WHAT IS MENTAL TOUGHNESS?

FOOTBALL TEAMS SHOWS US ALL HOW TO GET MENTALLY TOUGH

Building mental toughness… it seldom happens in a straight line. I was watching a college football game recently and the home team was up 31-7 in the second quarter over a team most thought was evenly-matched. I was guessing the final score might be 70-7 in the end. Well, two hours later the visitors kicked a field goal to win 38-37, on the road in front of 60,000 fans rooting against them.

What we heard the next day was that near the end of the first half the players came together as a unit and “agreed” that how things were going wasn’t going to cut it. What we saw from that point to the end of the game was a different team. Were the Xs and Os that much better? Did the coaches have some secrets tucked away that they were holding back? No.

This was a motivated group of young men digging deep into themselves and summoning all they learned from years of mental toughness drills both on and off the practice field. They played like the winners their coaches have told them they are many times.

Could this comeback reflect of what they’ve been taught from many coaches over the years? 100%.

Is there a textbook I can send you? Unfortunately, no.

Can mental toughness be taught? With football players, no question about it!

BUILDING MENTAL TOUGHNESS THROUGH GRIT IS A DIFFERENTIATOR AT WEST POINT.

Another mental toughness expert I often follow is James Clear, a behavioral psychologist who specializes in personal improvement and building mental toughness.

His article—The Science of Developing Mental Toughness—concludes that research has shown that intelligence accounts for only 30% of personal achievement. What makes the most impact on achievement is mental toughness, what he calls “grit”.

Clear used results from a study by Angela Duckworth from the University of Pennsylvania on incoming cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Each year the academy accepts approximately 1,300 new cadets. During their first summer on campus they must complete a number of difficult tasks, some you might consider extreme. One of them is called “Beast Barracks,” a test that stretches individuals physically, emotionally and mentally.

Looking across two classes of 2,441 cadets, the research found that the “Grit Scale”—the perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals—was the ultimate determining factor in whether or not they finished Beast Barracks.

Here’s what she found according to Clear:

“It wasn’t strength or smarts or leadership potential that accurately predicted whether or not a cadet would finish Beast Barracks,” Clear wrote. “Instead, it was grit — the perseverance and passion to achieve long–term goals — that made the difference.

“In fact, cadets who were one standard deviation higher on the Grit Scale were 60% more likely to finish Beast Barracks than their peers. It was mental toughness that predicted whether or not a cadet would be successful, not their talent, intelligence, or genetics.”

What I would love to know is the backgrounds of those cadets who finished Beast Barracks

I would wager they had a long history of mental strength training and an up close and personal knowledge of mental toughness drills.

Can mental toughness be taught? I’d say the U.S. Military is doing something right!

FAVORITE MENTAL TOUGHNESS QUOTES

Our generation didn’t invent mental toughness. The thought of being more than you think you can be, to achieve beyond your wildest imagination, has been at the front of great minds for centuries.

As I’ve studied how the mind can do wondrous things, I’ve run across many truly insightful quotes on mental toughness. Let’s look at some of my favorites.

After losing millions in the demise of a chain of fitness stores he founded, T. Harv Eker looked deep inside himself and others who had failed in big fashion, to develop the theories he speaks about today. Eker believes we each have a “financial blueprint” that is the roadmap to accumulate wealth. Eker writes that many people play the role of a victim and deny that they have control over their success.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain, did so many things to help our country better understand itself in its early years. Beyond all the writing, lectures and sayings, what I find most intriguing—and most revealing—about Mark Twain was that many years after having field for bankruptcy, he made a second fortune and repaid every creditor back.

Thomas Edison must have spent a lot of time astounding himself. His unlimited imagination was central to what we now call the Industrial Revolution. He was one of the first to apply mass production concepts to inventions. He didn’t just invent, he produced.

It’s inspiring to read quotes on mental toughness that go back centuries. Just goes to show you how strong of a foundation mental toughness has been at every point in our history.

WHY MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS IMPORTANT

To be successful. To be happy. To be fulfilled.

I recently read an article from Mental Toughness Partners where they reported research on the impact of mental toughness on individual performance:

• “It explains up to 25% of the variance in individual performance.:
• “Mentally tough people have better attendance, handle stress better, are less likely to develop mental health issues, and they sleep better.”
• “Mentally tough people are “can do” kinds of people. They respond positively to change and stress, they gladly accept responsibility and volunteer for new assignments and activities.”
• “Mentally tough people are more aspirational. Simply put, they are more ambitious and are better prepared to handle risk.”

