Doing what it takes
Recently, I wrote about the Vital Pyramid, a model for self protection and life.
The foundation of the pyramid is “Mindset.” Mindset is what effectively separates the winners from the losers.
As I mentioned in that previous post, the Vital Pyramid is a model developed by John “Lofty” Wiseman, a former member of the British Special Forces to get soldiers prepared for battle.
Your mindset during a fight must be to win at all costs. This is a bit different than what many are taught in self-defense programs, which is to survive.
If your goal is to survive, and you lose, you are dead.
Therefore, your goal has to be different. You have to do what is necessary to win.
However, this is not the end of the mindset discussion when it comes to the Vital Pyramid.
Mindset and preparation
It’s one thing to tell yourself that you will do what is necessary to win a fight, or be successful at your job.
Executing that plan requires preparation, and you have to have the right mindset to do what is necessary to prepare.
In the combatives world, preparation includes developing your sense of awareness, so you can become more street smart and identify risky situations in order to avoid them.
Preparation also includes improving your physical capabilities and conditioning.
When I started training in martial arts years ago, I encountered a number of different instructors from different arts.
Many of them were significantly out of shape. I’m talking about clinically obese.
My own sifu was not among them, thankfully, but plenty in my art did not take their fitness very seriously.
Among the top combatives instructors I follow, this is not the case. They take their physical preparation very seriously.
Why? Because they understand that when you are faced with an actual threat, it could be your conditioning that saves you.
An actual assault will put you under severe stress. You’ll get a massive dump of adrenaline, and you may lose some fine motor skills. You will also likely lose the ability to think clearly.
As a result, you’ll rely upon gross motor skills…skills that involve the big muscle groups. Use of these big muscle groups takes up more energy.
Therefore, if an assault is prolonged, and you are out of shape, you will run out of gas quickly.
In addition to improved street smarts and conditioning, you’ve got to develop your skill set.
It can get boring as hell hitting a heavy bag or a dummy hundreds of times each day, but it is that effort that will allow you to develop your skills to the point where they become second nature.
Some of my friends own a firearm as their means of self-defense.
A while back I asked how many actually train regularly with that weapon. I would estimate that about 90% of them said they did not.
This is the problem with most of society. When the shit hits the fan, they aren’t ready.
Mindset and success in life
The most successful people I know are completely prepared to succeed in their chosen business endeavor.
I would also argue that most of them thoroughly enjoy what they are doing in their careers, and that also helps with their mindset.
Most of the real estate investors and stock market investors who’ve enjoyed great success are people who really enjoy their work. It’s easy for them to have the right mindset to work hard.
I don’t know many people who approach their work with a half-ass attitude who are very successful.
The same can be said for people who are out of shape.
Getting strong and having the ability to run a few miles without stopping requires hard work, and a focus on eating right.
Most people are simply unwilling to put in the effort. This is just one reason why we have an obesity epidemic throughout western society.
Cultivating mindset
Start small
Unfortunately, most people can’t just hit a switch and have the right mindset. You have to cultivate it.
I believe this requires some positive feedback to keep you on track.
Take someone who needs to lose weight.
Most people all of a sudden are not going to be able to make all of the changes in their lifestyle that they need to be successful in the long run.
This is why it is dumb to tell people to start getting up at 5 am to walk or run every day, lift weights, and change their diet.
That’s just too many changes at once.
If their progress stalls, they get frustrated and go back to the old ways.
Pick the easiest battle for you to win first. A win in that battle, no matter how small, is still a win.
That will give you the encouragement to take on a new battle.
Final Thoughts – Mindset
As mentioned, mindset is the foundation of The Vital Pyramid.
You simply cannot be successful at any endeavor without the right mindset.
To set about developing the proper mindset for whatever endeavor you pursue, start small.
For example, if you desire to have the ability to win a fight, or to simply improve your body, start training for strength.
It only requires about three hours of your time per week (not including a commute to and from a gym if you can’t train at home).
It’s not complicated. If you do it right, you’ll be noticeably stronger within just a few months.
I can almost guarantee that new found strength will give you confidence that spills over into other areas of your life.
Now, get to work!
