How to Change Your Mindset in 90 Seconds
The fastest way to shift your perspective of what you’re capable of is to do something physical. To get after it with a challenge that will push your body to the limits. It’s why Spartan was created — so that you could get off the f****** couch and test your greatness. Changing your mindset without a physical goal can be tough, but it’s not impossible. I find that it’s not the physical challenges that are the most cumbersome — it’s more often those mental ones. Conquering your mind is a feat, so here are three ways to shift your mindset, fast.
Related: This Is the Key to Building a Winning Mindset
1. Commit to the Work
No matter what task you have ahead of you, you’ve got to commit to doing the work. You can’t half-ass your commitment. If you give yourself even the slightest option to opt out, you will — especially when the work gets f****** hard.
I see this all the time when people come to the farm to do the tough stuff. Those who walk on the farm waffling in their commitment are always the first ones that ask to leave. It’s like they showed up with a get-out-of-jail-free card and used it when the going got tough. This type of mentality will get you nowhere. Worst of all, it will break the trust that you have in yourself. Quit enough times and you will begin to think less and less of yourself, which will only lead to more quitting. It’s a destructive cycle that has one easy solution: Commit.
Related: The Secret to Achieving Your Goals? Picking a Date and Marking Your Calendar
2. Have Friends That Hold You Accountable
It’s not easy to publicly share a goal that you aren’t sure you can accomplish. If you don’t meet the goal, you’ll have to face the critics, the embarrassment, the judgment. But forget all of that. Not only will that stuff build character (if it ends up happening), but you absolutely need to share your goals.
First and foremost, it helps keep you accountable. It encourages you to remain committed. (See step #1).) But it also helps when you have others that are bought into your journey. The ancient Spartans used this tactic as the foundation of their camaraderie. Everyone was bought in. No one was waffling, no one was a naysayer. They were all committed, because they all had to be.
Related: Friends? The Key To Greater Success | Spartan Way Podcast #15
Take inventory of the friends in your closest circle. Are they supportive of your goals? If not, it doesn’t mean you need new friends, but it might mean you need to go searching. If they don’t understand why you want your Trifecta, then find some Spartans that totally get it and want that goal too. Hold each other accountable and update one another on how it’s going.
3. Celebrate Small Wins
You’ve got to pat yourself on the back along the way. You don’t need to throw a week-long party for yourself or celebrate with chocolate cake, but you DO need to pause for a moment and be proud. I’m constantly asking my team where we won so that we can highlight what’s going well, rather than focus on what’s not. Last year when we had to shut down all of our events, we had to look for any win we could get. It was our lifeline.
If your goal is something physical, make sure that you’re taking note of the improvements that you’re making each week. If your career is what’s taking center stage, don’t forget to notice the gains from month to month. Sometimes this takes digging, because we are trained to look for those big, shiny accomplishments — promotions, trophies, a salary raise. But dialing into any win is essential. Just don’t get stuck there. Celebrate and move on.
The mental work required to be the best that you can is just as necessary as the burpees. Implement these three tips into anything you’ve got going on, and you’ll notice your mindset begin to shift. It’s burpees for your brain!
Related: Mental Tips for How to Push Past Your Breaking Point
Oh, and if you "don’t have the time" and you're stuck or in your own head — drop and do 30 real burpees. There is NO obstacle that 30 burpees can’t get you through.