THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 3)

THE MENTAL SIDE OF TRAINING (PART 3)

THE ENEMY OF PATIENCE – ENTITLEMENT 

A jigsaw puzzle will never put itself together for you, no matter how long you work on it. The pieces will only be put in place by the hand that picks them up, figures out where they are supposed to go, and places them there. Some people put these pieces together faster than others, and some people put them together slower than others. Some people never finish putting together the puzzle at all, and simply resign themselves to being “wishful” or an “I once…” person. ”I once thought about finishing that jigsaw puzzle…. but then it got to be more tedious than I felt like the effort was worth.”

As the saying goes, you can wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first. Entitlement is quite often the enemy that unstitches our efforts to eventually develop an understanding of patience.

When one finally understands that something will take time, and develops an association with that concept, then being patient becomes accepted. The great thing about understanding patients in one area is that it often transcends into other areas of your life seamlessly. Then you find that the ability to deal with and weather storms, plateaus, and setbacks effectively becomes a part of who you are. You grok patience. You accept it as part of the journey because you eventually understood what it meant. It is not just about a time frame alone, but about doing the right things over and over again in that time frame.

That is the only way that our goals and dreams can manifest themselves into our reality.

A major key facet in understanding patients is to appreciate every step forward, no matter how insignificant it may appear. Inching forward is still better than not moving at all. Learn how to appreciate every small step forward/ After all, you just got a little bit closer to your goal. Even the smallest of goals attained add up to very big things over time.

Think in terms of creating the single best moments that you can. Not the best week, or month, or year. None of those things are promised to us, only the here and no. Focus on the here and the now, patience will eventually be something understood and accepted. You will realize that you’ve traveled very far from where you first started. The “time” associated with that journey will never be a part of the burden.

BELIEF 

“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?” - Yann Martel

All of us sling the iron because we desperately want to become something more. There’s no getting around that. We desire to become a better/bigger/enhanced version of what we currently are physical. This is in fact, why we do the things we do in and out of the gym. When I was trying to “understand” patience and long periods of stagnation or regression would occur, I would often immerse myself into those pools of despondency I wrote about earlier. Sometimes succumbing to the belief that I would never ever “measure up” to anything I felt was worthy of being called strong or muscular. Often times the worst thing about the present is that it always feels permanent and lasting.

If you take just a moment of proper reflection, you will realize, it never is. The only constant changes.

If you keep applying enough force, eventually the pendulum will swing back in the other direction, and momentum can be seized. If you immerse yourself in all the things you need to do to improve, it will eventually happen. It just may not happen at the rate that keeps a smile on your face. As I noted about patience, it is up to us to make the best of the present in order to inch forward. When you waste that time in the doldrums of disbelief then your gifts go unappreciated, and belief is snuffed out. “I took my bench from 300 to 315. It is not elite, but….”

Always be proud of your accomplishments. You worked for them. Believe in yourself and your ability to get to that next level. If you don’t believe you can, no one else will believe in you. And even if they did, it would not matter. They aren’t the one who has to put in the work. It is up to you to take it upon yourself to instill the unyielding belief that you are a force to be reckoned with. You have to make the decision to stop dwindling in the darkness of self-doubt.

There has to come to a point in your mind, a moment where you undoubtedly believe. You UNDERSTAND, that you can and that you will. All doubt has been eviscerated and replaced with that of determination and unwavering perseverance. Doubt has to be conquered so that belief can begin its reign.

“I hope” is replaced by “I will.”

“I might” is replaced by “I can.”

Since this is for JTS, then their motto is very fitting for understanding this mindset.

“Become unstoppable.”

Without understanding that patience and belief work hand in hand with each other, you might eventually find yourself in those awful places of doubt and despondency. Perhaps you already have at times.

You must understand that the journey you are on is, in fact, a marathon, and not a sprint. Even the most elite of lifters struggle for years, and often decades at a time to climb up to the next rung on the ladder. The first time Andy Bolton stepped foot in a gym he deadlifted 600 pounds. He didn’t pull his 1,000 world record deadlift until 20 years later.

Here are some undeniable facts about every training journey that has endured a significant test of time.

There will be times of struggle. You may go long periods without much to show in the way of progress. You must hold steadfast to the belief that they will pass, and that you will eventually push through them.

There will be times of doubt. You must fight this off with the force of 10,000 Vikings. It is imperative that you find a way to stay positive and hold on to the belief that nothing will stop you from attaining the things you desire most. Every lifter worth his salt that has paid his dues and put in his timeshare similar stories of struggle and doubt. The ones that survive those times long enough will also be able to share with you that the two words written about here, will serve you better than any two other words you will ever need on your journey to becoming what you envision. Patience, and belief.

Understand patience. Accept the process. Believe with an undying will. You will arrive. It will happen.