In my football days I played and coached with Hall of Fame players and coaches. I was part of teams that went all the way to major bowl games, and I was a part of teams that had terrible losing seasons. After football I turned to commercial real estate, where I worked my way up from the bottom. I have worked on tiny deals whose commissions barely covered a celebratory six-pack afterwards, and I have worked on deals that made regional news headlines because of their size and scope.
Knowing that I have seen the highs and lows in sports and business a lot of people ask me, what is it that separates the truly great from everyone else?
My answer may surprise you. It is not strictly the higher level of talent or intellect they possess. The thing that sets the highest achievers apart is their attitude and their approach. Whatever the reason, they simply want it more. Success means so much to them that they are willing to sacrifice and struggle to achieve it, and they don’t let anything stand in their way.
I call this quality “mental toughness.” People who have it take big risks and frequently fail, but they learn from their experiences each time and come back better than before. They possess extraordinary self-belief and don’t put much weight on the opinions of others. And they are willing to commit themselves at the highest level. They are constantly evaluating themselves to see where they can improve and grow.
Many of the highest achievers are born mentally tough. I couldn’t tell you if it is something genetic or if it came from their upbringing, but the things I listed above just come naturally to them. But what about the rest of us? Can anyone become mentally tough?
I believe that the answer is “yes,” but anyone looking to develop this quality has to realize that it is not going to be easy. In fact, it will probably be downright uncomfortable. If you are not a natural risk-taker, going out on a limb may keep you awake at night for months. Those without much self-belief will have to battle their own minds to conquer the voices telling them they can’t do it. The unfortunate truth is that developing mental toughness will probably hurt and frustrate you for a while.
But the prize at the end of the struggle is worth it. Mental toughness can take you to the next level and help make you one of the “greats.” It is worth cultivating even if you never reach the top, though, because of the level of security and confidence it can give you. After you’ve been knocked down so many times, you won’t fear the fall as much because you will have confidence you can get up again. With a record of hard-fought success behind you, it will be easy to ignore the “haters” trying to pull you down.
Get started today. Take a risk, believe in yourself and commit to making it happen.
Have a great weekend,
Ro