4 Mental Performance Tactics The Pros Don't Want You To Know About
DON'T LET SOCIAL MEDIA GASLIGHT YOU INTO THINKING YOU AREN'T TOUGH ENOUGH
In an age of carrying the boats and just grinding harder, everyone loves to say to be tough, be resilient, and LOCK IN.
But how do you actually do that? (spoiler alert: we usually don’t just “lock in”.)
And better yet, how about when those things just create more problems than addressing the roots of it all.
In this article, we will go through high level, evidence based methods that can actually help you make progress.
1. Holistic Health Mindset
More and more people are coming around to the truth of this one. What once was considered taboo is being accepted more daily. Because it’s the truth. And it’s the reason I share this same article on a ton of other post.
I don’t care how tough, big and bad anyone is. NO ONE CAN OUT WORK A FRIED NERVOUS SYSTEM. It will catch up to you at some point.
And your nervous system is affected by EVERYTHING.
MOVEMENT. EXERCISE. STRESS (of any kind). NUTRITION. EMOTIONS. MENTAL STATE. SPIRITUAL STATE. SLEEP.
If you are neglecting something, or experiencing to much of something. It’s going to catch up to you.
This seems simple enough but it gets difficult to remember when you’re in the midst of it.
2. Win the Day
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
-Desmond Tutu
Most people lose the day before they even start it.
They’re thinking about:
the whole workout
the whole week
how they should look 2 months from now
That’s too much. Shrink the game.
Don’t win the workout.
Win the next rep. Then the next one. Then the post workout meal.
That’s it.
3. Breathe Like You Mean It
You can tell how someone’s about to perform just by how they breathe.
Fast, shallow, chaotic → they’re cooked before they start.
Slow, controlled → different story.
Simple rule:
If your breathing is out of control, so are you.
Try this next time you're stressed or just on a walk (I do this daily when I walk my dogs): BOX BREATHING
Inhale 4
Hold 4
Exhale 4
Hold 4
Do it 3-4 times to start and progress as you see fit.
It’s boring. It works. Bonus points if you can build up to doing it all throughout your nose only.
If you want to learn more about the science of breathing I highly recommend you check out this book. It’s a wealth of knowledge and will change the way you think about one of the simplest things we do.
4. “I Will” Statements (Your Non-Negotiables)
Most people live in “I’ll try or I want to”
“I want to eat better.”
“I’ll try to be consistent.”
“I’ll try to handle stress better.”
That language is soft and flexible. And your brain knows it.
So when things get hard… it negotiates.
Pick 1–3 things that are non-negotiable.
Not goals. Not wishes.
Rules.
“I will…”
I will move my body every day (even if it’s just 10 minutes)
I will keep my word to myself
I will not quit mid-rep, mid-task, mid-conversation
The more specific to yourself and weak points, the better. Above is just vague examples.
Why this works:
You remove decision fatigue.
You’re not waking up every day asking:
“Do I feel like it?”
You already decided.
The key most people miss:
These need to hold up on your worst days, not your best ones.
Anyone can follow rules when life is good.
This is for:
the long day
the bad mood
the low energy version of you
That’s the Game
None of this is sexy.
No crazy routines. No “dopamine hacks.” No perfect program.
Just small tactics that lead to consistent action.
Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither will you.
And if you stack enough of these small insignificant wins, that’s when the rest takes care of it self.
That’s true mental toughness.
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