How to Regain Your Edge – Its Time!

I was looking at Quora over the weekend and found a number of people confessing to losing their edge and looking for answers on how to regain it.  Although the label was common across the different concerns, it didn’t seem that the root problem was necessarily the same.  That’s because there isn’t one definition as to what “losing your edge” means. For example, some point to depression as their problem, for others it seemed to be dissatisfaction with some part of their life. The common denominator seemed to be unhappiness with how life is going.  

At regainyouredge.com we define losing one’s edge with a broader range of symptoms, mostly relating to getting older. But when you factor these issues down to a common denominator it is also a dissatisfaction with some part of one’s life.

Being dissatisfied with life means you aren’t living up to your vision of what your life was intended to be. You may have neglected certain aspects of your life or you may have been thrown a curveball, which has upended your life.  In all these issues, there is a way to regain your edge and it starts with your mind.  How you feel and how you live your life, therefore, is up to you. Even when faced with the ultimate ‘losing your edge’ prognosis – terminal cancer, it is still up to you how you want to live. Unfortunately most people don’t know how to change their mindset or have the proper tools to regain their edge.

Your mental edge influences every aspect of your life. Regaining it primarily involves a mental shift as your mind controls the rest of you. Let’s take a look at how you can regain your edge.

How to Regain Your Edge

Redefine you Vision

If you are disappointed with your life, you have likely reflected on what you wanted it to be.  At some point in the past you had a vision, however vague, of what your life would be like. Many things could have pushed you off course, including loss of focus, life happening to you rather you happening to life, and, most importantly you either forgot you vision or it was too vague to begin with.

Creative Vision, a term coined by Andrew Carnegie, the steel mogul, drives our actions. Indeed, your vision becomes useless if you don’t think it through or act on it. Creative vision, therefore, requires concerted thought, imagination, and consistent action and reevaluation to have the power you desire. If powerful enough (in clarity, focus, and action), creative vision is responsible for what you do in life and how you do it. It can solve the unimaginable and bring wealth and happiness to those who have it. 

It’s difficult to get in shape, make more money or believe you can defeat cancer without creative vision. But creative vision requires something else – motivation. While money can motivate you, it should be paired with something else that drives you – such as solving a problem that makes a difference to others. Read Our Ultimate Search For Happiness In Life which discusses integrating purpose and meaning into your life.

Understanding the Concept of “Edge”

The Philosophy of a Having a Sharp “Edge”

Regaining your edge means building up your mental toughness and discipline. This involves how you act and react to the world around you. It, also requires knowing what you can or can’t control in life and acting only on what is in your control. It also determines how you react to life and the things that impact you.

Read more about how mental toughness and discipline can be built up and harnessed in What is Stoicism? 6 Great Reasons to Care. Having rules to live by also provides guideposts for navigating this world with consistency.  See Ten Standard Rules of Life that are Unbelievably Easy

Components of Mental Edge

Having a vision and a flexible and adaptable philosophy to life is great but isn’t sufficient to have a sharp mental edge.  Vision and a philosophy of life requires guided action. Setting SMART goals that support your vision is a prerequisite.  It is too easy to float through life, even if you have the proper attitude and dreams for your future without a means to direct your life.  Goals provide the propulsion and specific direction. Read about the power of SMART goals in SMART Goals for a Year.

Habits take goals and make them concrete. Therefore, you are still bound to stall even if you have a vision, a good attitude to life, and goals for direction. This is because your mind is on auto drive with many less unhealthy habits that need to be eliminated or changed. Developing approaches to make habits work for you allow success in reaching your goals more probable.

See 12 Micro Habits to Improve Your Life to discover how to easily change or adapt habits that reinforce your goals and Keystone Habits: Unlock the Power of the Ordinary to find the type of habits that make the biggest differences in your life.  Also, read how to make habits align with your goals for greater success in Habits and Goals for a Successful Life

Building Mental Toughness

Continuous Learning and Mental Stimulation

Keeping your brain active is necessary to maintain mental sharpness and flexibility. To adapt your vision if circumstances warrant it, you must be aware of changing trends in the world. Read news and commentary, particularly in the areas that interest you or are related to your vision. Read books regularly to expand your foundation of ideas. To start, check out some books I recommend in Best Books for Guys: Surprising Truths to Uncover.

