If you could become a master at one thing what would it be? It is an interesting question, especially from an athlete’s viewpoint where many of us train to be masters in the sport in which we participate. Some of us choose to master a skill that equates to a job, or education. Others strive toward mastery of family or relationships. In general, as our life passes, whatever we spend our time on are the things we move toward mastery in.

I believe that all categories of mastery, no matter how noble, challenging or lucrative they may be, are all byproducts of the greatest mastery: the mastery of one’s self.  The mastery of one’s self is the bedrock upon which all other skills are founded. Qualities of self-mastery (or self-control) are intangible and are the tools used to build the tangible skills listed above. The fuel source of true self-control is willpower, which is the main topic of this Schaudt Out.

“The strong man is he whose whole being is subject to him” – James Russell Miller

Neurologically, basic to advanced cognition in humans moves from bottom to top and back to front, meaning that the bottom back part (limbic) of the brain is used for the most basic human desires whereas the top front (prefrontal cortex) is used for the most advanced cognition. Willpower resides in the top front part of your brain.

Willpower is the innate cognitive processes that allow us to resist things OR make choices over other things. An example is eating snickerdoodles (my favorite cookie) which are plain not good for your health. Willpower is the ability to resist eating a snickerdoodle OR choosing to eat a healthier alternative. The more willpower you possess, the greater chance you have at making decisions that benefit your long term success instead of giving into short term desires.

Let me hit it home for the athletes, willpower is analogous to a muscle. The more you #TrainBIG the stronger you get. The greater the willpower the more self-mastery you possess. My final example of willpower is a friend and former teammate of mine, Jordan Hasay. Not only was Jordan successful as a collegiate track athlete, but also as a student. I would catch her frequently completing homework on the plane to and from competition. I didn’t understand why someone who would eventually run professionally would put in the painstaking hours into excelling at academics that she may never use. I now know that her academic and athletic success were closely correlated and were both byproducts of the greatest mastery of all: the mastery of one’s self.

Schaudt is out!