What are You Doing to Train Your Brain?

I think we can all agree that the mind plays a significant role in one’s successes as well as their failures. I would define mental fitness as “the ability to reach one’s physical potential on any given day”. We train our mind while we are training our bodies. Every time we throw a leg over our bike or lace up our running shoes and head out the door for some training, we are not only molding our physical bodies, we are shaping our mind. We are slowly breaking down mental barriers of what we believe we are capable of. What percentage of success is determined by the mind and what percentage is determined by our physical capabilities? I believe that differs for everyone, but I do believe each is trainable. What is fascinating is the ability to increase physical performances through mental training exercises. Multiple studies have shown mental training can increase time to exhaustion. Throughout my career, I’ve read many books on success and the role the mind plays in success. Here are a handful of books that I have found very helpful in my career and in everyday life:

Peak Performance by Charles A. Garfield (currently out of print)

Endure by Alex Hutchinson

How Bad Do You Want It by Matt Fitzgerald

Grit by Angela Duckworth

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor (the audio book is good for this one, it’s read by the author)

This post is written by Tenac Championship Coach Chad Beyer.