In recent years I’ve noticed that mental toughness has become a popular meme on social media.  The topic reflects people’s aspirations for meaningful achievement.  It draws energy, too, from concerns about our increasingly sedentary lifestyle.  These concerns are not new.  In his 1963 Sports Illustrated article, “The Soft American,” President John F. Kennedy reminded us of the link between physical fitness and moral courage.  Warned of the deterioration in strength and health already apparent at that time (this was twenty years before the obesity epidemic took off, leaving us today with 74% of Americans overweight or obese).  In 2016 Angela Duckworth argued in her bestseller, Grit, that our society needs more passion and perseverance.  In 2018 ultra-athlete and former SEAL David Goggins published his memoirs, Can’t Hurt Me, rallying followers with his trademark exhortation — “stay hard.”  Three years later, in the aptly-titled The Comfort Crisis, Michael Easter advocated for embracing pain as the key to happiness.  Steve Magness’s new book, Win the Inside Game, which follows on the heels of his 2022 bestseller, Do Hard Things, offers specific mental strategies for toughness, drawn from his experience as an Olympic coach and performance scientist, which contrast with the traditional narrative of machismo.

My new book, Chasing the Grid, should serve as a useful case study for many of these themes.  The story follows my adventures in the Catskill Mountains while working on a big peak-bagging project (it comprised over 400 separate ascents).  In addition to the mileage and elevation gain, I had to overcome the challenges of terrain, weather, fatigue, injury, and age.  The narrative showcases mental techniques that helped me execute against my goals.  It also shares my mistakes and frustrations. Continue reading “Some Thoughts on Mental Toughness” →