Mental Toughness for Peak
Performance,
Leadership Development,
and Success
How to Maximize Your Focus,
Motivation, Confidence,
Self-Discipline,
Willpower, and Mind Power in
Sports, Business or Health
Version 1.0
By J. Barnes
Copyright © 2014
All Rights Reserved
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tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, by
information storage and retrieval system, transmit-
ted by email, or otherwise without written permis-
sion from the author. Reviewers may quote brief
passages in reviews. Mental Toughness Loop™
and Peak Performance Progression™ are re-
gistered trademarks.
Disclaimer
The author and/or publisher are not responsible for
any injury or loss to anyone who utilizes the in-
formation contained within this guide or to any-
one injured due to the actions of one who utilizes
the information contained herein. The author and/
or publisher advocate safe and responsible behavi-
or in using any information contained herein.
The author and publisher acknowledge
that this book and the information contained in this
book is not designed or intended to diagnose, treat,
or manage any physical or psychological health
conditions.
It is absolutely essential that before fol-
lowing any of the activities, mental, physical or
otherwise, described herein; the reader should first
consult his or her physician for advice on whether
to embark on the activities, physical, mental or
otherwise, described herein.
Table of Contents
Getting Started With Mental Toughness Training
Peak Performance, Leadership, and Success
Mental Toughness Loop™
Mind Power Principles
Mind Power Attributes
Motivation
Willpower and Self-Control
Self-Discipline
Focus and Concentration
Mental Stamina
Self-Confidence
Mental Toughness and Strength
Advanced Peak Performance and Leadership
Skills
Mental Toughness Training Program
Mind Power Inspiration
Final Thoughts on Mental Toughness
Connect with J. Barnes
More Books by J. Barnes
Introduction
Getting Started With
Mental Toughness Training
Thank you for purchasing this book. I have written
this guide with a single objective in mind—to help
you become a consistent peak performer, excep-
tional leader, and high achiever by increasing your
mental toughness to the highest level of your in-
nate potential.
Mental toughness is a major factor in de-
termining peak performance and success in sports,
business, health, and daily life. Maximizing mind
power is an absolute necessity (and secret weapon)
for champion athletes and high-performance lead-
ers.
From weekend athletes to superstar ath-
letes—from entry-level career professionals to
wealthy executives and entrepreneurs—having the
mental training and skills to perform with con-
sistent excellence is very often the critical dif-
ference between winners and losers. Exceptional
mental toughness will provide you with a real and
sustainable “performance edge” in our increas-
ingly competitive world.
An individual who possesses the power
of consistent mind control is able to achieve per-
sonal and professional success that most people
only wish and hope for in their daily lives.
Without mental toughness—a physically talented
or intellectually gifted individual will not achieve
peak performance—and ultimately, will fail to
achieve and maintain a high level of success.
Basic training and technical skills are
core requirements for competing in your sport or
career. However, to become part of the top 5%
of all performers in your field or industry—you
must possess an elevated power of mind that al-
lows you to deliver outstanding performances
and superior results consistently.
Mental toughness for personal or com-
petitive success is often an elusive, mysterious,
and revered skill. Nevertheless, this step-by-step
guide will break it down for you so that you
can fully grasp the fundamentals and insights that
will help maximize your focus, willpower, self-
discipline, and self-confidence in the shortest
possible time.
A strong mind can quickly counter and
eliminate psychological roadblocks to short-term
and long-term success. With highly developed
mental toughness, you will reach and maintain
your personal and professional goals more easily.
Using simple scientific principles and
proven mental training methods—you will learn
how to accelerate your personal development and
professional achievement. Psychological self-
mastery through proper mental training will sig-
nificantly improve your odds of achieving phys-
ical success (sports; health), financial success
(career; business), and emotional success (self-
esteem; happiness).
After reading this guide, you will know
how to train for improved mental toughness, re-
gardless of your current psychological weak-
nesses or achievement shortfalls. All you need to
do is commit to the mental training system in this
book. When you put the information in this book
into action--you will double or triple your men-
tal toughness, win more often, and achieve more
success in your life.
