Everyone faces adversity. Some may be harder than others, but adversity is necessary if we want to grow. Without the stimulus, there is no adaptation.
Much like a diamond is just a rock that has been under pressure for 1000s of years, we too can come out the other side in a much better position if we learn how to cope with the short term discomfort.
Most things that we face in life are less about what actually happens and more about how we react to what happens.
If we can learn to control our emotions about the circumstance, rather than trying to control the circumstance itself, we will be able to move through adversity a lot more efficiently.
Physical adversity
Illness and injury are things that can often be outside of our control, in which case, we can only focus on what we can control: Prevention and recovery.
In order to set ourselves up for maximum protection, we need to provide our bodies with resilience against external intruders. The more stress our bodies can handle, the less likely they will be to fall apart when things begin to attack them. In order to create resilience we need these 3 things
Progressively overloaded strength and conditioning programs that focus on adapting to a wide variety of adaptations
A nutrient dense nutrition plan that provides the framework for metabolic efficiency
Rest: once you’ve given your body the stimulus for growth in a controlled environment, we now need to let it recover so it can achieve the adaptations we are looking for.
Funnily enough, what helps protect us from foreign intruders, is the exact same process we should use if one does slip through to the keeper and we need to recover from injury or infection.
Ensuring our bodies are nourished, recovered and firing on all metabolic cylinders will be the most efficient way to get back on track.
Mental adversity
Much like our physical bodies, our mental capacity needs training in order to develop.
And whilst “your brain is like a muscle, you need to train it” is so corny and cliche, it still has merit.
Most people think “will-power” will be their saving grace, without ever really thinking about what it is or how they can get it.
You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level of preparation. So we need to ensure that we are preparing our mindset for exactly that.
Adversity is part of life and learning to overcome it is crucial for your well being. Here are some good habits to get you started.
- Develop a positive mindset
What separates humans from other animals is our ability to choose one thought over another. You can continue thinking in the exact same way that got you here, or you can remember that your thoughts about a situation are what makes the situation what it is.
2. Be clear of what you want and what you don’t
Who do you need to be?
What do you need to do?
To have what you want to have?
Get clear on how you want to be perceived and how you don’t.
3. Be disciplined to train for adversity
Discipline gives you the strength to fight hardships and difficulties, whether physical, emotional or mental. You can’t be disciplined overnight, so that’s why you need to train yourself. Some great habits include: cold showers, fasting, early morning gym sessions. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and learn to become comfortable. This will reset your thresholds and give you a new level of life.
4. Determination
It’s easy to think about all of the negative things that MIGHT go wrong if you continue to do something which scares you or is hard, but when you think of all the POSITIVE things that might happen you create a sense of accomplishment and belief in yourself.
Think of a time when you quit, or simply gave up on something. It might’ve been during training, a work project or even a relationship.
Ask yourself why you quit. Dive deep into the reasons.
Was it because you physically couldn’t do it? Or because it got uncomfortable and you got a bit freaked out?
What if you were more trained in feeling uncomfortable. Do you think you would have more resilience and be able to achieve more?
Our brain loves to take the easy way out and find the shortcuts in life wherever possible. Our mind often gives up far before we actually should as a way of “protecting us”.
But what if the protection is actually holding us back from being who we really want to be.
If you’re someone who never accomplishes anything you set out to do or feel you always quit way too early in anything, start asking yourself more questions.
Who do you need to be?
What do you need to do?
To have what you want to have?
