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Remove These Thoughts To Excel

June 16, 2019 by Mentality WOD 11 Comments

Want to improve? Want more success? Ready to see even bigger changes this year? I hope so. Me too.

We all have limiting thought patterns, that can hold us back and keep us from getting to the next level. The key is identifying which ones you use, and working to change them. Once you are aware, you’ll be more likely to catch yourself and consider a new way of looking at the situation.

Think about these examples and see if there are any thoughts that you can let go of so that you can continue to improve and see results.

3 Thoughts To Let Go Of

1. Let go of the perception of overnight success.

Good things take time. Results take a lot of effort. It’s not likely that your business will boom overnight. It’s not likely that you’re going to put 50 lbs on your Deadlift overnight either. If you want to improve, you have to embrace the journey and realize that it will take time. When you begin to feel frustrated about your lack of progress, meet with a coach to see if there are any aspects of your health or fitness that you’re neglecting. Then come up with a focused plan that you will have help with.

2. Let go of the idea that it’s too late.

It’s never too late – never, never, never. You aren’t where you thought you’d be at this stage of the game? That’s okay, don’t give up if you really want it. Someone else is advancing more quickly than you? Who cares, encourage them and get back to what you are focused on doing. No matter how old you are, or how long you’ve been pursuing this, it is never too late.

3. Let go of unhelpful thoughts and words.

Each day, focus on eliminating negative thoughts and words. Try with all of your might, to not talk down to yourself or anyone else. Notice the negative thoughts and stop yourself. When you can remove your sabatoging self-talk, and replace it with more helpful language, you’ll feel better immediately.

Start letting go of those 3 thoughts, and focus on improving your mindset so that you can be your best. Like I always say, your thoughts either help you or they hold you back. You’ll be amazed at what you’re capable of when your mind is working FOR you and not AGAINST you.

Chasing The Impossible: Running A 50-Mile Race

January 25, 2018 by Dawn 4 Comments

Occasionally I feature thoughts from individuals who have strong input about the mental side of fitness, training and life. All the other posts on this site are written by me, so I like to highlight other viewpoints and suggestions to keep it varied. I select witty and honest posts, that give you practical tips and advice.

Enjoy this post by George Briones III from Soflete.

Chasing the Impossible

At some point in our lives, we look back and begin to question if we are following the path that we had envisioned. Introspection is a normal and necessary part of growth, and the answers it uncovers often lead to new questions.

Have you challenged yourself to prove that you are capable of more than what you thought possible?

Most people are comfortable with who they are and what they are doing in life, as a result of complacency rather than self actualization. I am not one to criticize who or what a person does with their life. However, I think it’s with examining our own existence and pushing through self-imposed barriers. I think we could all use that as we move into the new year.

Comfort Zone? What Comfort Zone?

Hi, I’m George Briones. If you had asked me last year if I would have seen myself out there running 50 miles, I would have laughed and said “Ya, OK!!” I had 5 athletes competing at the American Open in Weightlifting. I had even qualified for the National event myself. I was a firm believer that running bred cowardice and that the relentless pursuit of strength was life.

This isn’t a blog convincing you to go out and run 50 miles. I get it: some don’t have the will or mindset to endure that kind of pain. I can’t even explain the pain that comes with running, let alone being on your feet for almost 14 hours.

Most Western humans don’t care to walk, much less run. I look at it like this: we were given a survival skill in running. If you look back, our ancestors used to run for miles and it was an everyday thing for them. As time has passed, we have lost that skill, and in some ways it’s leading us to our very death. I realized that I was preaching to people as a coach about health, but I wasn’t certain that I was even BEING healthy myself.

Fast forward a year later and I am lacing up my Altra Lone Peaks 3.0 getting ready for my first 50-mile race. These became my first trail running shoes since I started running again. I hadn’t ran more than 400 meters in almost 4 years. Wait, I am lying, I did a 10k Ruck Run the year prior to prove to myself I was still mentally tough. It’s funny how all this comes full circle, because we ran constantly in Recon, and once I got out I just chose not to run as part of my fitness regime.

But this time around, I wasn’t looking to see if I was mentally tough. I was resolved, but I hadn’t ever been challenged in this kind of way. The last time I had done something even remotely close to this distance was back in 2013 when I ran the Recon Challenge, which consisted of a 2k open ocean fin with all your gear, a 24-mile ruck run, and had eleven combat skill oriented events throughout the course. Note, there was no 50 mile run in there.

