The other day I posted about a trait called “grit” — which is connected to mental toughness and resilience.
It’s the drive that helps you see your goals through to the end.
But there’s something about grit that we tend to forget as we get older…
It’s actually EMPOWERING and FUN to build it!
Remember when you were a kid and you were learning a new skill — swimming, riding a bike, jumping rope, shooting baskets, etc — and you’d challenge yourself to do just a little more?
And then you’d be so proud of yourself as you got better and better?
Well, that’s all a part of building more grit and mental toughness.
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, shared a few ways to build more grit to make the process more fun.
1. Define what “grit” means to you.
Some examples:
Working out 3 days a week for an entire month, without missing a single workout
Meal prepping your meals (& actually eating them)
Meditating for 5 minutes every morning
Adding more whole foods to your meals
Once you come up with something meaningful, start building your “grit” muscles by getting it done, no matter WHAT.
Tell yourself: “GO TIME!” … and put on your game face.
Pro tip: Choose just 1 thing to work on at a time. Layer on more when you’re ready. This keeps it positive vs. just another “thing” to add to your to-do list.
2. Find small ways to prove yourself to yourself.
Go the extra mile (or minute).
Spend an extra minute or two on the treadmill, or go for an extra rep during your next workout … just to see if you can (while being safe, obviously).
When you add that element of playfulness, it makes it fun — and it also helps you get better, faster!
Any time you are tempted to “cheat” or cut corners … DON’T.
It’s almost always worse in our heads than it is in real life.
And you will be SUPER PROUD of yourself when you’re done (which keeps you moving forward).
One of the things I love most about this approach is that it helps you focus on your possibilities vs. your limits.
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