I used to be obsessed with mental toughness.

Whenever I used to undertake any task I would SERIOUSLY say to my friends how I could do it because I was tougher than them – NOT physically but mentally, I could handle more pain than them.

Looking back I am not sure it was actually true or:

1 – I was trying to convince myself
2 – I was trying to convince them they weren’t.

Weird I know.

Anyway, I read this article the other day which made me think an awful lot.

It summed up the things which Mentally Tough People don’t do.

In short mentally weaker people can’t control their emotions and thoughts and hence their behaviours.

Mentally stronger people however share these characteristics:

• They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves
• They are NOT scared of change
• They don’t make the same mistakes over and over
• They don’t give up after the first failure
• They don’t expect immediate results

Which camp you fall into I don’t know.

I can tell you after reading this article, I am not so sure I am as mentally tough as I thought.

If I am honest in particular I find being patient for results VERY difficult.

I know that training for example takes some time to work.

That if you go out for a run, you can’t expect to instantly turn into Mo Farrah – it takes time and perseverance.

I know if I need to drop some body fat, altering my nutrition will NOT have an instant effect.

However, if after a couple of weeks things aren’t moving then I get frustrated.

This is SO common.

And it is why fad diets and quick fixes are so popular – because they get more instant results.

The problem with quicker results though is that they don’t last.

If I use the low carb craze as an example:

If I put someone on a low carb diet for two weeks they would drop significant weight – would it be fat?

No.

Glycogen and water mainly but the client would feel like it was fat and that would help motivate them – the next phase however would be much slower and this is when they would risk falling off the wagon.

A mentally tougher person would though stay cool and unemotional.  They would trust the process and ultimately get the result they wanted.

This is so much easier with support though.

Hence the creation of The Total Triathlete – http://www.nutri-tri.com/the-total-triathlete/

My group coaching programme which is £10 a month and you get a copy of my book for FREE.

Last week was the best yet with multiple weight loss.

Interestingly the first couple of weeks weren’t so successful but due to the support of the group and focus that gave the members they could stick to plan which made their 3rd week a success all round.

The next online magazine goes out in a couple of hours.

This pic sums it up

Jamie “Hard as nails” Leighton