Muhammad Ali was once asked by a reporter, “How many pushups can you do?”
“About eight or nine,” Ali replied.
The dumfounded reporter looked at the heavyweight champion in disbelief.
“Well, I only start counting when I can’t do anymore,” Ali explained.1
Such is the mindset of a person who really knows how to push himself. He worked to the point where he felt that he could do no more, and then he powered through that feeling and did more anyway. He only began counting at the very end because that’s when his efforts really counted.
Now, I’m not advising you to grab the nearest set of dumbbells and “lift to failure” because 1) that might be unsafe to do in your particular state of fitness, and 2) this isn’t a body-building blog. The point of this story is that it’s a stunning demonstration of mental toughness.
Muhammad Ali’s particular goals demanded intense physical training, and that required serious mental toughness: the self-discipline to do all his workouts, the willpower to fight through pain, and the drive to push himself beyond his perceived limits. Though your goals are probably very different from Ali’s, the work you’ll need to do in order to reach your goals will also require mental toughness.
You develop mental toughness by pushing yourself. Most people stop doing pushups right when Ali started counting – the very moment when their minds say they can’t do anymore. That moment, when you feel like quitting, is the moment when mental toughness training begins. Any time when continuing the work feels impossible is an opportunity for growth.
The final five minutes of your workout, when you’re really tired and want to slack off, are the minutes that matter the most, if not for your body then for your mind. The end of the workday, when you could easily check out and lose focus, is an opportunity to push yourself and build mental strength. The last hour before bed, when you’re tempted to give into television and junk food, is a chance to practice willpower by engaging in a healthier bedtime routine.
So next time you’re faced with the choice of pushing yourself or quitting early, ask yourself, “What would Muhammad Ali do?”
1 I’ve paraphrased this story, which I read in a different, also paraphrased form in Joe Manganiello’s book Evolution: The Cutting Edge Guide to Breaking Down Mental Walls and Building the Body You’ve Always Wanted.