Mental Toughness

One quality that separates winners from those that aren't is mental toughness. Mental toughness is the conditioning of ones mind that keeps one going regardless of the circumstances. It is the ability to keep trying despite the pressure against you.

Great athletes, performers and highly successful business people possess this quality of mental toughness. They believe they will succeed at what they are doing regardless of how tough it might be. They live by the credo; "it's not over till it's over." Mentally tough people never give up. They are constantly looking for and believing for a way to win.

Mental toughness is not something a person is born with. It is something that must be developed. It will not grow over night. You have to start small. Every time you achieve success you become stronger mentally. Over time, with each added success, it grows to the point you believe you can accomplish anything you set out to accomplish.

Through mental toughness a person can focus on their goal in the face of great opposition or adversity. They are able to hold on to what they want in the presence of what they've got.

Tiger Woods, the young phenom on the PGA tour, is a prime example of what mental toughness is all about. In a recent tournament at Pebble Beach in Carmel California, Tiger trailed the tournament leader by seven strokes with seven holes to play. The average professional golfer would give up at this point and settle for a second or third place finish. After all, it isn't possible to make up that many strokes with so few holes to play.

But, this is what separates Tiger from his peers. He never believes he's out of the tournament. He believes that if he keeps trying good things are going to happen for him. And more often than not, they do. In this tournament he used mental toughness to execute tremendous golf shots and ultimately he won the tournament by two strokes. He accomplished the improbable, and what many thought the impossible, through being mentally tough.

Becoming mentally tough involves developing the following characteristics. They are attitude, sacrifice, self-denial, dedication, courage, and determination.

Your attitude is your outlook on life.

It is how you see things. It is your perspective. In order to be mentally tough you must begin to see the possibilities in circumstances not the impossibilities. You must choose to see what can be instead of what is. Looking for, expecting, and believing for the best develops your attitude.

Sacrifice involves what you are willing to pay for success.

How hard are you willing to work? How many hours are you willing to put in? Answers to these questions reveal your willingness to sacrifice for success.

Self-denial is what you are willing to give up in pursuit of your goals.

It is a willingness to give up instant gratification for long term success. It means not giving in to the pressure of the moment if it interferes with your goals and objectives. It means doing what you don't want to do in order to get what you really want.

Dedication is your ability to put all your time, energy and resources into reaching your goals.

It is giving 100% to a desired end. Dedication means that you do what has to be done in order to achieve your objectives and reach your goals. It is what keeps you going when the going gets tough.

Courage is your willingness to take a risk regardless of the odds.

It is not an absence of fear, but rather a commitment to what is required in the face of fear. Courage is the ability to stand for what you believe. It is the ability to go for your dream although others may think you are foolish. Mentally tough people are not afraid to do what they've never done in order to get what they've never had.

Determination is your ability to keep doing what needs to be done.

It is the decision to keep trying until you succeed. People that are determined don't know the meaning of quit. They live by the credo, "Quitters never win, and winners never quit!"

The Apostle Paul is an example of mental toughness. He said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) Paul faced much adversity in his ministry, yet he never succumbed to it. He had mental toughness that produced tenacity, which in turn produced great victory.