Good work.
Two additional techniques that are very powerful:
Journaling. This means keep track of your workouts and progress. What I recommend is also recording injuries, health issues, and obstacles. This is tremendously valuable in the long term. It also seems to strengthen habits. Sort of like the maintenance manual for your car. I also recommend using a physical wirebound journal, with a pen/pencil, rather than some type of electronic solution. My journal has sat in my car in 120 degree texas heat, had liquid splashed on it, been dropped .. no issues!
Visualization. Very powerful when mastered (I haven’t, but still give it a shot). Anecdotally, a lot of top-level athletes have cited this as being a game changer. Its basically just using your imagination. It can also be used to generate motivation on-the-fly. I sometimes imagine being back in highschool when in the weightroom or running.
Folks growing up in the ’50s, ’60s, ‘70s, and early ’80s will remember the existential threat of that era: communism.
ISIS has a long way to go before it can capture the fear of total nuclear annihilation. The vietnam war, the korean war, the cold war, domino theory, the day after, red dawn, war games, duck-and-cover drills in school...
Whenever I hear hand-wringing from these youngsters about ISIS, I have to chuckle. Back in my day we had real existential threats, sonny.
Now I’m going back to watch my copy of Rocky iV. On VHS of course.