Stress Management Techniques

Stress is a major hurdle for those who want to regain their edge.  It has enough power to disrupt your habits and goals and your vision, if left unchecked. Managing stress is crucial for mental resilience. There are a number of things you can do to combat stress and anxiety before it leads to depression. Practice meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing exercises to reduce your stress levels. These practices promote relaxation and improve your ability to focus and think clearly​.

Read 5 Simple Ways to Smooth Life’s Ups and Downs for ways to use meditation and mindfulness to reduce stress. Also take a look at things you can do that keep stress, anxiety and depression at bay in Coping Strategies for Depression and Anxiety. Be aware, however, to acknowledge not all stress is bad.  Find out the difference between good and bad stress in Benefits of Positive Stress: Motivate, Energize and Enhance Life.

A Healthy Mind and Body: A Part of Your Edge

Power of Positive Thinking

Managing stress and anxiety are necessary for keeping your mental edge sharp. However, there are additional things you need to consider. Firstly – stop thinking negatively.  Your vision, goals and habits require that you stay positive and believe in your success. Get in a habit of telling yourself you can succeed.

Check out 5 Simple Ways to Smooth Life’s Ups and Downs for cognitive behavioral techniques you can use. Also, Positive Visualization For A Great Life guides you through mental visualisation techniques to keep you positive.

Positive thinking significantly impacts your mental health and performance. Cultivate positivity by focusing on achievements and maintaining an optimistic outlook on life.

Social Connections and Their Impact

Social interactions play a large role in keeping the mind healthy [1]. Friends and family provide an emotional support base while social interactions in general keep the mind engaged and challenged. Stay connected with your friends and children (who have moved out of the home), to maintain a support network when needed. Remember, you become their support network when they need help, and they do the same for you. 

Read Value of Building and Maintaining Social Connections for Men for ideas and strategies for building and maintaining relationships.

Exercise and Mental Health

While regaining and maintaining your edge starts with the mind, everything can easily fall apart if you aren’t keeping your body healthy and active. To use a car analogy, if your mind is the electrical and navigation system, your body is the engine that moves you forward. 

Make sure to align your habits to support regular exercise. Engage in sports or regular exercise like walking, cycling, jump rope, and jumping jacks to keep active. This will help improve your mental clarity, and reduce stress. Make sure to warm up and stretch before doing anything strenuous, as discussed in ​The Best Stretching Exercises for Men.  If you find it difficult to keep to a routine and need strategies that help build habits, check out How to Make a Regular Exercise Schedule Stick.

Eating for Total Health

To continue the car analogy from above, if the fuel to feed your body makes you slow, lethargic and overtime, unreliable, you need to address it immediately.  Yes, your body moves you forward and your brain provides direction and support, though, without eating well, everything will fall apart.  A balanced diet rich in nutrients supports cognitive function, and physical activity.  If you find you have consumed too much fuel over time (in relation to your physical activity) you may need to lose weight. 

Check out  Burning Fat After 50: Valuable Fasting for Ketosis and Intermittent Fasting for Belly Fat: Simple Solution to Overcome fat for strategies on losing weight.  Also explore the foods to eat which will support weight loss in The Truth About 32 Foods that Burn Belly Fat Fast

Conclusion: How to Regain Your Edge

Regaining your edge involves more than getting out of a mental rut.  It may mean losing weight, building back muscle, getting over an illness, becoming more active or just adding variety to your life. In almost every case you need to start with the “Why?” – the vision of what you want out of life. This is followed by the goals and habits required to get you there. Realize, however, that you can’t fix your head without also fixing the rest of you – it involves a holistic approach as all parts of  your body and mind are interrelated.  

Remember, to regain your edge is a continual journey. Embrace each step and enhance every part of your life.

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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the support and guidance of your physician or a health professional when you are unsure about any health issues.