My prep for the 50-mile race was only 6 weeks long. I had completed a sprint triathlon 3 weeks prior to the 50-miler. It was actually really fun. I also recorded a podcast with Lion Heart Radio about my training process leading up to it. But I still just had to get miles under my feet. I approached this with guidance from my buddy Rick, as he had just completed his first ever 200 mile race, along with additional help from my mentor/coach, Dennis.

We have the ability to push our bodies to places it has never been and that we have never imagine for it to go. If we stop listening to our bodies and resolve to push our limits, we can discover amazing things, as each new experience is just another opportunity to explore the undiscovered you!

Enduring Pain In Order To Succeed

3…2..1…GO!

And boom, I’ve started the clock that I can’t influence, because it doesn’t stop for anyone or anything. It just keeps going until I cross the finish line. It doesn’t care what my body feels like. I knew that I had 14 hours to complete 50 miles that was on an unmarked and unsupported course. You had to use whatever you had on your person to get from mile zero to mile 50.

If running a race like this is something that interests you, develop some map reading skills. There were 35 of us registered to run the race, 20 of them were doing 100 miles, and I was the only one doing 50 miles. The other 14 had either ran the shorter course or pulled out due to cut off times.

Honestly, the first 32 miles felt great. Yes, my feet hurt a bit, but nothing I hadn’t felt during training. And I won’t lie, I had no idea what time I wanted to finish. All I knew is that I wanted to complete it under the cut off time, to not die or get hurt, to remain present, and to have fun doing it. I was on that track, and I knew it.

Then the pain cave appeared. The last 18 miles dragged on and the suffering just kept increasing. This is where it goes back to why I wanted to do this, because I wasn’t sure that I could. That uncertainty left me addicted to this unexplainable pain that I was enduring in those last 18 miles.Call it masochism, but it made me happy, it was my way to unplug, and it was therapy for me mentally and physically to know that every step forward took me closer to this uncertain goal I had set.

With six miles remaining in the race, I knew that this was no longer about me. I had used up most of my internal motivation that helped me along the last 44 miles. I had set up some external motivation by raising money to help buy bikes for Christmas for kids under Project Motivate. I knew that if I was wanting to quit each footfall would remind me that I was delivering bikes to those kids. I used the motivation of the thought of letting those kids down to bring me to that finishing point. I wasn’t going to fail no matter what.

Motivation to Achieve Our Life’s Goals

This is a small look into my mind and what motivates me to keep waking up every morning, climbing that mountain of life that is never ending. It comes with lows and highs, sometimes with the lows lasting a lot longer, but it is all about how we process that low and turn it into a high by not wallowing in our trials. We let it build up our next effort; guiding accomplishments in life that we never thought were possible.

So why did I run 50 miles?

To have the ability to be present in an experience like this.

To be able to speak personally as a coach to those who want to tackle a goal bigger than they can imagine.

To be an example for those who have told themselves they can’t do something. Leading from the front is not always easy.

My why isn’t just a self-congratulatory personal victory, but a quest for the unknown experiences that we get to learn and grow from on a deeper level. I will continue to chase the impossible, till my last breath! I would love it if you joined me in 2018. Pick something you aren’t good at and develop a plan to get better at it, then challenge yourself to test that in the crucible of competition. It’s going to be a kick ass year!

#DIELIVING

Article originally posted on The SOflete Website here

It was written by George Briones III, Head of Human Performance

How To Be Calmer During The Open

February 22, 2017 by Mentality WOD 1 Comment

Are you feeling especially nervous about The Open this year?

Is the hype getting to you?

Do you feel pressure from your own expectations and the scores of others?

Are you finding it hard to unwind, relax and sleep well?

Are you over-caffeinated and under rested?

Are you feeling shitty about yourself after seeing others perform?

Do you want to learn how to go through The Open with a calmer state of mind?

If you answered yes to 1 or more of the questions above, ya gotta keep reading.

First off, some worries, frustrations, and doubts are part of doing something that you love and are truly invested in. You can begin to look at your nervousness differently. But, if you’re freaking out and having so many concerns that you’re incredibly anxious or upset most of the week, then it can be different.

You can actually perform your best AND enjoy the experience.

If you’re scanning through social media every free minute you have, and updating the leaderboard all week long, then you’re setting yourself up to be stressed out, overwhelmed and caught up.

If you’re constantly on Facebook groups, chats and texts with those from your box, then you’re likely not creating time to turn off your “CrossFit brain.” It’s a recipe for disaster.

If you’re following what each of your competitors is doing all day on Instagram, watching every CrossFit YouTube strategy video, and only reading fitness-related content, but then wondering why you’re so anxious…ya gotta stop! There is another way.

Better ideas? I got lots.

