Mental Toughness, refers to the ability to stay strong in the face of adversity; to keep your focus and determination despite the difficulties.  A mentally tough individual sees challenge and adversity as an opportunity and not a threat, and has the confidence and positive approach to take what comes in their stride (Strycharczyk, 2015).

Resilience is key but mental toughness is king. Resilience helps you to survive, and mental toughness helps you to prosper.

Mental toughness begins when you choose to take notice of what’s on your mind, without identifying personally with those thoughts or feelings. Then, finding the grit to evoke optimistic thoughts about the situation at hand.

The 4 C’s of Mental Toughness: (Turner, 2017)

1. Control

How in control of all aspects of your life do you feel? This includes your thoughts, emotions and your purpose. The control could be considered your self-esteem. To be high on the Control scale means to feel comfortable in your own skin and have a good sense of who you are.

You’re able to control your emotions and are not distracted by the emotions of others. To be low on the Control scale means you might feel like events “happen to you” and that you have no control or influence over what happens.  Do you hear yourself saying….”I always get the short end of the stick!”  “Why does this ALWAYS happen to me!”

2. Commitment

Where is your commitment at? Your focus and reliability? To be high on the Commitment scale is to be able to effectively set goals and consistently achieve them, without getting distracted. A high Commitment level indicates that you’re good at establishing routines and habits that create & cultivate success.

To be low on the Commitment scale indicates that you may find it difficult to set and prioritize goals, or adapt routines or habits indicative of success. You might also be easily distracted by other people or competing priorities.

 

3. Challenge

Do you love a challenge?! This is the extent to which you are driven and adaptable. To be high on the Challenge scale means that you are driven to achieve your personal best, and you see challenges, change, and adversity as opportunities rather than threats; you are likely to be flexible and agile. To be low on the Challenge scale means that you might see change as a threat, and avoid novel or challenging situations out of fear of failure.

4. Confidence

How confident are you in your ability to be productive and capable?  You would not believe how much your self-belief plays a role in your success and also has an influence on others. To be high on the Confidence scale is to believe that you will successfully complete tasks, and to take setbacks in stride while maintaining routine and even strengthening your resolve. To be low on the confidence scale means that you are easily shaken by setbacks, and do not believe that you are capable or have any effect on others.