Unlocking Mental Resilience: The Importance of Intentional Practice
The Myth of Natural Talent: Why Mental Toughness is Built, Not Inherited
“Maybe she’s born with it – maybe it’s Maybelline.” If you weren’t around during the 70s or 80s to hear this iconic commercial jingle, you might not recognize the phrase. It’s from a cosmetics company that used this slogan to suggest that while a woman’s natural beauty is great, a little extra something, like mascara, can take it to the next level. While the message in the ad always rubs me the wrong way as a woman, it got me thinking about the parallels to mental training.
In the world of endurance sports, it’s easy to assume that athletes who are crushing it must be naturally “tough.” The narrative that you either have it or you don’t is pervasive. And because of this mindset, many people overlook the importance of mental training in the same way they focus solely on physical training. If it’s something you’re either born with or not, why bother putting in the work?
Here’s the truth: we aren’t born with a set level of mental toughness. It’s something we build. And just like physical skills, mental skills require practice, consistency, and intentional effort to grow.
Mental strength is earned: The role of effort and practice over talent
One of my favorite things about being a parent is watching my kids discover what excites them, trying out new sports, and seeing what sticks. Both of them have gone through phases, trying different sports, and now they’re at ages where they’re starting to hone in on what they truly love. My son fell in love with mountain biking at age 7, and over the years, he explored everything from downhill biking to BMX. He’s always had a natural athletic ability and is quick to pick up new sports because of his agility and body awareness.
But there came a time when his natural talent wasn’t enough. As he started participating in more competitive events, he assumed he could perform at a high level without putting in much extra effort beyond just showing up to the races. I’ll never forget one BMX race where a female rider beat him decisively, and he couldn’t understand why. “But I beat her in those other races a couple of months ago,” he said. What he wasn’t connecting was that she had been practicing regularly, while he had been relying on his raw talent.
Natural talent in both physical and mental fitness has its limits. It wasn’t until years later that he fully grasped this lesson. Now, he’s putting in the hard work—practice, learning, and pushing past his limits—because he knows it’s the only way to achieve the level of success he desires.
the hidden effort behind mental toughness: how athletes build resilience through struggle
When we watch athletes endure incredible feats of strength, grit, and mental toughness, it’s easy to assume they have something special that we don’t. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Countless athletes have openly shared their mental health challenges and the constant work they put in to overcome them in order to succeed (think Simone Biles, Alexis Pappas, Michael Phelps, Rob Krar, Tim Olson, Drew Petersen, just to name a few). Many of them have come to understand that performing at a high level—especially in endurance sports—requires more than just physical training. It requires consistent, deliberate, and intentional mental training as well.
Take David Goggins, for example. If you were asked to name the endurance runner who embodies toughness and grit, most people would say Goggins. While I have my own thoughts on his style and his approach to grit (which I’ll save for another post), there’s no denying his incredible mental toughness. What’s often overlooked is that he didn’t always have this mindset. He’s had to do a tremendous amount of mental work to overcome self-doubt, past trauma, and personal demons. His persistence and resilience didn’t come naturally; they were built.
Train the Mind like you train your body
Now, imagine you’re working with a running coach, and you share that you struggle with running uphill. Your training program would likely focus on building your strength and technique for uphill running. Similarly, if you find yourself battling self-limiting beliefs during every race, your mental training would focus on developing the mindset to overcome that. Techniques like cognitive restructuring, mental rehearsal, or finding empowering self-talk based on past successes could be part of your toolkit to build self-belief.
The key is that this kind of practice doesn’t come naturally. It’s intentional, and it takes time. My son learned that lesson, and the same is true for everyone. If you want to build mental resilience, you must actively work at it. There’s no secret formula, no shortcut. As marathoner Desi Linden, my favorite and newly retired professional runner, famously said, “Keep showing up” with a focus on what you want to improve.
Get in touch if you’re ready to be intentional about unlocking your potential in sport and in life.