Harvey Mackay wrote recently about the definition of mental toughness from a study in the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology: “There are many characteristics that contribute to mental toughness. It all starts with training and preparation. If you aren’t prepared to do your job, you have no chance.

“The will to succeed is preceded by the will to prepare.”

NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT A PLAN WHEN BUILDING MENTAL TOUGHNESS.

Spending much of my business career in sales, I have heard this statement a lot: Nothing happens without a sale. While true, it oversimplifies the point I think it was trying to make, which is: Nothing happens without a plan.

Your desire to get mentally tough begins with a plan. It’s not enough to say you will “be successful.” Or, rich. Or, smart.

One of my favorite sayings captures the importance of the point about a plan: If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND NAVY SEALS

This is easily one of the most popular topics when it comes to learning about top mental toughness examples.

The Navy SEALs are the role model for how to get mentally tough

They have to endure unbelievable stress, both physically and mentally, to complete their jobs. And…

They put themselves in harm’s way (as do all of our military people)!

Much has been written about the physical hurdles a man must endure to become a SEAL and successfully make it through the physical and mental battle of BUD/S training.

What struck me as I dug under the hood of SEAL training is that repetition under highly-stressful situations is at the core of being able to physically withstand situations the rest of us can only imagine.

Practice, practice, practice. And, then practice more and practice harder. And lastly, practice like you play.

A perfect example of this is SEALs training with live ammo.

I recently read the Dichotomy of Leadership, by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin‎.  One of the most impactful stories told in that book was when they were training for missions in Ramadi and some of their team members complained the training wasn’t fair

They stated the soldiers they were fighting against weren’t as equipped as the SEALs and by tricking the team during training was unfair.

Leif went on to explain how it’s the only way to truly prepare because the enemy is unpredictable.

The mindset of training in the most extreme conditions is at the heart of the success of the SEALs and the mental strength to endure such training is at an all time high.

It’s no wonder they can operate under such extreme pressures not only while serving, but also as business owners and community leaders.

ADDING STRESS TO TRAINING WILL HELP YOU GET MENTALLY TOUGH

I found recently a very interesting article by Stew Smith on military.com. Stew is a former Navy SEAL, a well-known strength and conditioning specialist and an expert on building mental toughness. He wrote an article focused on Navy SEAL mental toughness that I thought captured the reality of what it takes to become and survive as a Navy SEAL.

Stew went on to write about the role of Navy SEAL mental toughness conditioning, always straddling that fine line between pain and injury. He would do high reps of pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, dips, and running and swimming for miles to help him create increased energy levels.

BUILDING MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS MIND OVER MATTER.

I found another fascinating article on navyseals.com that was re-published from Men’s Health. The title was “Fear and Mental Toughness”.

The article concluded (and supported what Stew was saying) that the more you’re exposed to something you initially fear, the less you will fear it and ultimately become immune to it… you’ll get used to it and significantly raise your chances to get mentally tough.

NAVY SEAL’S PRIMARY WEAPON SYSTEMS TODAY ARE PEOPLE’S HEADS

The next quote probably won’t surprise you.

“Graduating as a SEAL is not all about being physically fit,” Lieutenant Commander Mike H of executive officer of SEAL Team 10, said in the article. “Today, our primary weapons systems are our people’s heads. You want to excel in all the physical areas, but the physical is just a prerequisite to be a SEAL. Mental weakness is what actually screens you out.”

Mental weakness is what screens you out!

So, while the physical component has to be there, the overriding conclusion I came away with was that ultimate success as a SEAL or as an Olympian or as a corporate CEO is more about decision making and how that allows you to do your job at the top of your profession.

Can mental toughness be taught? I’d say most people would agree that the seals continue to write the teachings for mental toughness.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS EXERCISES

There is no magic recipe—no specific mental toughness drills—to “train” for mental toughness. In my research, I found interesting and very different ways a well-known strength and conditioning expert and a 23-year veteran of the FBI approaches her clients.

LaRae Quy spent 23 years in counterintelligence with the FBI working in what she described as an environment of risk, uncertainty and deception. She spoke with writer Justin Bariso in an article titled “An FBI agent’s 5 steps to Developing Mental Toughness” for Inc. magazine.

