I have witnessed numerous people who begin a change in life and start out with a commitment to improving their situation and circumstances only to find themselves 3 months later still paddling with one oar in the water going around in circles. They fail to progress because they do not give themselves time to develop the mental muscle that will carry the weight of their achievements to a new level.

I remember in high school how I used to convince myself that I worked best under pressure and would always leave my serious projects until the last minute. The night before I would be sweating, under pressure, sitting up until 2 am to finish what would invariably turn out to be a sub-standard report or project. It was like trying to squeeze a thousand push-ups into one day so I could wake up tomorrow physically fit.

Your brain is not dissimilar from any other muscle in your body in terms of what it can handle. Many people suffer burnout as they approach exams in school, deadlines on projects in the office and engaging in their first major financial transaction.

This habit of thinking that great things can be done in one major burst is like gambling on lotto numbers. People can spend their whole lives trying to get it right in one instant rather than working with the discipline that is required to create the body of health, the mountain of wealth and to build that mental muscle. Success requires constant daily discipline and attention.

Whether it's a physical body or a mind that is being developed: the rules are about the same. Trying to cram for an exam is not as effective as studiously preparing oneself over the course of a semester. Stripping 20 kg's from an overweight body is not something that can be achieved overnight.

So how do YOU build your mental muscle so you can consistently perform at a new level?

• Start building YOUR mental muscle TODAY.
  Refuse to cram when it comes to success. Whatever you can do to prepare yourself, do sooner rather than later. It is rare that someone comes out of the blue, with little preparation and achieves great success. Go with the numbers. Most people have been preparing themselves for years when they finally reach the heights that are recognised as greatness amongst their peers. It is few that hit the hole in one on their first round of golf. The only reason these types of success stories make the news is because they are so rare.
• Read for 30 minutes a day and build it up to an hour a day.
  At this rate you will be reading around a book a week, which are 52 books a year in a world where less than 3% of the population even have a library card.

Do you think that will give you an edge?

• Listen to tape / cd programs in your car. First do it for an hour of driving time and each week increase this amount by 30 -60 minutes until 70-80% of your day is spent listening to information that will transform your thinking. You can literally get a university of success education on wheels just by choosing what you listen to carefully.

"There is not one successful person that I know that doesn't listen to success programs in their car."

• Listen to your mind like you would your body.
  I believe most people can tell when they have physically exhausted themselves. Your mind is the same. You will reach a point of saturation and you will just need to chill out. Listen to music or just enjoy some peace and quiet. We are all human and we all have moments where we begin to overload. Practice noticing this overload early and maintain the balance and rest that is required to build your mind into the 'Mr. Universe of Minds'.
• Never confuse a *Character building opportunity* with exhaustion.

"Your talents and abilities are gifts handed to you but your character is formed under fire and tested in turmoil." - Les Brown

I know I have had times where I have been somewhat negative towards a situation and the last thing I wanted to listen to was some guy on a cassette in my car telling me to "hang in there" and "be persistent". This is a test for us. It is in these moments that I force myself to listen to tapes or read something positive or uplifting.

There are times however when I have simply listened to about as much as I can take. My mind is bombarded with ideas and input and I need some time to process what I have been taking in. We all reach this point at different times. I know I can absorb hours more than I could when I first began listening to tapes and reading books all those years ago.

This important distinction has served me well. It took me many years to recognise the difference and I used to keep going when I was exhausted and needed to rest. This lead to burnout and times where I just needed to sleep for about 12 hours and have a couple of days off just to recuperate.
The Most Critical Distinction You Can Make

I have also made the mistake of turning tapes off when I could have more than handled the information but chose to remain in my negative energy and wallow for a little while longer. This is not a good practice. And it is not that I am a wallower of any sort. But negative energy has the ability to suck our energy and make us think we are burnt out when we are not.

Making this important distinction is a critical success factor that I am constantly aware of. If you want to build your mental muscle in a way that prevents you from burnout and overwhelm then maybe you could benefit from treating your self development of the mind in the same way you would treat your body in an exercise program.

In my book the "Power of Subconscious Goal Setting" I talk about the importance of giving yourself time to grow. It's not how many books you churn through that will make the difference. I would never have been able to write that book had I not taken the time over the past ten years to complete each of the exercises along my own journey.

Actions Speak Louder Than…
You will find it is the people who act on the information they are presented with that have the BIGGEST impacts and achieve the greatest success. You can go to the gym and stare at the weights for as long as you like but the muscle won't grow without you doing something.

Build your mental muscle and watch out for the times when your brain is saying
"Rest Day".
It is quite often not just on Sundays like I used to want it to be. It needs a break when it needs a break. Stay fluid and flexible and keep pumping out the repetitions and…

Prepare to Unleash Your Potential