Toughness

Toughness

EMA defines “TOUGH” as the ability to withstand and attack adversity or hardship while continuing to make good decisions that lead to completing a task. We also believe that being TOUGH includes withstanding and attacking that adversity (challenge) or hardship with a positive attitude. Basically, it means exhibiting cheerfulness in the face of adversity. It is easy to be a hero when the skies are blue and sunny. Unfortunately, that is not when we need heroes. It is when things are the bleakest, not ideal, and almost impossible that our best leaders shine and come through. This is when they prove how great they are.

TOUGHNESS IS A LIGHT SWITCH, NOT A DIAL

TOUGHNESS IS DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, EVEN WHEN OTHER EASIER PATHS ARE AVAILABLE. If we follow the line of thought previously where “1” is on, and “0” is off (like a computer), then toughness is either a 0 or a 1. There is no dial to slowly crank it up. Athletes that choke in big games will always choke in big games. The good news is that toughness is a trait that we can train. It is one of the most valuable things we teach our children or students.

SOMEONE WHO IS A “1” OR A “TOUGH PERSON:
1. Has great habits
2. Makes good mental decisions regardless of the adversity
3. Is emotionally resilient and cheerful in the face of adversity
4. Craves a challenge

SOMEONE WHO IS A “0” (NOT A
TOUGH PERSON):
1. Has poor habits
2. Makes poor mental decisions when faced with adversity
3. Has no emotional resiliency; when things are good they are happy and share their happiness. When things are bad they are mad/sad/angry, and they share their madness/sadness/anger
4. Avoids adversity

We are or we are not tough. We can do tough things, show toughness, and exhibit the qualities of a tough person in a practice or game or business day. It does not make us a tough person; it just means we are doing something tough or being tough in the moment.

Toughness, like any core value, means we are tough all the time and in everything we do. Selfless people are not selfless only sometimes or with other people. They are selfless all the time. If integrity is a core value of ours but we only act with integrity some of the time, or when people are around, we are not a person of integrity. Toughness is making the difficult decision, as hard as it is, risking being not liked and possibly facing confrontation. Toughness is a not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. Tough people are tough all the time!

TOUGHNESS ACTIVITIES CHOOSE ONE OF THESE ACTIVITIES AND COMPLETE IT ON YOUR OWN
TIME:
1. PERFORM 500 PUSH-UPS in under one hour.
2. PERFORM 1000 SQUATS in under one hour.
3. WAKE UP AT 3AM and clean your house top to bottom, non-stop until 6am. Then get on with your day.

TOUGHNESS CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. HOLD PUSH-UP POSITION (tall plank) for 5 minutes.
2. PERFORM YOUR FORM, NON-STOP, repeatedly over and over for the duration of one entire motivating song (about 4 minutes). Do not stop no matter what.

DEVELOPING PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS

TOUGHNESS – WHEN YOU HAVE TWO PATHS TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING, AND YOU CHOOSE THE HARDER PATH, THAT IS TOUGHNESS.
Although fitness is important, we are going to face many challenges in life that we will not be able to overcome just through our fitness. Our ability to still accomplish the task will be dictated instead by our physical and mental toughness and possibly that of our teammates and leaders. Therefore, regardless of the battlefield where we compete, the best teammates, team leaders, or both physically and mentally tough.

ACTION ITEMS FOR DEVELOPING PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS
1. GRIND. Do whatever you do until it hurts, and then keep going a little while longer.
2. DEPRIVATION is a good thing. Practice self-control on things like video games and sweet treats.
3. DON’T WORRY ABOUT A LITTLE RAIN. Exercise in, or at the very least, spend time in – an environment that is not climate-controlled. We all must work, play, and live with the weather during some part of every day. The more we train in it, the physically tougher we become.

TOUGHNESS ACTIVITIES
1. PERFORM YOUR CURRENT FORM, upon waking, 10 times consecutively, with no breaks, no water, no breakfast.
2. ADULTS – SKIP ALL MEALS THE DAY OF YOUR EMA CLASS, then attend and push yourself hard. Only water is allowed all day.

WHEN DO YOU NEED MENTAL TOUGHNESS

IF WE PERSEVERE AND ENDURE, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING. THAT IS TOUGHNESS. A TOUGH PERSON WILL WIN OVER A MORE SKILLED PERSON MOST TIMES BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THROUGH THE DARK TIMES.

Mental toughness is our ability to stay aware and focused to make good mental and emotional decisions, regardless of the stress and
adversity facing us, and to do so with a positive attitude. There are numerous occasions in which we make mental mistakes. The
two most common are: 1) when we are physically tired, and 2) when we are under pressure or stress. We do not make mistakes after a good night’s sleep and a big coffee. We make mistakes after we wake up late, are stuck in traffic and skipped breakfast. On whatever our chosen battlefield, we make mistakes when we are tired.

In times of great adversity (challenge) we do not “rise to the occasion.” We sink to the level of our training. More specifically, we fall back on the habits we have created up until that point. This is why training is so important. The habits we build training are 100%
the habits we will execute when “the bell rings.” Mental Toughness is a habit. Mentally tough people are emotionally resilient people.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS PASSION
SUCCESS LOVES PASSIONATE PEOPLE. When we do something, we are passionate, we lose track of time, and get into flow. Close your eyes and think of someone who is passionate. Your instructor, a teacher, a coach, friend, parent? In times of adversity would not you rather be next to people like that – people that are driven not by emotion, but by passion. These people look before they leap. They take a breath before they respond. They think clearly in stressful situations. They perform well, despite being nervous. Our goal in life should always be to be mentally tough and emotionally resilient. Take one deep breath. Let our passion be mission driven, not
emotionally driven.

TOUGHNESS ACTIVITIES

1. The next time you feel lazy and do not want to train, think about “toughness”. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THE GYM OR TRAINING CENTER. Now, note how you feel afterwards. Doing what is RIGHT, even when difficult, is toughness.
2. CHANGE YOUR MINDSET. The next time you face a challenge, look at it an opportunity to grow and get stronger – TOUGHER. Choose a positive mindset.

Toughness

TOUGHNESS IS A LIGHT SWITCH, NOT A DIAL

Physical and Mental Toughness Allow Us to remain the best teammates, friends or team leader that we can be, regardless of these challenges.

DEVELOPING PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS

WHEN DO YOU NEED MENTAL TOUGHNESS

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