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  • No matter what you want to accomplish in life, it's going to involve discomfort.

  • A great career or business requires hard work. A healthy body needs exercise and foods you don't necessarily like.

  • Meaningful relationships need vulnerability and compromises.

  • In fact, anything worthwhile often requires that you do what you don't want to do.

  • And that can be hard.

  • But it doesn't have to be.

  • I used to take my thoughts very seriously.

  • Whenever one of them popped into my head, I'd immediately identify with it and perceive it as thetruth.”

  • If a thought told me I was tired and bored, I'd immediately look for a way out.

  • But I've since learned that I am not my thoughts and that my mind is nothing more than a suggestion box.

  • Because of that, I don't take my thoughts as seriously as I used to.

  • And that, in turn, has made a huge difference in my subsequent behavior and the results I get.

  • These days, when my mind tells me I'm restless and should do something else, I simply thank it for the suggestion and then get back to the task at hand.

  • It's never the discomfort that stops you; it's how you perceive the discomfort.

  • Your beliefs determine your response, and what you choose to believe is within your control.

  • You can assign whatever meaning you want to discomfort.

  • I used to believe it was a signal that I should stop.

  • These days, I believe it's a signal that I should keep going.

  • I've decided that anytime I feel discomfort, that just means I've stepped into my mental gym, and that it's time for my mental resistance training.

  • Willpower is a lot like muscle power. The more you exercise it, the stronger it will get.

  • If you practice it for an extended period of time, you can change your behavior around completely.

  • You'll be able to do what others dread doing and to stay away from things that others can't resist doing.

  • That level of self-control is exactly what's needed to become a remarkable person and create extraordinary results.

  • So, how do you get started?

  • The best way to practice mental resistance training is through voluntary hardship.

  • Here are a few examples: Underdress for cold weather.

  • Turn off the air conditioning in your house or car.

  • Take cold showers. Occasional fasting.

  • Drink only water. Sleep without a pillow.

  • High-intensity exercise. These are just a few ideas to help you come up with your personal mental resistance training.

  • The important thing is that you choose one and commit to it.

  • And just like in a physical gym, you don't want to use the heaviest weights right away.

  • There's no point getting overwhelmed or injured.

  • So, start small and then get a little bit every day.

  • If your willpower muscle is weak right now, it's perfectly fine to start by making your bed each morning.

  • Or reading one page in a book.

  • Or flossing one tooth.

  • If you're thinking to yourself right now: “I'm not the kind of person who practices voluntary discomfort,” be very mindful of the fact that this is the same voice you want to take control over.

  • Don't take it as literal truth. Remember — it's just a suggestion.

  • And it's entirely within your power what you do with that suggestion.

  • If you choose to take action despite what your mind is telling you, it holds no power over you.

  • You can decide to perceive discomfort as mental resistance training from this moment forward.

  • And each time you push through the resistance, you'll notice that you'll get a little bit stronger.

  • If you stick to the practice consistently, with time, it'll become second nature to do what you don't want to do.

  • You'll become a relentless action-taker.

  • And that's when you can turn your most desired goals into reality.

No matter what you want to accomplish in life, it's going to involve discomfort.

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