6 Pillars of Strength for a Strong Mental Attitude

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The Power of Belief

Believing in what you don't physically see is crucial to keeping your mental attitude focused on the change you desire. When you're implementing new actions you may not see results after just two or three weeks of steady hard work. Keep going. Trust that your thoughts have already begun to grow roots. Increase your awareness to recognize the results that may be occurring on the inside first; increased excitement towards training, uplifted attitude, feelings of happiness and calmness. Dennis Waitely says, "Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad." Keep the belief held firmly in your mind.

Prioritize Time

Productivity expert, Jenee Dana who wrote the book Have Fun and Get it Done says, "Make an appointment with yourself for everything." Don't be fooled. Time management is not about finding more minutes in your day. There are only 24 hours for everyone. Instead, think smarter by prioritizing the minutes and hours you do have. Make a list of your priorities and be sure your fitness appointment is on that important list. Be willing to let go of time wasters like television and social media and focus on what's important to you.

More: 3 Reasons to Use a Workout Schedule

The Mental Set-point

If you're too vague about your get-healthy goals, like, "I want to lose weight", or "I want to run a half marathon", your mind will not have a direction towards a specific target. To laser point your full mental capability, it's vital that you implement a two-tier approach based on your desired outcome.

Create a short-term goal that will require a 1- to 3-week commitment and secondly, create an overall vision that may require a year or two to obtain. Let go of the need for instant results and shift your perspective towards real change that can be broken down into daily objectives. Wayne Dyer says, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

A healthy mental perspective towards hard workouts or the discipline it takes to choose clean foods over nachos will be the difference maker in your continued mental motivation. Genelle Buscemi, a Mind Body Fit Club member who's shed 67 pounds naturally by staying focused on creating internal healthy habits says, "I never thought I would see the day where apples and raw peanut butter tasted better to me than ice cream, but it all became clear once I shifted my perspective on what living healthy means to me."

More: 15 Minutes to a Stronger Mind and Body

Staying Fresh

At the close of each short-term goal achievement, throw yourself a mini-party to celebrate your achievement. Reward yourself with a tangible gift that acts as a reminder of your accomplishment. Buy yourself a new water bottle, a celebratory lunch with friends or inspirational jewelry. Like-minded friends want to celebrate your faster time or your long run completion leading up to marathon day. Celebrating your follow through will keep your mind actively excited about living healthy.

Lastly, re-create a new short-term period that is once again just outside your reach. The new 1- to 3-week goal must be outside your current established comfort level, and inside your perception of achievement. Think of this space between as the success zone that creates a continuum of mental drive. Keeping your head in the game continually translates into an overall shift of consciousness and a healthy, fit body.

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