Tag Archives: clutch

DAY 1: ‘7 to Unstoppable’ Mental Toughness Challenge

Posted in Life, Personal Development, Psychology by

DAY 1: The Physical

Welcome to Day 1 of ‘7 to Unstoppable’!

The first challenge for ‘7 to Unstoppable’ will be a physical one. There are two reasons for this: First of all, physical challenges are MEASURABLE. Finishing through on a measurable first challenge will instill confidence in your abilities from the very start. Secondly, the most important part about this physical challenge will be conquering your mind that will say it is ‘impossible’ or ‘too hard’ or ‘not for me’. 99% of the people will be able to complete this challenge if you silence your mental nay-sayers and tell yourself you can. (And no, you are not that special 1%). Overcoming this challenge will prep your mind for the rest of the week.

The challenge below have been inspired by the rigorous training the US Navy SEALs go through.. during their very first week of training.

Ready?

You have THREE options. Pick any ONE:

Option 1:   500 push-ups

Option 2:   200 burpees

Option 3: BOTH (for the real go-getters)

If you are thinking “No way, I can’t even do 5 pushups!” or “I cant even do 10 burpees!”.. take a deep breath and quiet your mind. Kick your mental nay-sayers to the curb. Yes, these are SUPPOSED to be tough. Discomfort equals growth, remember? Here are a few suggestions that may help you do the challenge today:

  • Break up the push-ups / burpees into multiple small blocks (20 at a time, for example), and spread it out throughout the day. Much more manageable that way.
  • Put some loud upbeat music on and get at it!
  • TELL yourself “I will do this today” and that’s that. Commit. Don’t overthink it. Do what you have committed.
The biggest hurdle is conquering your mind. Do that, and the body will undoubtedly follow.

Get to work!

Leave your comments BELOW! I want to hear how you did!

Completed 500 push-ups? Tweet it out!
Completed 200 burpees? Tweet it out!

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Rising up to the occasion – what it means to be ‘Clutch’

Posted in Lessons Learnt From The World Cup, Life, Personal Development, Psychology by

Happy Motivational Monday!

Today I was watching the World Cup game Germany vs Portugal, and it got me thinking. Athletes have one of the toughest jobs in the world. It is not only a physically rigorous training, but it is mentally extremely taxing also.

First, to go through the amount of physical training that an athlete (of the World Cup caliber) must go through, one must be able to push their minds past the limiting perceptions of pain and endurance. Your mind must withstand and endure, even if your body is on the verge of failing. After all, more than half the battle is believing you are able to keep going. Your mind calls the shots, your body merely follows. So, for these athletes to be trained to perform at arenas such as the World Cup, they must show exceptional willpower and endurance.

Second, the training is only one piece of the pie. What happens AFTER all the training is over, when it is actually time to step onto the field and PERFORM? The field where thousands and even millions of people from ALL OVER THE WORLD, are feasting their eyes, their hearts and their hopes on. This is when your mind has to be able to work its absolute best. No matter of physical training and skill is going to save you if your mind crumbles and you ‘choke up’. Yes, it is an UNIMAGINABLE amount of pressure. But rising up to the occasion and PERFORMING when it matters most, is called ‘clutch‘.

It is not only athletes who are ‘clutch’ though. ‘Clutch’ can be any person who is able to rise to the occasion, get charged up and do their absolute best. Whether it is giving a speech infront of 50 people, performing the Heimlich maneuver on a choking friend, or being a contestant on ‘The Voice’. There are hundreds of such people around us, with the unique and admirable ability to perform when it matters most.

Is it possible to develop yourself to be ‘clutch’? To a certain degree, yes. Although some innate qualities you possess may help or hinder your ability to be ‘clutch’, it is a quality that can be instilled into someone, to a certain degree.

Keep an eye out on this blog as I will be talking more about it in the upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Lessons Learnt from The FIFA World Cup, is a series of blog posts which will draw inspiration from The World Cup series and its incredible athletes. Discussions about motivation, mental endurance, and peak performance will be some highlights of this series.