Mental toughness plays an important role when it comes to physical ability. Either mental toughness can push people to do their best or it can slow them down and keep them from reaching their potential. Although it might seem like lifting, working out, and performance for sports is all about having the muscle, one cannot become determined and motivated to perform when he or she is not in the right state of mind. It is difficult becoming mentally tough, but it is not impossible, it takes time to adjust and learn the steps needed to make improvements. The body cannot function properly when the mind is not as focused on what the body is trying to do. Having a good mindset, keeping focus, and setting goals that have been set is what is driving …show more content…
Having this mentality will lead people to a place they do not want to be and this can happen to anyone. Excuses are a big problem when it comes to having a good mentality and having that drive to continue working on the change someone wants to see.. Excuses almost act as a blockage for people, keeping them from reaching their goals and pushing them farther from what they want to accomplish. In Laura Miele’s article, she suggests setting goals that are not too complex that someone gives up too easily, yet not too easy to attain, giving people a chance to reach them. When athletes and others set goals for themselves, it boosts their confidence to keep pushing for better results. On another note, it is important to understand that the mind is more powerful than the muscles. The impact made on physical performance before and during due to how people think and what they are focused on completing. The way people feel before heading into practice, training, or just going to the gym reflects on how hard and how much they can take from their exercise of the day. It is important that the mind and body are balanced to keep focus on what has to be done in order to be happy with the results. When performing having positive thoughts and a clear head make performing and goal setting just a little bit easier and doesn’t put too much pressure on …show more content…
Angela Duckworth, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, studied how mental toughness affected 2,441 cadets from two entering classes at West Point (Clear). These cadets have to complete a physical test called, “Beast Barracks,” engineered to push the cadets to their physical limits. After researching the cadets and who was able to finish, Duckworth found that is wasn’t leadership, strength, or knowledge that pushed them to finish but grit. In James Clear’s article he states, “Cadets who were one standard deviation higher on the Grit Scale were 60% more likely to finish Beast Barracks than their peers.” Many believe that muscles give someone a better chance to be the fastest or strongest but that’s has been proven to be wrong in some cases. Some lack the mental toughness needed to help someone achieve their goals, whether they are long term or short term. Being aware of the problem, whether someone doesn’t have the strength or if they have the strength, but not the mentality can keep them from their goals. Although it is helpful being aware and focusing on performance becoming too focused on one thing may take away focus and distract someone resulting in performance decline. Controlling the thoughts that go through one’s head during the performance will help understand what holds them back and what pushes them. Learning the difference between the thoughts before and