1. “Develop emotional awareness. You have to understand what makes you tick and learn to control it. Anger can be positive, but not when it ends in a fit of rage. She said law enforcement officers are trained to observe people around them whether in a store, restaurant or at a sporting event. Their challenge is to figure out their stories: their occupation, what they’re thinking and even their mood. This simple focused-awareness drill as she calls it can work in any environment to help you better understand the person or group you want to reach.”
2. “Commit to pushing through your limits. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Change is not always bad. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong or bad with your situation, tell yourself it is just temporary and see the benefits.”
3. “Focus on controlling your mind. We become what we think. And, for many people, what they think is often self-limiting and only serves to wire your brain in the wrong way.”
4. “Focus, focus, focus. My favorite. This is about focusing physical and mental energy. Athletes at every level use this to raise their game to a higher level. They practice with a laser-focused goal (shouldn’t we all be doing that?) but they do it with structure:
   • Break down tasks into their key parts.
   • Spend extra time on actions you find especially difficult.
   • Get feedback, and adjust accordingly.
   • Put your ego on the backburner.
   • Keep your goals in front of you.”
5. “Pursue and live a life focused on growth. The mentally tough are learners. They are voracious readers. They are constantly in a mode of continuous improvement. They realize mistakes are not failures, but simply opportunities to learn. And, ultimately, to become supremely confident.”

MOTIVATION AT THE HEART OF BUILDING MENTAL TOUGHNESS.

Sean Hyson is a well-known strength and conditioning coach, and an expert on building mental toughness and mental toughness drills. For a story in Men’s Fitness magazine, Sean spoke with several experts and compiled an interesting list of ways to improve your mental toughness.

1. “Be a self-starter. “The root of building mental toughness lies in motivation,” Sean writes. He highlights two opposing mentalities that can drive a person to be tough. Both exist in us all, but we likely lean to one. First are those dominated by motivation to succeed… they excel when great opportunity lies ahead. The second type are those motivated to avoid failure (this is not my favored type). These folks get going when their egos are threatened. Either way, your ability to motivate yourself is critical to mental toughness.”
2. “Find your zone. World-class athletes respond to race stress with a reduction in brain-wave activity similar to meditation,” said Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., a strength conditioning coach and triathlete. “The average person responds to race stress with an increase in brain-wave activity that borders on panic. The great athletes, or business people, or school teachers are able to ‘get in the zone’—a cool-headed state that allows them to perform optimally, even in high-pressure conditions. They train their brains.”
3. “Be positive. This is mind over matter. If you even think you can’t finish a marathon,” Cosgrove says, “you can’t. Cosgrove recommends creating a mission statement—a goal or objective—that gets you pumped up. Take the time to consider why you’re running that marathon, gaining 10 pounds of muscle or whatever it is that you’ve challenged yourself with. If you have a powerful reason why, you can get through anything.”
4. “Talk to yourself. Be your own coach. If you’re running that marathon, tell yourself you’re going to give it everything you have, says Cosgrove. “Learning to talk positively to yourself when the going gets tough takes practice, but you’ll get better at it. Then, on race day (or whatever your particular challenge is), you’ll be able to talk yourself into a second wind.”
5. “Visualize. I am a huge believer in visualizing, no matter if you’re an athlete or a speaker,” said Joe Stankowski, C.P.T., a former powerlifting and strongman competitor: “Your set should be mentally done. Imagine the steps you’ll take to get into position and the way your body will look performing the movement, and rehearse each repetition in your mind. Think about how all that will feel to you. Because it’s already been done in your mind,” says Stankowski. “All you have to do is repeat it with your body.”
6. “Meditate. Many of my clients find this very hard to do,” Stankowski says. “Find a place where you can clear your mind and relax to mentally prepare for your upcoming challenge. If you struggle I suggest you reach out to an expert.”
7. “Get uncomfortable. Routines are the enemy of getting uncomfortable,” Sean writes. “If you’re trying to be a tougher runner, then a couple of times a month you need to practice running a little longer or faster than you’re used to. These workouts should be at random—put your running shoes on one day and decide you’re going to take it to the limit. The same logic applies to the weight room and life in general.”
8. “Be prepared. Success doesn’t always come to the best athlete,” Sean writes. “Endurance athletes have a saying: ‘Nothing new on race day,’ Meaning if you’ve prepared yourself for everything, you’ll be ready for anything. You should know well ahead of a race what you are going to eat, wear, and even think about that day. Naturally, you can’t be prepared for every eventuality, but try to be anyway. Anticipate any problems that could arise, and have a solution in mind.” Cosgrove, the great runner, says: “Knowing you have done everything possible to get to your goal will help you mentally. When it comes to the event you are training for, you can go into it with peace of mind. Once you have that, you’ll be surprised by just how far you can go.”

