Being a professional doesn’t necessarily mean making money off your chosen profession, it’s a mindset that governs your actions and decisions. While there is nothing wrong with being an amateur, especially if you chose boxing for fun and fitness, there are certain benefits that come with thinking like a professional. Read on to learn some of the core beliefs of the professional mindset and how it should affect your boxing mentality.

Changing The Way You Think

Thinking like a professional necessitates a certain belief system. These are some of the tenets that you should consider on your way to becoming a pro.

• The professional believes in delayed gratification. Arm yourself with patience, conserve your energy, and prepare your mind for the long haul.
• The professional seeks order. Eliminates chaos from your world and banish it from your mind. Intentionally limit necessary chaos from your boxing mentality.
• The professional knows that fear can never be overcome, that there is no such thing as a fearless warrior, and does the work regardless.
• The professional acts in the face of fear—an amateur believes that first you must overcome fear before you can do your work.
  The professional accepts no excuses. If you cave in today and skip the work, no matter how plausible the pretext or rationalization, you are twice as likely to cave in again tomorrow.
• The professional is prepared to face self-sabotage and resistance. You know that there will always be obstacles and setbacks, but you have enough personal authority to find the answer you’re seeking.

What Professionalism Really Means

In the end, being a professional is a choice. We must make up our own minds to view ourselves as pros. This is the first step towards achieving the mental toughness it takes to succeed in boxing and in every other endeavor you attempt. If you truly want to be a professional, use these beliefs to permeate your actions and help you make decisions.

Start being a pro now.