The more different people we work with, the more we realize that the same principles Top-Athletes use everyday can also be used to help everyone fighting against the aging process have a better chance of winning their battles.

Below are 3 distinct character traits ” Mentally Tough Athletes” have in common which will definitely enhance your ability to Defy the Aging Process and Win!

COMMITMENT

Just like athletes who train everyday, you need to commit a good amount of your time and energy, everyday, to live an active – healthy lifestyle which, in return, will reward you with a strong – fit and healthy body!

Committing to your Defy-Aging goal will mean that you will have to make, on – the – spot choices, which will lead toward your long-term goal of maintaining an healthy body weight and strong and resilient muscles…

Training/Living Tips:

Just like when training for an event, set yourself some short term & long terms goals and do not allow yourself to stray from the path leading you to these goals! As discussed in previous posts, make realistic goals and reward yourself when you have reach these goals.

FOCUS

Mentally tough athlete have the ability to focus on their task at hands which allows them to consistently perform well regardless of the many different issues which may arise during the competitions.

By FOCUSING on the present moment, doing what needs to be done now, without worrying about the many distractions outside of your immediate task, you will also be much more productive. This fact will make your feel good and your resulting positive attitude will lead you to make smart decisions about your everyday choices: type and quantity of food to eat, going to the gym or sitting at home watching TV, amount of alcohol to drink…

Training/Living Tips:

Live your life “in the moment”! Living life in the moment—also called mindfulness—is a state of active, open, intentional attention on the present moment/action. Living mindfully is not always easy. Many times, our minds are overwhelmed by regrets about past events and/or anxiety about the future.   These tensions make it very hard to enjoy the present moment. There are some easy to do strategies which may help.

Do start with “Small actions”. Meditation is a great way to live life in the moment and doing mindful meditation for 2 – 3 minutes is a GREAT way to start. No need to try to do 20-30 minutes of meditation to begin with. Start small and learn tricks on how to keep your mind on the present moment.

For example, the next time you sit down to eat a meal notice the smell of the food. Take a small bite and focus on the first taste of the food. How the food feels between your teeth as you are mindfully chewing. You can easily turn a meal into a “meditative event”. Simple isn’t it?

RESILIENCE

Mentally tough athletes strongly believe that there are not many obstacles which cannot be overcome. They quickly assess the situation at hands and adapt themselves to meet the new, unexpected demands. Since their bodies are strong and fit, they can manage any situation which comes their way and when many people see obstacles, they see opportunities!

Training/Living tips:

Properly defining the many different challenges you are facing on a daily basis will often allow you to want to “get up and fight” instead of “giving up”!

Instead of thinking “ There is no way I can do this” start thinking more along the lines of “This is going to be a challenge but I can do this!”

Just like the Mentally Though Athlete, start looking for “Opportunities instead of Obstacles” and you will most likely amaze yourself as to how resilient you really are.

As you can see, being mentally tough is not just one skill, it involves many different skills/behaviours. The great news is that no one is born mentally tough, they became mentally tough! And so can you! Having the attitude to regularly challenge yourself to learn a new skill – sport… is a great place to start.

Svetlana and I are also finding that becoming older brings about new challenges every single day. We do our very best to embrace these challenges and look for ways to become stronger individuals every single day! Join us in our “Defy-Aging – Process!”

Train/Live Smarter – Not Harder!

Michel & Svetlana