Take social media off of your phone, or sign out of it in the evenings
Put your damn phone away or turn it off for periods of time every day, and every week
Commit to only looking at the leaderboard for 5-10 minutes each week, or not at all, and just let a coach input your score and let you know what’s up
Go drop in and train at another gym or do the Open WOD somewhere else to change it up and give yourself a break from the normal expectations or comments from others
Stay out of the gossip and negativity
Practice saying no, and simplify your life a bit
Create healthy boundaries with how many strategy videos you’ll watch, how many other athletes you’ll watch and how many other people you’ll talk to about their plan of attack. 1-3 training partners or coaches is plenty
Spend some qt outdoors, always helps ease the mind
Get yourself to bed at a decent hour and turn off your electronics, do some non-CrossFit-related reading instead
Have some fun and relax with your favorite people throughout the week, doing something other than training or judging
Don’t watch any “behind the scenes,” games videos or “update shows”
Don’t make it even more stressful by talking about all that you can’t control
Limit the amount of caffeine you’re taking in, and spend some extra time unwinding
Be still, and quiet (with no technology or interruptions) for at least 10 minutes a day (pray, meditate or just let your mind wander)
Practice breathing and visualizations
Stick to a powerful morning routine

Stop trying to keep up with everything on social media, everything your friends or competitors are doing, and everything on games.crossfit.com.

The more competitive you want to be, the more you’ll want to rely on your coaches to tell you what’s important to set yourself up for the best performance possible.

So many athletes want to FEEL calmer during this time of year, but they aren’t willing to make any changes.

Are you going to do things a little differently so that you can be confident and more relaxed this season?

What will you implement from the list above?

Comment below.

3 Quick Mental Prep Methods For Athletes

December 5, 2016 by Dawn 5 Comments

Do not fall into the habit of walking in the gym and jumping right into the warm up without doing any mental preparation.

Don’t chat with others about their plan and their goals until you’ve run through your own mental prep.

Don’t even think about looking at the scoreboard or leaderboard without first considering your own focus areas, goals, and purpose.

See, most people will do those things, and you don’t want to be most people do you? You want to be more confident, motivated and mentally strong…right? That’s why you’re on this site, reading this.

So, BEFORE you talk to others about the WOD, BEFORE you check out the scores, and BEFORE you get going with the workout…take a few minutes to do some mental prep.

In this post, I’ll give you a few ways to do mental prep that will take you 5 minutes or less. As a coach that’s been doing this a long ass time, I believe this is just as important as any physical prep (or even more important).

Mental prep can be defined as training your mind for a successful performance. It can include practices like visualization, focused breathing, prayer, self-talk, or many other things. The key is to create a habit of doing specific things that help you feel more mentally ready to take on what’s in front of you.

Here are 3 Quick Mental Prep Options

1. 5 minutes of a breathing practice (square breathing, 1-2 breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, or 20 rep breathing) – Tuning into your breath is a way to focus your attention on to something rhythmic that you can control. It helps train your focus and can often help you feel more calm and aware. LUCKILY, I have recorded numerous breathing practices for you in MP3 format, so you can simply just listen and follow along for your mental prep. You get them all in the MENTALITY WOD PROGRAM.

2. 5 mins of setting goals. Simply write down your specific focus and goals for the session/workout. Note why you’re there, what you want out of it, any specific movement cues/reminders for that WOD and any specific words, quotes or practices that you know will help you push when the going gets tough. You can do this very quickly , with your notepad app, on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper.

3. 5 minutes of reviewing all that you have to be grateful for. There will be days that your body is aching, you have a plethora of things you’re stressin over, you don’t like the workout, or someone is annoying the hell out of you. No matter what is going on, you can always improve your mentality by thinking through all the things you can do, the blessings you do have, the things that are going right, the people who you love, the basic needs that are being met, the opportunities you have, etc.

Of course, you’ll want to get your body physically prepared too, but I suggest that you do at least 1 of the above options before you start your training, event or game. You can continue to build on your prep routine, to find what works best for you. Meditating, visualizing, talking with a coach, repeating mantras, reading or watching inspirational videos can all be helpful too. When you take the time to get your mind ready, you’ll find it easier to perform like you’re capable of performing.

Don’t know where to start? Do you want all the best strategies that will help you excel in your daily WODs and competitions? I got ya covered.

The MENTALITY WOD Program

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When To Stop Asking Why

November 7, 2016 by Mentality WOD 7 Comments

“Know your WHY.” You hear myself and other leaders say it all of the time.

I encourage you to know your purpose behind doing whatever it is you’re currently doing. Before any event, important day or training session, I suggest you run through a few key reminders why it matters to you, why you want to give it your best and why you want to accomplish your goals.