Can mental toughness be taught? Again, practicing the exercises we just reviewed is proof that if you put in the time and work, yes, mental toughness can be taught.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS TEST

Unlike sports, the game of building mental toughness does not have a scoreboard.

It is not an absolute.

Testing “abilities” such as aptitude, intelligence and personality traits is a slippery slope. Mental toughness falls into this type of measurement in the field of psychometrics.

We’re not the only company to develop a mental toughness test, but ours is one of the easiest and quickest to complete in order to give you an instant look at your level of mental toughness. Plus, it’s free and you can get results immediately.

The test is very quick. You rate yourself across 8 categories and assign yourself a score between 1 and 5. Once complete, you add up your scores which classify you in the following levels.

• Peak Performer
• Mentally Tough
• Opportunity for Growth

Based on your mental toughness pre-assessment, our course walks you through the exact steps you need to take to improve. These are the same concepts we use while working with our clients in the NFL, NCAA and PGA.

OTHER TESTS THAT MEASURE MENTAL TOUGHNESS

There are some other organizations that have dug deep into the subject as well, one of those being AQR International in the United Kingdom.

Numerous case studies from around the world show that Mental Toughness is a major factor in:

• Performance: explaining up to 25% of the variation in performance in individuals
• Positive Behavior: more engaged, more positive, more “can do”
• Wellbeing: more contentment, better stress management, less prone to bullying
• Aspirations: more ambitious, prepared to manage more risk

According to the AQR, most psychometrics focus on the measurement of behaviors (how we act) and attributes (how we feel). Mental toughness looks at how we think, which is a key driver for the development of behavior and attributes for how to build mental toughness.

Below is a chart developed by AQR which highlights the 4Cs and how each is assessed in the test:

Another good mental toughness test I’ve come across is through Mental Toughness Partners. They have a different spin on the 4 C’s.

• “Control means having a sense of self-worth and describes the extent to which a person feels in control of their life and their circumstances. Importantly it also describes the extent to which they can control the display of their emotions. A Mentally Tough person will usually just “get on with it” irrespective of how they feel and their positive approach can often lift the spirits of those around them.”
• “Commitment is about goal orientation and ‘stickability’ and describes the extent to which someone is prepared to set goals for what they need to do and make measurable promises that, once made, they will work hard to deliver.”“Control and Commitment taken together are what most people mean when they think of resilience and they are indeed a solid response to adversity. But resilience is largely a passive quality and is only one part of building mental toughness.”
• “Challenge describes the extent to which the individual will push back their boundaries, embrace change and accept risk. It’s also about how they see all outcomes – good and bad. Mentally Tough people view challenges, change and adversity as opportunities rather than threats and will relish the chance to learn and grow in the new and hitherto unknown situation. Someone whose challenge score is high will typically enjoy new places, new people, innovation and creativity.”
• “Confidence completes the picture and describes the self-belief an individual has in their own abilities and the interpersonal confidence they have to influence others and deal with conflict and challenge. When faced with a challenge, mentally tough people scoring high in confidence, will possess the self-belief to deal with the situation and the inner strength to stand their ground when needed. Their confidence enables them to represent their view boldly and be comfortable in handling objections.”

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS

As I stated in another section of this article, building mental toughness doesn’t have a scoreboard. There are no winners and losers.

So much of success in building mental toughness, whether in your personal life, business or sports, comes from what I like to describe as from the neck up. I’ve spent a great deal of time with athletes at the highest level, from the NFL to the NCAA. And, when you line them up, physically they are all gifted. In football we stress over the difference in a player who runs a 4.45 40-yard dash and one who runs a 4.55.

Ten one-hundredths of a second. But, the real question is how do they think? How do they process information? How well do they play with pain? That one-tenth of a second may be meaningless if the slower player is strong above the shoulders.

There are many examples in every sport where the ultimate winners were neither the fastest or strongest. They are able to muster the mental and emotional toughness to perform at levels that most observers would say are above their capabilities.

In a great article by Sally Tamarkin titled “It’s All in Their Heads: The Mental Edge of Athletes Who Win,” Tarmarkin interviews some amazing athletes I’m sure most of you reading this have never heard of, and they all agree on the role of mental toughness in their success.

