9/27 Mental Toughness Thursday

Coach Leslie presses when the gym was not yet a month old. She has had to work on her mental toughness everyday as a small business owner. 
I am a voracious reader. I love good books, good short stories, good essays and good blogs. I was reading the blog from a "Profit First" accounting group with whom I'm involved about their recent adventure at an Improv class. The idea of a bunch of accountants (even ones who CrossFit) at the improv is pretty hysterical! However, the lesson they learned is not. 
The one fundamental agreement for good improv is that everyone must work with the "Yes, and" principle. Someone comes up with a zinger of an idea and hands it off of to someone else. That person continues the story with, "Yes, and." Here's the (actually) funny example from these CrossFitting accountants:
"So you worked out today in a speedo?"
"Yes I did. And now I need a skin graft on the back of my thighs from the lashings I took from my speed rope."
I absolutely love this mental toughness skill! What if you improvised your next thought? What if you say, "Yes, and" to whatever pops into your head? Think of how much more fun and positive your life would be!
I hate burpees. Yes, and I hate wallballs more.   
I had a terrible day at work, I deserve some cheesecake. Yes, and that cheesecake is 10,000 steps sideways to my goal of losing 5% bodyfat. 
I don't want to go the gym today. Yes, and I want to fit in those jeans I bought last year more than I want to binge watch Netflix. 
You get the idea. Developing mental toughness means developing a big tool kit of coping skills. The "Yes, and" principle validates your feeling and empowers you to find an alternative thought. It challenges you to get clear on your motivation. Once you crystal clear on your motivation, it's much easier to make healthy choices. 
There's no way around it. Being healthy mentally and physically is hard work. It is made so much more manageable with a motivated cadre of folks with common goals. That's why we do nutrition and lifestyle challenges every year. This year we have 2 to choose from, the Whole Life Challenge and the Macrostax Challenge. 
The Whole Life Challenge is a 6 week challenge that focuses on food quality in addition to hydration, exercise, mobility, sleep, daily reflection and a rotating weekly lifestyle challenge. The WLC starts Sep 29 and runs for 6 weeks. The WLC coasts $49 and if we get 10 participants 30% of the fees are returned to the gym to be given to the winner. Sign up for the WLC through our team's page. 
The Macrostax challenge focuses on food quantity by weighing and measuring your food. The Macrostax challenge starts October 1st, and participants have access to the app starting for free this week to get used to the program. The Macrostax challenge also lasts for 6 weeks. The Macrostax challenge costs $55. Sign up for the Macrostax challenge by emailing Coach Leslie 

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