The stronger your why, the stronger your will. The more connected you are with your purpose for doing something, the more likely you’ll pursue excellence in it. Your why matters.

But, there are also times when asking “why” is a flat-out waste of time. Searching for answers as to “why” something occurred can be a huge distraction, it can send you into a rut and it can paralyze to a point where you become inactive.

See continuing to ask yourself WHY you’re pursuing what you’re pursing is incredibly valuable.

But, continuing to search for why something has occurred (and beating yourself up over it, or staying down for wayyyy too long because you don’t understand how it’s possible) is not helpful.

Sometimes there aren’t clear answers for things events that happen. You get injured or sick. A loved one gets cancer. Someone says something terribly hurtful. You have to deal with something that your friends don’t. Something happens in your life that shocks the hell out of you. Of course you’ll want to investigate the situation and try to understand it as best as you can to see if there are any ways to mitigate the pain or learn anything. Then, it’s probably best to ACCEPT it for what it is currently (that means it can change) and look for ways you can be proactive with what you’re given.

Crazy shit happens. People do fucked up things. Unfortunate, terrible trauma is real and totally sucks. But, is it healthy for you to continue down the path of “why, why, why, why, why, why, why….?” Or, is it better for you to talk it out, pray, help whoever you can, get busy living the best life possible with whatever capabilities you do have, speak up, get away, cry it out, hug your loved ones, journal, share, get help, improve your health, and continue to look for ways to do great things in spite of whatever is going on?

Know your purpose and remind yourself of your WHY throughout your day. Let go of the pursuit of WHY when it’s only making you feel more confused, down, upset, frustrated, anxious or helpless.You might not be able to change the situation, therefore you can only change your response to it.

Remote coaching for anyone looking to improve: email dawn@drivenmindtraining.com for your free assessment

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Are Sacrifices Hurting Your Mentality?

August 10, 2016 by Mentality WOD Leave a Comment

Sacrifice – Verb: give up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations.

If you’re talking about what “sacrifices” you have made or are making, you’re talking about what you’ve “given up”. You’re putting your attention on what you “don’t do” or what you feel you “can’t do.” You are thinking about what you “wish you could do” instead of what you’re “grateful you are doing.”

You may be trying to prove that you’re tough or that you’re more willing than others. You may be so focused on what you’re missing out on that you’re bitter about what you’re currently doing. You may think about all the sacrifices you’ve made, and become resentful or feel like a victim.

Could a change of language, and a change of perspectives help you? I like to think of it as TRADING UP instead.

Those “sacrifices” are simply choices. They are choices that you’re blessed to be able to make. You can choose to be thankful for what you can do and for the opportunity in front of you. You can take ownership of your choices, which will empower you.

Instead of talking about the sacrifices you made, you can talk about the choices that you had.

The choices that you made to support your goals and passions.

The path you chose to make the best of your situation.

The decisions that set you apart.

The options you had that you recognize are unique and special.

Bottom Line? Embrace your ability to make choices. Think about trading up, instead of giving up. Talk more about what you can do than what you don’t do. Remember that if you choose to give something up, you’re likely gaining something because of it. Focus on what you’re gaining instead of what you’re sacrificing.

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Control Anger With 2 Questions

July 11, 2016 by Mentality WOD Leave a Comment

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When you’re getting angry, you’re beginning to experience a strong feeling of or showing annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Anger will show up in many different ways and can often lead to statements or actions that aren’t so pleasant. You may end up doing or saying something that you wish you could take back.

You may respond to anger by showing aggression or raising your voice, and it could negatively impact those around you.

If your anger boils up at home or work, you become short-fused and unable to communicate effectively.

If it shows up when you’re competing, you may ruin your chances (or your team’s chances) at performing your best.

If you’re quick to anger in a pressure situation, your emotions will get the best of you and you’ll be distracted from your purpose and goals.

Let’s get something straight real quick, feeling angry is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s something we will all continue to experience at different levels. But, responding to the feeling of anger with MORE hostility can be incredibly harmful.

Remember, you are not angry, you are feeling angry. There is a big difference. It isn’t who you are, it’s something temporary that you’re experiencing.

So, next time you begin to feel some anger, ask yourself these 2 questions to understand it so you can manage your response better

How am I hurting right now? Most anger is present as an expression of hurt.
What am I afraid of right now? Anger is also an expression of fear.

When you can understand that you’re hurting, or afraid and that’s why you’re feeling angry, it all makes SO MUCH MORE SENSE. Talk it out, work it out. Then, be kind to yourself (and others) by accepting what’s going on and knowing that it’s okay.

