How to Build Mental Toughness
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 | | In today's edition, Joe shares: - Managing Busy Schedules
- Cold Therapy Benefits
- How to Build Toughness
| | | | Spartans,
I travel a lot. Different time zones, brutal schedules, back-to-back meetings, and training sessions in between. I can handle a pretty rigorous travel schedule. I push hard, sleep little, and keep going. But every now and then, even I get a reminder that sometimes slowing down is good.
Spartan has been doing business for 25 years now across 45 countries. Certainly, staying in the States close to home would have been easiest. But I find myself always choosing the Hard Way.
None felt harder than the last few weeks in Saudi Arabia. I ventured there to get business done and support some friends, one being Brendan Murphy, a renowned artist, who was hosting a show in Riyadh.
The timing was perfect. Dana White had UFC events going on, and the U.S. Embassy invited us to an exclusive event to bring together key leaders from across the region.
It was a jam-packed trip. A 16-hour flight. Two workouts. Two sauna sessions. A full day of meetings. By the time I hit the U.S. Embassy, I was already running on fumes. Then, after three hours of nonstop handshakes, I went down—hard.
One minute I was talking, the next minute I was on the floor in a 1920's style fainting spell. Dehydration got me. I woke up in a hospital bed and the doc gave me orders: hydrate and take a Spartan Hydrate tablet. No joke. That's what brought me back.
You'd think I'd know better after decades of pushing limits. When you're working hard, you gotta give your body some support. Here's what I took away:
You're Not Invincible: No matter how tough you are, the body has limits. Dehydration, lack of sleep and stress will take you down if you're not smart about it.
Adapt or Suffer: Every environment has obstacles, but winners adjust to tough conditions and brutal schedules.
Recovery Is Part of the Game: It's not about if you'll get knocked down. It's about how fast you get back up. A few hours after collapsing, I was back in meetings. Hydrated. Focused. Ready.
Find your own Saudi Arabia: Push through the challenges, find new opportunities, and build real relationships in places most people would never go.
The Hard Way isn't just a phrase—it's a way of life.
Here's to The Hard Way,
Joe | | | Scared of the Cold? | Cold plunges are everywhere, but they're more than a trendy wellness fad. Gritting your teeth and diving into discomfort can benefit you physically and mentally. Here's three ways submerging yourself in freezing water will help you set the racecourse ablaze.
Say goodbye to pain and soreness. Ice baths can speed up recovery by removing waste like lactic acid (the cause of delayed onset muscle soreness), reducing post-exercise pain. Shortening your recovery time can better strengthen and repair your muscles, so you can get back to the grind.
Prevent injury from overuse. You're more likely to injure yourself when you're not properly recovered. Regular cold-water therapy can reduce inflammation and prevent injury.
Build up your mental toughness. The invisible benefit? You get comfortable being uncomfortable. And that's where growth happens. | | | You Ask, Joe Answers | Q: Hey Joe, I want to build mental toughness. Where do I start?
- Kelsey R.
A: Hey Kelsey, toughness is a trained muscle. Commit to doing something hard once a day. Cold showers, early workouts, no snooze button—build the habit. - Embrace discomfort. The more you seek it, the less it controls you.
- Stop negotiating with yourself. Don't think—just do.
- Remember: Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.
Aroo!
Question for Joe? Want to tell him what you think of The Hard Way? Email him at thehardway@spartan.com. | | | | They Said It | | "Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work." | | – Stephen King | | | The Hard Way Podcast | | | "I love going full throttle but I've learned if we don't slow down around the curves, we're going to wipe out. And I wiped out over and over and over again." | | | | | | To keep receiving this newsletter, sign up here. | | | WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWSLETTER? | | | | | |
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