In a recent article, I discussed the Resistance, an unseen, insidious guerrilla force determined to stop you from reaching your goals. In this article, I will give you some tips on how to fight it. The Resistance is a tough opponent. The Resistance fights dirty. It will use anything to undermine you. Because of this, you must cultivate powerful weapons to defeat it.

When fighting the resistance, you must be persistent. You must fight every attack no matter how big or small. Even if you take a hit, you have to continue. You have to keep bearing down. You have to put everything into it whether you think you will win or lose. You cannot let the Resistance get away with anything. You must be relentless.

You must be relentless when fighting for your goals. This means you must be unyielding and never surrender. Being relentless means you do not let distractions, negative thoughts, fatigue, or unfortunate situations stop you. You continue no matter what.

Being relentless is the opposite of quitting. You get back up after being knocked down. You return to the fight after being injured, and you keep facing the challenge even after suffering a failure. To be relentless you must become a warrior.

Will of a Warrior

To be relentless, you must develop the will and the habits of a warrior. You must cultivate a mindset that will allow you to defeat your obstacles and to reach your goals.

Warriors have the will to survive, to overcome, and to win even when others cannot. Warriors do not focus on failure, they take the actions required to win. They don’t focus on problems; they focus on solutions. Warriors have the discipline to continue, when others decide to quit.

Warriors keep fighting even when they are not at their best. Warriors don’t get to take a break when they are not feeling motivated. They don’t get a day off when they did not get enough sleep. They do not stop fighting because they are hungry. Warriors don’t allow fatigue to defeat them. Warriors do their job even when they do not want to get up and do it. Warriors continue to fight, even when they take a hit.

Warriors keep fighting even when it looks like they will lose. They never surrender. They do not give up. They do not stop until the fight is over. Warriors go down swinging. Warriors know that they will never win if they slow down, let up, or stop moving forward. Warriors do not worry about outcomes they cannot control. They keep fighting and focus on what they can do.

Warriors remain vigilant. Even when they are ahead, warriors don’t give up any wins to the opponent. Warriors run full speed through the finish line. They never wait for the clock to run out. Warriors don’t allow themselves to slack today just because they worked hard yesterday. They keep the pace up. Warriors never allow complacency to corrupt their determination. Warriors keep their guard up, so the Resistance cannot attack them unseen.

Warriors put everything they have into what they do. They engage completely. Warriors commit entirely to taking the actions required to succeed. They don’t hold back for fear of failing. They don’t avoid unpleasant tasks that are necessary to reach their objectives. They consistently take action with courage and determination. Warriors know that they cannot waste their time with lackluster efforts or allow distraction to diffuse their focus and action. They stay intensely focused on the task at hand.

On Becoming Relentless

Here are a few practical tips for developing your will and becoming relentless in the pursuit of your goals (and stamping out the resistance).

Learn to concentrate and block out your negative thoughts, fears, self doubt, and emotions. Recognize when your thoughts are trying to undermine you and just ignore them. They don’t get a vote. Concentrate on the action you must take and do it. When you focus on action, your mind will not have as much time to insert those negative thoughts because it will be occupied. The more you practice concentrating, the better you will become at it.

Stay focused on the things you can control - your actions. It does not help to worry about things that are out of your reach or influence. Your plans will be interrupted from time to time. Unexpected events will challenge your schedule, your energy, and your focus. Don’t let these things shake you - you cannot control them anyway. What you can control is your actions and your choices. You can control how you resopnd to these situations. Strive to make every action count. Be persistent in doing the right thing, whether you feel like it or not. If your schedule doesn’t go as planned, make a new plan and keep moving forward.

Be prepared to adapt if your current path is not working. Being relentless does not mean you hurt yourself with a workout, when what you really need is rest. Adjust your approach or adjust demand, but do not quit. You can slow down, just don’t stop. If the plan is not working, change it and keep going.

Continually evaluate your actions to be sure they are in line with your goals. This will make the decision easier. To do this, focus on why you are doing it. Ask yourself whether your choice will take you towards your goals or away from them. Thinking about your goals will help you make the best decision. It will help you decide what to do because it will be more clear what the best choice is. For example, if your goal is to get stronger, will skipping your scheduled workout today make you stronger? Probably not. If your goal is to improve your nutrition, will eating that free donut at work help you reach that goal? No.

Fake it until you make it. Your mindset will influence your behavior, but your behavior can also affect your mindset. Even if you do not believe you can do something, act like you can. Act like a warrior. See yourself as the person who has a strong will, not the person who cannot do it. The more you pretend to have discipline, the more discipline you will actually have. Your self doubt will fade and your confidence will grow each time you take action.

Fighting for your goals is not easy, but suffering a setback does not mean your are out of the fight. Get up. Strengthen your mind. Strengthen your body, and be relentless.