It seems there’s more to starting habits than just doing them.
We’ve explored the two major methods of implementing habits - environment and starting slowly, but how do you actually prepare yourself to be a completely different person?
Changing who you are is tough. In fact, it’s one of the toughest things you can do. That’s why so many people are put on a pedestal when they finally reach goals that seemed impossible.
There are ways that you can build up a tolerance for change, and a resilience to the effects of change both mentally and physically.
Building Resilience
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
It’s true. The only way to grow and gain experience is through doing and facing resistance.
But coming to odds about starting a new track in life can be daunting. Daunting enough to convince you to quit as soon as things start to get tough.
That’s where building resilience can help. It helps you push through when you feel like quitting or when things get harder than you thought they would.
There are a ton of ways to practice building resilience. Here are a few options:
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Cold Showers
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Fasting
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Testing Patience (always eating last, serving other’s before yourself, etc.)
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Sitting with your thoughts for more than an hour with no distractions
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Get less sleep and wake up at the same time
There’s probably more, but you see what I’m getting at.
I think all of these things help to build a personality that takes on challenges head on. It builds a character that makes changes in life seem much easier.
When you’re standing in a cold shower - nothing else matters, and nothing else is really that bad. The goal is to slow your breathing and keep from tensing up.
The more you can relax in a cold shower, the more successful you’ll be at relaxing in a high-pressure or stressful situation.
Being Anti-Fragile
This is a mindset that comes along after building resilience.
It’s a mindset that doesn’t let things affect you the way they affect others (within reason).
It also perseveres when other’s would quit. It makes the impossible possible. It challenges the norm by being ultra-focused on completing the task at hand.
I think building a mentality of being Anti-Fragile is crucial to becoming a fundamentally different person. When you can push through anything, nothing can stop you.