As we learn through push hands, knowing ‘what should’ does not mean that ‘you can’ when the situation arises. Mental goals are exactly the same – knowing what needs to be done is far from getting the job done. To change how you react requires training and repetitions. ‘Wants’ without ‘concrete actions’ are just pipe dreams – lots of people want to be millionaires but not many train to make that a possibility.
To get our muscles stronger, we put it under stress (as well as rest) and the body responds accordingly. Human’s brain, including personalities, emotional responses, drive, thoughts, life goals, etc. all work the same way, they need stress and repetitions to fully develop. Furthermore, people want to continue when they can see progress. Therefore, skipping is an awesome exercise for youths because it is measurable – you can see that you are improving and by how much. If we apply successful body training principles to mental training, the journey can be a lot more fun and tangible.
Exercise:
Given what we understand about physics, movements and muscle training principles, can you design / find exercises to help overcome the following mental challenges:
- frustration or anger
- procrastination
- timid or lack of a fighter’s spirit
- low self esteem / confidence