Why do some seem to have mental toughness and other not?
Can it be developed?
How can one become mentally stronger?
Mental toughness has been scientifically defined as "Having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to: generally, cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on a performer; specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure." (Jones, Hanton et al., (2002))
Put simply it comes down to the ability to cope with difficult training and difficult competitive situations and emerge without losing confidence
The realty is mental toughness is not a short-term mindset rather the result of long-term discipline, conditioning, dealing with pressure, intensity in practice/training/life.
Many think you can just become mentally tough by going through a tough workout or by getting a motivational speech - but it’s the same as anything else – it’s a long-term process.
I relate it to building physical strength. You don’t go to the gym and think you’re going to get stronger and reach your physical peak after 1 training session – NO - you go to the weight room for multiple days per week and do this for months and years before you really start to develop your maximum strength and physical performance. The same rules apply to mental strength. It doesn’t happen in a day – it takes days and weeks and months and years of discipline, focus, attitude, behaviors, confidence, and training for it to emerge – It will never come from a speech or a single hard workout
“Attitude is a decision, and it is also a learned behavior, requiring discipline and energy to sustain.”
When you start looking into it, your talent and your intelligence don’t play nearly as big of a role as you might think. Research studies have found that intelligence only accounts for 30% of your achievement — and that’s at the extreme upper end. What makes a bigger impact than talent or intelligence?
Mental toughness.
So how can you develop mental toughness?
- Commitment to more consistent practice - Mentally tough athletes are more consistent than others. They don’t miss workouts. They don’t miss assignments. They don’t make excuses. The do what must be done, even when they don’t want to. Every morning they wake up they are faced with the choice of whether or not they are going to be disciplined. They approach their work like a pro, not an amateur.
- Mental toughness is built through small wins – Mental toughness is cultivated through many of the choices that we make on a daily basis that build our “mental toughness muscle” and yes mental toughness is like a muscle, it needs to be worked to grow and develop. If you haven’t pushed yourself in thousands of small ways, of course you’ll wilt when things get really difficult. Simple things such as waking up o your first alarm, making your bed, cooking breakfast, being on time, etc.
- Mental toughness is about your habits, not your motivation – It’s not a singular speech or workout or motivational video. Motivation is fickle. Willpower comes and goes. Mental toughness isn’t about getting an incredible dose of inspiration or courage. It’s about building the daily habits that allow you to stick to a schedule and overcome challenges and distractions over and over and over again.
- Mentally tough people don’t have to be more courageous, more talented, or more intelligent — just more consistent.
- To make yourself better create your own scouting report. Write it down and think about what hurts you the most in your game. Then go out and improve your weaknesses. You can do that everyday by thinking at sunrise - How can I be a champion today? Then at sunset think - How was I a champion today?
- A person’s state of mind will determine his/her outlook - Prime the brain with positive thoughts as happiness is the pre-cursor to success. Have fun in the process as humor and laughter and enjoyment is the best sports medicine.
- When practicing and training be your biggest rival. Leave your comfort zone behind when you are training. Don't be afraid of failure in practice or games, but always learn from it. Sports are an endless thing of fine-tuning your skills. Embrace the challenges and don't run away from them.
- Always have an in-season attitude – it always amazes me when athletes all of a sudden want to train harder, or do extra work, or take things more seriously because they are in the midst of championship game/meet – but the months leading up to that moment they were lackadaisical, inconsistent, and lacked focus. Always have the mindset that the most important event/game is around the corner. Train with passion and a purpose.
- Always be coachable; have an empty cup mentality. Take the knowledge people give you, even if you think something is a different way. People/coaches want to help you – be open to constructive criticism, as it’s not meant to tear you down, rather bring you up.
- Excellence can be achieved only today—not yesterday or tomorrow, because they do not exist in the present moment. Today is the only day you have to flex your talents and maximize your enjoyment. Win one day at a time. Procrastination is no match for a champion.
“Hell is described as laying on your death bed and the person you’ve become meets the person you could have been”