What You Will Find in This Guide
This book contains a simple, proven system for
mental toughness training and peak performance
success. The objectives of this how-to guide are as
follows:
1. Provide a mental training system that
will maximize the power and proficiency of your
mind.
2. Provide a mental training system that is
easy for you to customize, implement, and main-
tain.
To achieve the goals of this guide--I have
included practical solutions, proven scientific prin-
ciples, concise instructions, effective tools, innov-
ative concepts, and lasting inspiration sources.
Conversely--I have deliberately excluded abstract
stories, theoretical arguments, convoluted scientif-
ic details, and filler information.
This book contains fourteen chapters. The
following is a brief description of the contents for
each chapter.
Chapter 1: Peak Performance, Leader-
ship, and Success. In this first chapter, you will
gain a greater understanding of core peak per-
formance and leadership principles, and learn
how mental performance affects results and suc-
cess. Also, you will learn how to use the concept
of Peak Performance Progression™ to increase
your peak performance IQ and training effective-
ness.
Chapter 2: Mental Toughness Loop™.
You will learn about an innovative and little-
known concept that is used by successful champi-
ons, leaders, and mental warriors to develop and
maintain superior mental toughness. The Mental
Toughness Loop is the key to maximizing your
innate mind power potential. Use this invaluable
tool to accelerate the growth of your mental man-
agement skills.
Chapter 3: Mind Power Principles. Learn
the nine fundamental principles of mind power.
No peak performer ignores these immutable prin-
ciples of mental performance. With this vital sci-
entific knowledge of the mind, you will have a
good starting point for building the foundation of
your mental toughness training program.
Chapter 4: Mind Power Attributes. Dis-
cover the most important mental qualities for im-
proving mind power and increasing your success.
Whereas mind power principles are the found-
ation of your knowledge base--the attributes
covered in this chapter are the building blocks of
your mind power development and mental tough-
ness skills.
Chapter 5: Motivation. The starting point
for all significant success is motivation. Without
sufficient motivation, you will not take that crit-
ical first action step toward better results. Learn
how to spark your motivation and overcome the
mental barriers that are holding you back from
taking action, becoming a peak performer, and
achieving success.
Chapter 6: Willpower and Self-Control.
According to the American Psychological
Association--not having willpower was the top
reason people cited for being unable to make suc-
cessful lifestyle changes related to their health,
career, and finances. As a mental toughness stu-
dent, you will learn how to develop consistent
willpower and self-control--so that you can resist
negative influences and eliminate negative habits
that undermine peak performance.
Chapter 7: Self-Discipline. You will only
maximize your mental toughness and mind
power through consistent training and condition-
ing. Discover how to eliminate procrastination
and acquire self-discipline skills that will create
new habits, guarantee peak performance, and de-
liver continuous improvement and success.
Chapter 8: Focus and Concentration. The
ability to focus instantly and intensely is a hall-
mark skill of all champion athletes and successful
leaders. A scattered mind hinders effectiveness,
causes slow starts, and contributes to mental
lapses in performance. In this chapter, you will
learn how to develop “hyper-focus” skills to im-
prove your concentration and enter a “peak state”
of mind more quickly.
Chapter 9: Mental Stamina. This chapter
covers the often-overlooked skill of maintaining
focus and concentration for extended periods. Su-
perstar athletes and elite leaders have the ability
to hold and “lock in” on their focus during com-
petition and important performances. Learn how
to maximize your mental endurance--so that you
can maintain peak performance, outlast the com-
petition, and finish strong!
Chapter 10: Self-Confidence. Belief in
your personal power, talents, and skills is a basic
requirement for mental toughness, peak perform-
ance, and long-term success. Learn how to bol-
ster your self-confidence, elevate your courage,
and prevent fear from affecting your ability to
take action and get results.
