Why should I increase my mental toughness?

Why should I increase my mental toughness? I have just watched this brilliant TED talk by Dr. Sean Richardson about mental toughness.

We have an urge for instant gratification, an urge to always be going something, when sometimes waiting and doing nothing may be the better option. Our brain doesn’t like this option, as we are hard-wired to respond to threats to survival as quickly as possible. This fight or flight response comes from the limbic system in the brain, and it uses adrenaline for immediate physical action. The toned-down version of this is strong anxiety plus a compulsion to relieve it by removing the cause of our fear.

We rarely face real threats to survival in the modern world, and the anxiety can be a hindrance. Thankfully our neocortex can override the limbic system if we make a choice to work with our emotions rather than against them. We should listen carefully to our emotions and decide if the issue is survival or willpower, and act accordingly.

Delayed gratification, mental toughness and high performance are interlinked. To our survival brain, failure is simply not an option, but if we can learn to override this and accept failure, it can turn out to be one of the best success strategies. It’s very difficult and takes practice to build this mental toughness. We need to learn to accept failure, whilst still trying our best.

If we are ruled by failure, we make decisions that limit us and stop our growth. When we change the focus from results to actions, we can begin to see real improvements.

The capacity to delay gratification is one of the biggest predictors of success in life. Those that are able to do this well can see the big picture, and can also prioritise by tuning out the compulsion of instant gratification.

Keeping our eye on the big picture allows us to build mental toughness, and be satisfied that our effort is something to celebrate. Focusing on our actions is the key.

We need to get rid of the implicit belief that our capabilities are predetermined and limited. Our survival brain thinks if we aren’t going to succeed there is no point in putting in effort. However, it has been proven that a growth mindset results in success. If we believe effort is the key, we see failure as a challenge. If we believe ability is the key, we give up when we fail.

We can change from a fixed to a growth mindset if we have the mental toughness to do so. It could also mean better relationships with our families and colleagues, if we learn to accept our compulsive feelings are normal, but we don’t need to act on them. Learning to delay gratification effectively and accept failure could give us more confidence in who we are, and improve self-esteem.

The three mindsets to focus on are:

1 – Work with your feelings, not against them.

2 – Keep your eye on the big picture

3 – Fail going 100 percent

Improving our mental toughness will give us the power to face anything life throws at us!

Project 365

I set up this website after deciding that I want to build a more creative life for myself, so I can give up my job and be in control of my own destiny.

I have set myself a goal of publishing an article on my website every day this year, to document my journey from employment to self-employment.

The name I chose was Project 365 because I see this as a year that I have dedicated to learning and self-development, as I countdown to freedom. It started on 1st January 2021, so I have 198 days to go!