This is such a perfect time to talk about mental toughness… Winter Olympics time! The storm is blowing my part of the world into oblivion… I am totally disconnected from the rest of the world, still connected to Sochi

What makes us mentally tough?  One can survive any hardship with elegance and grace…  We watch those incredible talents in Olympics with admiration, they are displaying amazing personal qualities … what is this mental toughness notion? What does it consist of?

Mental Toughness is

A Personality trait which determines in large part how people deal with challenge, stressors and pressure … irrespective of prevailing circumstances.

In sport – it is the ability to consistently perform towards the upper range of your talents and skills regardless of competitive circumstances.

To me mental strength means that you regulate your emotions, manage your thoughts and behave in a positive manner, despite your circumstances

How is it possible that one person is thriving under so much pressure and another is struggling, if not falling to pieces. And we are all human – we just need a bit of tweaking here and there.

As a basis of Metal Toughness one’s attitude and a mindset are crucial.

Mental toughness has 4 components:

• Commitment
• Control – life control /emotional control
• Challenge
• Confidence – confidence in abilities / interpersonal confidence

The main question is can we train mental toughness?

I believe we can. There are number of strategies…

The strategy we can use has 7 steps:

1. KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU WANT

Who  are you? The 1^st rule of MT is to develop a vision of self-image.

Just name your purpose and priorities.

This will solidify your ability to win the important part of your life and work

Further steps to be continued (after your home work is done)