Chapter 11: Mental Toughness and
Strength. Motivation, willpower, and focus can
weaken in the midst of extremely difficult chal-
lenges and circumstances—or against a talented
and determined competitor. In this chapter, you
will learn how to acquire the same mental tough-
ness skills that allow champions and winners to
deliver outstanding results in the face of extreme
pressures, obstacles, or pain. Discover how men-
tal warriors develop and use mental toughness
to maintain peak performance and control psy-
chological doubts, disempowering emotions, and
physiological stress.
Chapter 12: Advanced Peak Performance
and Leadership Skills. Elite players and managers
in sports, business, and life possess superior men-
tal toughness and other advanced skills that sep-
arate them from average competitors. You will
gain insight into these six game-changing skills
and learn how to use them to sharpen your peak
performance for winning in sports, business, and
life.
Chapter 13: Mental Toughness Training
Program. This pivotal section pulls everything to-
gether to give you a successful jumpstart in your
mental toughness training. Using simple and con-
venient tools—you will learn how to plan, ex-
ecute, and adapt your mental training sessions for
faster results and continuous improvements.
Chapter 14: Mind Power Inspiration.
Developing exceptional mental toughness re-
quires education, training, and patience. In this
chapter, I will provide examples of successful
achievers who have leveraged mental toughness
to maximize their performance, results, and hap-
piness. In addition, you will learn how to build
and benefit from a mind power team—and dis-
cover how to maintain your motivation for men-
tal toughness training.
How to Get Your Money’s Worth
From This Book
You should not read this guide and put it aside
once you are done. I am your advisor, and this
guide is the beginning of a two-way conversation
between you, who wants to become a consistent
and successful peak performer by maximizing
your mental toughness, and me, who is providing
the essential information that will help you achieve
your goal.
I believe that this guide is unlike any other
ever published on the subject of mental toughness
training for peak performance, leadership develop-
ment, and success. By breaking down all of the
key components of mind power and relying on sci-
ence and the experience of current and past cham-
pions, leaders, and mental warriors—this guide
can help you double or triple your mental tough-
ness skills within a short period of time.
As a mental toughness student, you must
take action (commit, learn, train, perform) before
you can get results. If you follow this guide and
train consistently--I guarantee you will see signi-
ficant improvement in your mental toughness, fo-
cus, willpower, self-discipline, and self-confiden-
ce.
For starters, I suggest you browse
through the book to get a conceptual view of its
contents and direction. From there, you should
study each chapter. The chapters are in a specific
order to build your mental toughness one skill at
a time.
You are a unique and talented individual
and should be treated as such. Therefore, you
should read this guide at a pace that is most ef-
fective for you.
After reading each chapter--you should
reflect, make highlights, and take notes. Once
you are finished reading the book, you will be
ready to start training. However, do not jump
right into the mental exercises. Peak performers
do not waste training time! So, make sure you
have a solid plan before you start (don’t worry,
I’ll show you how to develop the ideal mental
toughness training program).
You will get the most from this guide,
or any other, by continuously following these five
steps:
1. Know your definite purpose or goal.
2. With an open mind, study the material
thoroughly.
3. Grasp everything that is beneficial to
your purpose or goal.
4. Release everything that is useless to
your purpose or goal.
5. Apply the modified outcome on a con-
sistent basis to realize your purpose or goal in the
shortest possible time.
A Few Words About Me and My
Role in Your Life
I am a peak performance coach for athletes, career
professionals, business leaders, and many others
who want to achieve excellence and success in
specific areas of their daily life.
As your advisor, please allow me to use a
few short paragraphs to summarize my humble life
story and its relevance to the purpose of this book.
I have gone from being born with an in-
curable disease and physical handicap—to being
given up for adoption—to living in a foster home
as a child—to junior martial arts champion, schol-
astic athlete, and honor student in my early
teens—to hanging out with street gangs on rough
city streets during my late teens—to dealing with
multiple surgeries, personal tragedies, collegiate
failure, and financial ruin in my twenties—to col-
lege graduate, MBA program graduate, career pro-
fessional, corporate business executive, husband,
father, author, entrepreneur, and peak perform-
ance coach within the last fifteen years.
