Lately I’ve been kinda sluggish in my mindset and I harken back to a time when it was at it’s highest peak. Those days it was out of necessity for survival purposes. I guess living in more comfortable settings has been detrimental in many ways. As I think back to those amazing days, it’s not something that is lost, and it can be revitalized.
When you’re in a true survival mode regarding life and death, in order to succeed, your mindset needs to be at peak. Certain athletes also have it when they are competing as well as those engaged in activities they truly enjoy. In each case, focus was a part of the equation.
A true martial arts master knows the power of one’s mind and how it’s needed to be at its highest level. This is especially true when attacked or even to avoid an attack. While I’ve been pretty lucky in many situations, I can also say that developing my mind has enabled me to increase my odds of survival in a given situation.
I’m going to let you in on five keys that will help you develop a lightning fast mind for street survival, business survival, athletic competition or anything else you need this for…
- Develop/increase awareness. While this may seem like commonsense, the truth is that non-awareness is worst than ever in today’s world. We are so distracted that its become easier for some thugs to take advantage. Even more dangerous is that many people who drive and use their smart phones will endanger their lives and the lives of others. One way to develop awareness is through mindfulness training. The importance of this is that you have to stay in the moment when training. Eventually it will become a part of you.
- Get sleep. We are in a sleepless society and that is getting worse as well. I know how that feels and you can’t fully function when you’re tired all the time. Our brains, in order to be effective, needs the sleep to help get rid of the junk in the brain.
- Eat healthier. Our brains can only function as well as the kind of nutrition you consume. Too much sugar can slow down the brain and even lead to inflammation. Additionally, when you eat junk food, you have a chance of getting obese and this affects the brain as well.
- Exercise consistently. Getting and staying fit is important for a healthy brain. It helps to grow your hippocampus as well as increasing blood flow to the brain. You’ll get smarter due to more brain cells being created as well as neuroconnections being made.
- Train your mind and body. In whatever activity you engage in, training is important to help you respond. In the Marines, we would train and train and train so that we would be more effective in accomplishing our missions. And we would be effective in making adjustments as well. It’s been said that you’re only as effective as the extent of how hard you trained. I would suggest that you do timing exercises to help increase reflex action. Bruce Lee used to do that. In fact, there are even apps that can help. Whether it’s mental training or physical training in a given area, do it. Give it your best effort, day in and day out.
Just by doing those things and additionally, learning to get into a flow, you will help increase your brain’s power and have a faster mind. Stay focused as you partake in each of the above keys. In a sense, use the first key to enhance the others.
Now, go and do it!
Cheers,
Bob Choat
America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of Mind Your Own Fitness