“Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” ~ Bill Russell

Ask any athlete how they get through their sport, and most of them would probably say that it starts with their mind. They have the mental ability to let go of what their body feels and focus on winning the game, race or whatever competition they are in. However, anything worth doing in life requires mental toughness, whether you are an athlete, executive or stay at home parent. It’s a trait that is necessary if we are to achieve our life purposes.

I found this definition, and I believe it says it all: Mental toughness is having a physiological edge that enables you to be consistent, confident, focused, and determined during high pressure situations in order to perform at maximum potential.

It may seem like some people are just born with the mental toughness trait, but actually it is developed through life experiences. Some may have needed to develop it earlier than others, like the saying goes – “desperate times call for desperate measures!” It’s pressing on when everything else in your being is screaming “NO!

What happens when you succeed and find that “little ole you” made it just fine? You stand a little straighter, discovering you have more substance than you may have thought. You stretch those boundaries that you created, opening yourself up to a whole world of opportunity that you might have dismissed before you practiced mental toughness.

Mental toughness is not a stand-alone; it is comprised of self-confidence, self-motivation, and control over your mental energy, attention, visual/imagery and most of all ATTITUDE! So in order to reach the mental toughness state, you must work on all of those areas. We all know that self-confidence starts with believing in yourself. How do you believe in yourself? Start by developing positive thinking and self-talk, discipline and goal setting. How do you motivate yourself? Start by setting long-term goals that you commit to. Keep a daily record and surround yourself with others who are great self-motivators.

Controlling your mental energy is also crucial. Negative emotions such as fear, anger and jealously cause your performance to suffer. You’ll get bogged down with stuff that’s simply not important. Let yourself be energized with a healthy competitive team spirit, whether it’s on the field or in the workplace.

Put your imagery skills in motion by picturing yourself reaching that goal. This is one of the most powerful techniques to develop mental toughness since it creates a link between the body and mind. If you can’t see yourself doing or achieving something, you’ll never actually make it to that point. Then there’s attitude – having a “can do” attitude produces emotional control and creates the right flow of energy. These techniques remind me of the fourth quarter mentality that a football coach employs on his players – almost to the point of breaking them down, but pushing them to their limit in order to win the game.

The joy and exuberance you’ll feel when you’ve reached that goal, or finished that workout or whatever your challenge is will be its own reward. You’ll find yourself telling others about your accomplishment, and maybe you will even recharge them into doing what it takes to develop the mental toughness needed to accomplish something big in their lives.

Practice these techniques the next time you find yourself trudging along, and you’ll find yourself excelling the next time a high pressure situation arises, and you’ll even have a mental advantage over your competitors! Your own mental toughness success will also help you bounce back more quickly when a setback occurs, and you’ll find yourself unshakeable through almost any curve ball thrown at you. What area comes to your mind when you think about the need to practice mental toughness? Maybe it’s giving birth, speaking in front of a large audience or simply starting a workout program. Whatever it is, toughen up and do it – you have everything it takes inside your own mind!

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