggestion. And it’s entirely within your power what you do with that suggestion.
If you choose to take action despite what your mind is telling you, it holds no power
over you. You can decide to perceive discomfort as mental
resistance training from this moment forward. And each time you push through the resistance,
you’ll notice that you’ll get a little bit stronger.
If you stick to the practice consistently, with time, it’ll become second nature to
do what you don’t want to do. You’ll become a relentless action-taker.
And that’s when you can turn your most desired goals into reality.