Samantha Gash, Ultra-Endurance Runner: On controlling her mind under harsh conditions: “I try to focus my mind on the positive of competing. When I’m in immense physical pain, I try to dull the pain as much as possible. Once the pain enters your head (as opposed to just your body), you start to legitimize ways of pulling out. I distract myself by thinking about why I’m doing it. My body and mind are stronger than I’d ever think.”

Jesse Thomas, Long Course Triathlete: On the mantras and mental tricks that give physical kicks: “In a half ironman, I’m out there for four hours. I can have a bad 20 or 30 minutes, come out of it, and still have a pretty awesome race. I have go-to mantras. It’s really dorky. ‘You’re kicking ass!’ ‘You’re killin’ it!’ I say them out loud, almost yelling them. I’ve found that the more physical you can make them, [the better]—you’re not only saying them, you’re hearing them, too, which makes a difference. Also, a mental kick that always gives me a physical kick is interacting with the crowd in some way. When I say “Thank you!” [to someone cheering on the sidelines] or give someone a high five, I feel like I can literally feel tangible energy connecting from those people to me.”

There are many great books and resources regarding sport psychology and building mental toughness in the next section.

TOP MENTAL TOUGHNESS BOOKS

In my travels around the world I have met so many amazing people who have given their lives to helping others in their journey to building mental toughness. Below are just a few books that provide excellent insight and lasting value for athletes, business people and anyone who wants to be mentally tough.

OWN YOUR SUCCESS, BEN NEWMAN

What if you could make each and every day victorious by focusing on daily activities rather than obsessing over results that you can’t control? Based on author Ben Newman’s popular program, Own YOUR Success gives you the power to make each day a triumph. The most successful people find great success when they focus on having a passion for the process. The key: make today victorious regardless of the obstacles that come your way. Figure out what fires YOU up without exception and ignite that passion so that you can routinely create your prizefighter day. The book offers original, practical, and proven exercises to transform challenges into maximum performance.

10-MINUTE TOUGHNESS, DR. JASON SELK

10-Minute Toughness is your personal coach for boosting brainpower and achieving a competitive edge in whatever game you play. With quickness and ease, you’ll learn how to master your own mind and psych out your opponents using personalized techniques from one of America’s most successful sport psychology consultants. Like no other program available, the 10-Minute Toughness routine gets you ready for the competition in just ten minutes a day (Amazon review).

GRIT, ANGELA DUCKWORTH

Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Duckworth, describes her hypothesis that what really drives success is not “genius” but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance. She takes readers into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance (Amazon review).

MINDSET, CAROL DWECK

Dweck shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment (Amazon review).

DICHOTOMY OF LEADERSHIP, JOCKO WILLINK AND LEIF BABIN

Jocko and Leif reflect on their time as Navy SEAL leaders during the war in Iraq.  What’s great about this book is that it dives deep into operational details that highlight the mindset of a Navy SEAL not only in a leadership position, but their mental toughness.  One example I loved in this book was the story when the SEAL team was stuck in a concrete room with an IED blocking their only exit.  The solution they came up with was breaking through the concrete wall with a sledge hammer.  The SEALs traded swings until they broke a hole big enough for the entire team to exit the building safely.  The mindset of the SEALs is unbelievably powerful and a testament to the power of consistent mental toughness training.

CONCLUSION

Getting mentally tough will help you in many ways:

1. Build immense self confidence
2. Helps you learn how to command respect in a situation
3. Turns discomfort into comfort
4. Strengthens your resilience in any situation
5. Build a winning attitude

I know this was a long read, but I commend you for getting through it. As you can tell, Mental Toughness is a topic I’m wildly passionate about.

I have been on the winning side of mental toughness and have dedicated my life to helping YOU and others learn how mental toughness is your ticket to peak performance. The clients I work with have changed my life as I continue to witness the amazing goals they achieve and surpass.

YOU can do the exact same thing by following these same principals. Whether you’re new to your career or struggling to get your next promotion, following the steps outlined in YOUR MENTAL TOUGHNESS PLAYBOOK will help you battle through and WIN!

I challenge each of you to take the plunge and get uncomfortable. Put these mental toughness training concepts to the test and uncover your true winning potential.

As I mentioned, my current clients are national and world champions in the NFL, MLB, NHL, UFC, PGA, NCAA.

If these mental toughness training concepts are working for them, don’t you think they can work for you?