Everything in life is as much or more mental than physical. Without Spirit we don’t have the drive to succeed . Anything worth doing will be hard and that demands Spirit.
I can teach technique to anyone that will listen but Spirit is something else. What separates 1 from the pack is more the mindset than anything. Anyone can become technically proficient but the champions have spirit. You need both to be the best but if you were to only have 1, I would take Spirit over Technique anyday.
The most successful people I know in any endeavor have a drive that keeps them going long after most people would quit.Their need to be successful is so important that they can push past limits and consistently achieve positive results. This is Spirit, it is the drive that overcomes our physical state.
Unsuccessful people come into the gym looking for magic. They want to hop on a machine, hire a trainer, or take a class that they expect to magically get results. It is not the programing that gets the results as much as the effort you poor into the program. Showing up means nothing without intensity. You have to train your mind to maximize your training. A good trainer will help you but ultimately you have to help yourself.
The one that drives me nuts is the person that fights positive. I say “good job!” and they say “but….”. I hate “but”s. Achieve or don’t. Don’t give me a “but”. Recognize what you just did and be honest with yourself. If you are starting at zero and we get you to 1, that is a positive achievement. We still have a long way to go but not as far as we did when we started. Stop getting in your own way and keep moving forward!
The other person driving me nuts is the quitter due to progress. There is no top of the mountain. The finish line is 6 feet under. As long as you are breathing you have room to grow and things to achieve. Just because you are doing better does not mean the training is done. Just because you won something or became a champ, doesn’t mean you know everything. The more you achieve, the harder you have to train to keep progressing. The fight only ends when you do.
The strongest spirit never quits, is never satisfied, and always wants more. Once you can tap into this drive, you will go farther, push harder, and give yourself the opportunity to be the best, not just your best. Train your mind as much as your body so you can kill the quitter in you and be a person with an iron Spirit.
Brian Wright