"Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory", said Bill Russell. In fact, mental toughness is the most important ingredient that is very much necessary for achieving goals in life because during the course of your journey towards your life's goals, chances of you facing bumps are very high. Not only that, this trait will help you acquire resilience, determination and willpower so you can persist till you reach your goals.
Mental toughness gives you the ability and strength to push despite opposition and hurdles. So, it is imperative that you must try cultivating the trait. But before that, let us understand what we mean by mental toughness.
What is mental toughness?
Mental toughness can be described as the attribute that allows you to handle the difficulties you may face in your life. A few experts firmly restrict this attribute to the sports field. But a number of other experts believe that this attribute pervades every area of our life. Peter Clough and Dough Strycharczyk, researchers who authored the book "Developing Mental Toughness," says that this attribute is "the quality which determines in large part how people deal effectively with challenge, stressors, and pressure... irrespective of prevailing circumstances."
According to these researchers, this trait consists of a few critical components and they are challenge, control, commitment and confidence. As far as "challenge," the first component, is concerned, you must view challenges, not as obstacles, but as opportunities. The crux of "control," the second component, is to believe that you have complete control over your destiny and life.
Commitment is nothing but possessing the capabilities needed for sticking to tasks and ensuring to complete them regardless of the hurdles you may face. 'Confidence' is believing in your capabilities. Peter Clough and Dough Strycharczyk firmly say that mental toughness and the skills related to it apply to every area of life.
Researches prove that the attribute has a genetic link. At the same time, experts suggest that people can learn and strengthen their mental toughness as well. But how can you cultivate this trait?
1. Believe that you have the ability for achieving your goals
A study conducted in 2002 revealed that top performers and especially, elite athletes always possessed extreme self-belief. This means that they firmly believe that they can succeed. In other words, if you believe in yourself and keep encouraging yourself positively, you can achieve your goal regardless of what it is.
2. Prefer intrinsic motivations to external rewards
External rewards like popularity, money, etc. are certainly nice but intrinsic motivations are better because they come from the "within." This means you will love doing things just for doing them. When you love doing things, you will push harder and try to perform better. In fact, mentally tough people love doing things in which they are interested and their success in their tasks come from intrinsic motivations and not because of external rewards. This means that they love the challenges they may face while doing things and overcoming those challenges is the real reward for them.
3. Mentally tough people do not get upset when they encounter setbacks
Mentally tough people rebound even when they encounter setbacks and while doing so, they move ahead with stronger determination and resolve. They innovate to find out new ways for overcoming such phases.
4. They are self-directed
This means that they do not let things happen. Instead, they focus on creating the life they like to lead. They set goals and take appropriate action for going behind their goals and achieving them. In other words, they learn the process of setting goals and pursue the goals relentlessly.
5. They keep their focus even if there are distractions
Distractions are bound to be there in everyone's life but mentally tough people do not allow them to play spoil-sport to their focus. Remember that it is impossible to always have everything right. Even if other things need your attention, you must focus only on your goals and work towards achieving them.
6. They are committed
Commitment is a major ingredient that helps in cultivating mental toughness. Remember the words of Winston Churchill who said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." So, you should always remain committed to making the right efforts for achieving your goals.
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