You hear the word thrown around often…”He’s mentally tough.” “Dang, talk about mental toughness.” “You can’t rattle that guy; he’s so mentally tough.”
But what the heck does mental toughness actually mean?
Mental toughness can be defined as the “measure of individual resilience and confidence that may predict success in sports, education and the workplace.” It can also be described as “any set of positive attributes that helps a person cope with difficult situations.” (See here).
Every single one of us, whether you’re a teacher, professional athlete, high school student or stay at home parent, deals with difficult situations; I could name ten of them off the top of my head. Therefore, we all need to develop mental toughness.
So how the heck do you develop mental toughness?
“You get tough by doing tough things.” A fellow wrestler passed this on to me, and he got it from a fellow wrestler. It has stuck with me since that day.
Here are five ways to start developing your mental toughness:
- Mend a strained relationship. Make the call.
- Volunteer to speak in a public setting.
- Hold a midrange pushup position for as long as you can.
- Go to a party and refrain from eating and drinking junk.
- Wake up at 3 AM, do 50 jumping jacks, then go back to bed.
Silly? Maybe to some people, but if you’re full of DRIVE and PURPOSE, it’s probably a little bit less silly.
Do yourself a favor, if you haven’t already, and listen to my interview with Cary Kolat on A Fighter’s Mindset – The Spaniard Podcast. There are probably 20 takeaways that can dramatically impact your mindset and mental toughness. You can listen to it here.
While you’re at it, if you resonate with the idea of developing your mental toughness, join us in the AMX Fight Club. You’ll be surrounded by a group of like minded individuals who’ll help you in that pursuit.
Life’s a Fight. Carpe Diem. Fight Well.
Spaniard
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About the author : cbrenneman
Three days after the birth of his second child, The Spaniard discusses Fathership (a Spaniard term): his gratitude, his hopes, his plans, and how little he and his wife are sleeping. What does this mean for you? The tale involving Sheetz will make you think about the power of example. The discussion of summer camp and iffy acquaintances will help you watch for good and bad influences. The story in the hospital will alert you to opportunities to make simple, difficult decisions for growth. Whatever your relationship to parenting—past, present, future, never—there are thoughts here to help you put your arms around what matters most to you. Also: The three inspirations for the new baby’s name!
Three days after the birth of his second child, The Spaniard discusses Fathership (a Spaniard term): his gratitude, his hopes, his plans, and how little he and his wife are sleeping. What does this mean for you? The tale involving Sheetz will make you think about the power of example. The discussion of summer camp and iffy acquaintances will help you watch for good and bad influences. The story in the hospital will alert you to opportunities to make simple, difficult decisions for growth. Whatever your relationship to parenting—past, present, future, never—there are thoughts here to help you put your arms around what matters most to you. Also: The three inspirations for the new baby’s name!
Latest videos
It’s host versus co-host. The Spaniard finds competition essential while Dread questions that. The Spaniard gives a wrestler’s and fighter’s appreciation of flesh-and-blood opponents: how they have shaped him, how they have often obsessed him, and how he sometimes has to search for their equivalents. The conversation highlights how competitors personify high standards and how the highest performance might require a winner and a loser. Also: Will baby Rocky let The Spaniard work out?
It’s host versus co-host. The Spaniard finds competition essential while Dread questions that. The Spaniard gives a wrestler’s and fighter’s appreciation of flesh-and-blood opponents: how they have shaped him, how they have often obsessed him, and how he sometimes has to search for their equivalents. The conversation highlights how competitors personify high standards and how the highest performance might require a winner and a loser. Also: Will baby Rocky let The Spaniard work out?
It’s host versus co-host. The Spaniard finds competition essential while Dread questions that. The Spaniard gives a wrestler’s and fighter’s appreciation of flesh-and-blood opponents: how they have shaped him, how they have often obsessed him, and how he sometimes has to search for their equivalents. The conversation highlights how competitors personify high standards and how the highest performance might require a winner and a loser. Also: Will baby Rocky let The Spaniard work out?
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