My wife Jenni is pretty incredible. I always tell her she needs to start a blog or something because she is so good with our son and daughter….. And me! She is pretty unassuming if you see her around, but she gets after it. Running a 1/2 marathon every month, runs our household, wedding planning, business, the list goes on. She really understands people, with a BS in human development and a MA in psychology, she really knows her stuff.

We’ve been ramping up our training sessions at EDH Jiu Jitsu these last week in anticipation of the IBJJF World Championships in Long Beach, CA and practices, double days, the conditioning, visualization, meditation, rest is at the peak. It’s that time where things are getting hard, and I was reminded of a phrase/mantra she shares with our kiddos frequently:

“You can do hard things.”

In training I found myself saying this to myself as we went through our drilling, situation matches, and intensity bursts. The room was getting hot, the mat was getting wet, and while I was struggle it to catch my breath, a fresh training partner was stepping in. “I can do hard things.” As simple as it is, it got me through the evening session, and I realized I was able to overcome the adversity of a demanding practice. Thank you Jenni! I just kept telling myself, “I can do hard things.”

These little mantras / phrases that stick will become a important part of your training as you challenge yourself on the mat. It’s positive, encouraging, and acknowledges (validates) the hard task you and the group is taking on. In my experience it’s one of the best phrases to keep in your back pocket to pull out when needed.

What do you tell yourself when things get tough? Do you have a mantra or phrase that you can pull out that supports your training, validates the challenge and signals you to keep on going?

What I like about “I can do hard things” is not just in the positivity of the message but also it’s application to any challenge or difficult task that exists. The phrase is a reminder that you need to take responsibility for problem solving through the challenge. At the end of the day, no one will fight your fights for you, no one will fix your problems for you. You have to face the hardships and when you hit a wall or face adversity remind yourself, “I can do hard things.”