“If you’re going through hell, keep going.”
– Winston Churchill
Remember back in July when I went to Las Vegas to learn about mental toughness from expert Dr. Jason Selk? I’m having a blast implementing this training in my coaching sessions and using it to build clients’ self-confidence and mental stamina. Mental toughness is a great tool for the office, but I am finding that it can be used at home, too.
What is mental toughness? When I first heard of the concept, I’ll admit, it didn’t resonate. As I thought about what a mentally-tough person looked like, I had a vision of a hyper-competitive, results-focused, emotionally-void individual – a robot almost.
However, mental toughness is actually about building self-resilience and self-confidence in order to achieve new goals, goals you never dreamed you could reach. While the concept itself may have started in the context of sports training, it’s moved far beyond the locker room and playing field. It describes a set of attributes that allow a person to successfully cope with difficult situations while maintaining composure and focus. Who couldn’t use more of that in their life?
Part of being mentally tough is also having grit, or an ability to focus on and achieve long-term goals despite setbacks. When I think about the individuals in my life whom I admire most, they are often mentally tough and, yes, gritty. These are people who don’t complain about a situation, but instead look for the solution. These are people who love a good curveball or bombshell, and never let a bad day ruin their upward climb. I love learning from the way these special people cope with both mundane and extraordinary challenges.
Does increasing your own level of mental toughness sound appealing? If it does, let’s chat.
-Holly