These 2 questions will also help you when you’re engaging with someone else who is acting angry. They are hurting, they are afraid, there is MORE to it than just their hostile words or actions.

Bottom Line: Responding to ANGER with ANGER is not the answer. It won’t make for a positive situation and could really fuck things up for others. Instead, work to understand anger so that you can respond in a more thoughtful, productive, stronger way.

Leave your comments below.

Positive Thinking Isn’t Always The Answer

July 7, 2016 by Dawn 2 Comments

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“Stay positive…” you hear it all of the time. Coaches are drilling it into your head and there are hundreds of quotes out there aimed at helping you reframe your thoughts to be more positive.

Of course I believe in the power of optimism and using hopeful language, that’s one of my core values. But, trying to convince yourself that something uncomfortable is “fun” or “good” isn’t always the best thing. Trying to pretend that you “love” something that you really don’t like, normally isn’t the answer.

Example: You see that ‘100 wall balls for time’ is programmed for you. You really don’t fucking like or enjoy wall balls. You don’t need to walk around smiling and saying “I love this WOD,” just because you were told to be positive. That doesn’t work for everyone and it might actually bother you or take away from your drive.

Instead, you can recognize that it’s your not your favorite movement, and also that you don’t “need” to do it. But, you CHOOSE that you are going to and that you actually WANT to because you recognize that it’s part of what will make you a better athlete.

You can appreciate things without loving them (<— major life lesson right there ya’ll).

You can decide that you’re still going to work your ass off and push to the end, regardless of how much you LIKE it or not.

You can appreciate that you don’t “need” to “love” every workout, but you still want to grind to see what you’re capable of.

See, everyone is different. Some people can talk positively about whatever it is, putting this shiny glitter on everything. Others, not so much, it just don’t work. It’s a bit more like, “fuck this is going to be shitty, but, I’m still gonna attack the hell out of it.” This does not mean that you’ll want to walk around bitching about everything, or being negative…. that’s never a great idea.

So, it doesn’t have to be all rainbows, all the time. It’s okay people. You are allowed to dislike things. You don’t have to be positive and optimistic about everything! But, you can still learn to use thought patterns that are going to help you perform your best. That’s the key.

Bottom Line: If it feels better to put a positive spin on it, do it. If it feels better to keep it real, do that. If you can get yourself to push hard, know your purpose, maintain high confidence, and be encouraging to those around you, then you’re winning.

The 1 Month Experiment

June 20, 2016 by Mentality WOD 6 Comments

At the beginning of June I decided I was going to try to learn how to juggle. I made a commitment to practice for 30 minutes a week (approximately 3, 10 minute sessions). I figured I would try to get as good as possible in 1 month and then move on to something else.

I think that the timeline of “1 month” makes it less intimidating, a bit more structured than an open-ended goal and a lot more interesting.

It’s like “let me see what I can do in just 30 days.” It challenges you to commit, to go for it, to have some fun with it. You don’t have to even have a goal with this. You don’t have to even “get better” during this experiment. You can simply do, try, practice, engage with and see what happens. That’s the best part.

I started with just 2 balls in one hand, and couldn’t even exchange them once. My skill level at the beginning of June was 0, it was pretty ridiculous actually. It’s been 3 weeks, and I can now juggle 3 balls at a time. I just hit 50 unbroken tosses and it kinda blew my mind! I can officially juggle and I actually love practicing. It’s a skill that I’ll always have.

Anyways, the idea of the “1 month experiment” is to choose something you want to learn or try. Choose something that would be awkward or uncomfortable at the start. It could be something you have always thought would be “cool” to learn or something that you just want to get more comfortable doing.

For all of you amazing athletes out there, this is incredibly therapeutic and beneficial as it shifts your focus towards something that has nothing to do with your training or sport. I am slowly getting a lot of amazing CrossFitters to join in on this to offset their competitive training.

Here’s your drill for the day

Write down at least 15 things that you’d want to try, practice or learn
Choose 1 and decide when you’re gonna get started
Make a commitment for how often you’re going to engage in that activity
Ask around to see if any one you know can give you direction or is some type of “expert” in the field – I was shocked at all my friends who started showing me their juggling skills and helping me along my journey
Post your updates to social media or somewhere for others to see your progress and struggles – #1monthexperiment
Have some damn fun with it

I’ll have more details about the “1 month experiment” as I’ll make a guide about it after a couple more months of my own experimenting. For now, tag me in your posts via social media w/ #1monthexperiment or @mentalitywod

Get connected with me on Instagram to see my progress videos!

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