Mental Toughness

This past week, me and my dad started our podcast, and the first episode was the topic of mental toughness and resiliency. We went into what it takes to start or continue a worthy pursuit like getting healthy and in shape as well as achieving success as an athlete. We went into the fact that to persist long enough on the journey to see the eventual success, its much more about your mental capacity to endure tough times, than your genetic gives or amount of money you’re willing to spend to get to it.

Understanding Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is often misunderstood. It's often seen as simply being tough enough to push through adversity without acknowledging one's feelings. But, in talking with my dad about his racing experience, I learned something different. He explained that true mental toughness is really all about understanding and training for one's weaknesses. For instance, during long races, if pain in his foot becomes the focus, it can derail his performance. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of reframing attention towards the ultimate goal - while also being smart about how he responds to his body's signals - thereby exercising mental resilience.

Now, I know how that sounds. But let's break it down.

There's a big difference between running with pain, and running despite the pain. The former, the runner pushes through a signal from the body. It's clear what the runner should do. STOP, but what happens instead? The ego comes in and then they push. And they might even push harder than before. And they do that simply because they don't want to be controlled by something as silly as a foot pain. What happens then? Ultimately, it could lead to a potential injury.

Now consider the second scenario. The pain shows up, and the runner acknowledges it. They think: hmm, this pain in the foot is going to be a problem. Let me change my gait pattern, change my stride, and my pace so I can finish this race safely.

See the difference? One is UGGA BUGGA caveman toughness, the other is resiliency, tenacity and emotional intelligence. The second approach is what allows athletes to build sustainable practices—they last longer, avoid injuries, and actually achieve their goals because they're working with their bodies, not against them. That's the kind of mental toughness worth developing.

The Role of Emotions in Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is not about suppressing emotions, but rather about acknowledging them and using them as fuel. Ignoring an injury can worsen the situation. By recognizing pain, you can then navigate around it effectively, enhancing your performance without exacerbating the injury. This balance between awareness and action highlights the complexity of mental toughness.

Overcoming Resistance to Start

Most people think the resistance to starting a fitness journey comes down to willpower or motivation—that if they just pushed harder or wanted it badly enough, they'd begin. But the common resistance people face when starting their fitness journeys isn’t what you think. From mine and my dad’s experience, what helps start or stop a fruitful behavior is the presence of role models and encouraging environments. When you're surrounded by people who prioritize fitness and spaces that make healthy choices easy, that initial barrier to starting feels significantly lower. The influence people and environment have on our ability to take action can not be understated. If individuals are surrounded by unhealthy habits or environments, they are less likely to adopt healthier lifestyles. Me and my dad both agree, the initial resistance to start is often the hardest hurdle to overcome. But here's what surprised us: role models and supportive environments don't just inspire you—they actively reduce that resistance by normalizing the behavior you're trying to adopt. Once individuals begin their journey and commit, the work isn’t so much with taking action towards your goals, but, taking inventory of your surroundings so your actions are rewarded by them. This means surrounding yourself with people who work out, joining communities that celebrate progress, removing temptations from your home, and creating spaces where the healthy choice is the easy choice.

Practical Tips for Developing Mental Toughness

So how do you actually build that intelligent, adaptive resilience we talked about—the kind that works with your body and mind rather than against them? Here are three practical approaches:

Start small and build your self-awareness gradually. Remember: you're creating a new pattern, that WILL create resistance both internally and externally. You have to start small and slow. In the wise words of Paulo Coelho:

"Change, but start slowly, because direction is more important than speed."

This might mean starting with just 10-minute workouts, or practicing noticing your body's signals during short runs before tackling longer distances. The goal is to build the habit of paying attention without overwhelming yourself.

Surround yourself with the right influences. As we discussed, surround yourself with positive influences and role models that motivate, inspire & nudge you on to be all you can be. These people model the intelligent toughness you're trying to develop—they know when to push and when to adjust.

Practice distinguishing between ego and wisdom during training. Finally, recognize and address your emotional states during training. The better you are at understanding yourself, the more you'll be able to control yourself when that little voice comes in and tells you to stop. Ask yourself: Is this pain a signal I need to respect and adapt to? Or is this discomfort just my ego resisting change? Learning to tell the difference between "I should stop" and "I want to stop" is where real mental toughness lives. Start by simply noticing these moments without judgment, then practice making the wiser choice.