Does your Mental Toughness really matter anyway?

In recent weeks I have been asked several times “does mental toughness really matter?” and the answer to the question is both a resounding No and a resounding Yes. 

Let’s start with the resounding No; your mental toughness doesn't matter, or at least to start with.

What really matters first is understanding who you are and how and why you think the way you do, especially when exposed to stress and pressure in different everyday situations.

This reflection and awareness provides you with some clear benefits, because once you understand and learn to recognize the mental obstacles that can derail you, as well as the situations that provide you with your greatest opportunities to shine ,then you can better navigate through everyday life . This navigation often comes through effectively managing your thoughts and feelings to make better quality decisions.

Your reflection is an individual learning process because everyone thinks differently about the world around them. We each possess a unique mental profile, broadly 50% fixed and hardwired from our heritage and early childhood whilst the other 50% is more flexible, or plastic, meaning we can change the way we think by changing our habits, routines and situational circumstances.

We are all situated along a line from a mentally sensitivite mindset at one end to a mentally tough mindset with most of us situated somewhere in between with a mixture of both sensitivity or toughness depending on our unique mental profile and our current situation.

There are advantages and disadvantages to being mentally sensitive and advantages and disadvantages to being mentally tough and at every point that connects the two. 

Mentally sensitive people as the term suggests are acutely sensitive to what is going on around them especially the prevailing emotional situation and are often more empathetic, caring, and creative. However, the flip side here is that their sensitivity can lend itself to over thinking and overanalyzing situations, conversations and feelings, often being overly self-critical which usually but not always feeds a more anxious, less certain and less adaptive mindset. They often feel every bump along the road and the potholes can provide some big obstacles to overcome. They often prefer routine to adventure as it provides fewer challenges.

In contrast mentally tough people, as that term suggests, have a tougher more impregnable mindset -they are more self-assured, likely focused on outcomes rather emotions, often more focused more inquisitive and more confident. They don't feel the potholes as much and generally can cope better with change and challenging situations and are more positively disposed to new opportunities. To a degree this can be beneficial, but being too mentally tough – too hard, too inflexible, too controlling, overconfident and unduly risk orientated-can equally lead to poor decisions and a negative impact on people and situations around them.

Most people have a mindset that lies somewhere in between the two extremes, combining the strengths and weaknesses of both mental sensitivity and mental toughness according to their own unique mental profile. 

Depending on this profile you may navigate life without challenges or obstacles or alternatively you may face anxiety or danger in every twist or turn. Most likely you will experience a mixture of both.

Understanding who you are, and your mix of sensitivity and toughness provides the opportunity to utilize your mindset to the maximum and make consistently effective decisions which ensure your health, happiness and high performance. 

So, always self-awareness definitely matters and if you are happy with the way that you manage life’s challenges and opportunities then perhaps mental toughness doesn't matter for you.

However, if you believe that being more sensitive or tougher in different situations can help you think and respond in more effective ways to improve your decision making and achieve better outcomes then the concept of mental toughness definitely DOES matter.

Mental Toughness is defined as a mindset that comprises resilience and positivity, encompassing themes such as self-efficacy, drive, agility , emotional management , goal setting ,focus and persistence represented in a psychological framework  ,the MTQ 4C’s , that is contemporary , simple to understand and most impressive of all , is backed by the latest scientific evidence .

There are many conventional interventions or strategies available that help you develop new habits and routines to achieve the mix and level of mental toughness that works for you. They include areas such as visualization, goal setting, attentional control, positive thinking in addition to your own self-awareness and self-talk.

So, in summary, being self-conscious and self-aware always matters and mental toughness also matters if you want to achieve greater performance and wellbeing through a stronger more agile and positive mindset.

Photo by Can y?lmaz on Unsplash

I am an experienced mental toughness and leadership practitioner who advises and coaches business owners and leaders and their organisations.

As Co-Founder of Mental Toughness Partners, the leading specialist mental toughness (think resilience and confident mindset) and MTQ psychometric company in the southern hemisphere, I provide sales and support of AQR International products to coaches, leaders and their organisations throughout Australia, New Zealand and the SE Asia region.

To discuss further how we can assist you to measure and develop your mental toughness please contact me, Paul Lyons via;

W: www.mentaltoughness.partners

E: [email protected]

T: (61) 419 224 875

LI: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/paullyonsadviser/