Mental Toughness is very much in vogue
Nadal, Djokovic, Alcarez and others all showed it and lacked it during the French Open
The English and French football teams lacked it during the Nations League
The Ukrainian Army and people are showing it in their war with Russia
However, we shouldn’t forget that Mental Toughness is not just for elite athletes, the military, first responders and the like.
You may not be on a hot tennis court with a 120mph tennis ball with you in its sights, you may not be on a football pitch with three defenders bearing down on you and I certainly hope you are not experiencing what the Ukrainians are experiencing.
Your daily challenges may just be a “storm in a teacup” for some, but when you are in your storm, it can easily become your personal hurricane.
We all need a certain level of Mental Toughness to help us to take on and face up to our daily challenges, problems and difficulties.
Being more in control of your life decisions and your emotional response can only be good
Being more committed to achieving your goals can only be good
Being more willing to take on challenges and learn from them can only be good
Being more confident in your skills and your interactions with others can only be good
Mental Toughness is an attitude; it’s the attitude that gives the Confidence to take on a Challenge and the Control to meet Commitments.
Often confused with Resilience, Mental Toughness is more than “facing up to and bouncing back from challenge”; it has a proactiveness to it that leads to “seeking out challenges”
Mental Toughness allows people to be assertive rather than aggressive, intrepid rather than reckless, disciplined rather than dogmatic and determined rather than stubborn.
Forget the images of pumped-up males with bulging biceps & triceps
Forget the images of terminators with the emotions of a plankton
Forget the images of clenched fists and a stiff upper lip
Replace those images with doctors, nurses, teachers, project managers, hotel staff, job seekers, recruiters ……. all those “ordinary” people who have to face up to difficult situations on a daily basis.
Understanding your Mental Toughness leads, not only to higher performance but also to greater ambitions and better wellbeing.
I have been helping people to understand and develop their Mental Toughness for over 35 years now; if you would like to explore your Mental Toughness, do not hesitate to contact me at boblarcher@boblarcher.com
I help people to develop their interpersonal skills, usually within a leadership or teamwork context. If you are looking to develop your leadership, I might be able to help. I’ve been doing this for 35 years; roughly three and half thousand days of seminars, workshops, conferences, coaching, offsites, etc. – put back-to-back that makes almost ten “full” years.