At the Jiu Jitsu Studio I teach at in El Dorado Hills, we have a mantra of  “think strong, be strong.” This is an idea that your actions and your being are a result of how you think. Since our thoughts are constant, it is essential for us to be aware of the thoughts and make a conscious decision to think in a way that will help us become “stronger.”

For example, today I was doing a strength and conditioning session at One Body Pain and Performance in El Dorado Hills, and I found myself clinching my teeth and gritting through the pain. In that moment, I became aware of my difficult state and instead of telling myself to embrace the difficult moment, I decided to smile and tell myself that I was having fun. Sounds crazy? Sorta… But that was my method to think strong in the moment, telling myself that I was having fun and slightly smiling. Doing so allowed me to embrace the difficult moment of training and persevere. I got through the workout and I became “strong.”

Therefore, the mantra isn’t in thinking strong all the time, but coming up with a set of tools to cope with difficult situations. Being aware that you are in a tough spot and want to quit, but going a little further than you could by thinking strong. Realizing that you are about to face something difficult and scare, yet having a set of words or actions that give you the ability to work through the fear. This is the mindset behind “think strong be strong.” This is the same as mental toughness.

Mental toughness is being tough in difficult, scary, challenging situations. While this ability to be mentally tough is a conscious decision, it is a constant mental and physical challenge. It’s a conscious shift to decide that you are going to be tough, but it is also a repetitive practice of putting yourself in a difficult, uncomfortable, challenging, frightening situation and using or creating a set of tools to overcome the difficulties.

Make the practice of “think strong be strong” a routine and ritual. If I can help as a coach, I am happy to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me!

Eliot Kelly