I have studied mixed martial arts and par-
ticipated in various combat sports for more than
20 years. Because of my experience in this field,
I have been able to author and publish multiple
bestselling books on martial arts and combat
sports.
Prior to becoming a peak performance
coach and entrepreneur, I was a corporate Vice
President of Marketing and New Product Devel-
opment. I have been fortunate enough to work
for Fortune 100 companies and successful small
businesses. Along the way, I worked for and stud-
ied the best bosses (and the bad bosses).
I worked to earn enough money to gradu-
ate from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Psy-
chology and Marketing. I continued my college
education and obtained a Master’s degree in
Business Management. During college, I re-
ceived certification as a fitness trainer—because
I’ve always had a passion for fitness and helping
others achieve a healthy lifestyle.
In high school, I was a standout athlete
and basketball player--and I continue to be an
avid sports fan and amateur sports participant
(though I’m a lot more caring and protective of
my knees than I was in my younger years).
I have gone through many physical and
mental transformations. Every one of those trans-
formations has ultimately been for the better--
because (despite temporary setbacks) I am con-
stantly striving to improve my knowledge, capab-
ilities, and effectiveness.
Sometimes I take two steps forward and
one step back, but over time, I am moving for-
ward and progressing in my development. I en-
courage you to focus on consistent progress in
order to reach your full potential as a peak per-
former, leader, and high achiever.
To what single solution do I attribute my
successes? It’s a simple answer—applied mental
toughness! The absolute truth is that conscious
and consistent mental training developed the
mental attributes and skills that have allowed me
to become a confident and consistent peak per-
former—which led directly to me achieving my
desired results (successful attainment of my per-
sonal and professional goals).
Of course, I recognize there are many
additional factors that are often associated with
peak performance, achievement, and success (in-
cluding talent, resources, opportunity, social sup-
port, education, timing, luck, divine intervention,
etc.).
However,
without
personal
mental
strength—consistent peak performance and indi-
vidual excellence is simply not possible!
Over the past decade, I have focused in-
tensely on creating a simple and practical blue-
print for mental toughness training and mind
power development to accelerate performance
quality, consistency, and achievement for anyone
willing to apply it.
I learned mental toughness training tech-
niques from some of the world’s leading author-
ities and psychologists. The mental training sys-
tem in this guide has been tested, applied, eval-
uated, and adjusted for maximum simplicity and
effectiveness in the areas of sports, leadership,
career, business, health, fitness, and general self-
improvement.
I continue to devour all the information
I can find on mental training. In this guide, you
will find effective solutions for developing your
mind power for peak performance. I will not mis-
lead you regarding what it really takes to over-
come internal obstacles to peak performance and
consistent success. Many people out there will.
Do not let them!
If you ever have any questions about im-
proving your mind power and mental toughness,
feel free to contact me. I will do my best to
provide you with helpful information, in the form
of immediate answers, or possibly an entirely
new guide. Fair enough?
Okay, enough about that—now let’s get
started on your mental toughness training.
Chapter 1
Peak Performance,
Leadership, and Success
After reading this chapter, you will have a solid
understanding of essential peak performance and
leadership principles--and how mental perform-
ance can affect results and success. You will gain
knowledge on how to make your mental toughness
training more productive by using Peak Perform-
ance Progression™.
Peak performance and leadership are not
pure sciences. Success and the attainment of a spe-
cific goal involve self-awareness, customization,
action, and flexibility. This chapter provides you
with a basic education on the science and art of
peak performance, superior leadership, and suc-
cess.
The Science of Peak Performance
Peak performance has its roots in sports psycho-
logy, which focuses on training individuals to de-
velop mental skills that allow them to fully utilize
their physical skills and talents. Sports psycholo-
gists identify and apply psychological principles
that facilitate peak athletic performance.
dates back to the late
1800’s. Psychologist Norman Triplett conducted
the first experiment in sports psychology in 1897
by studying the performance of cyclists. He con-
cluded that cyclists, athletes, and humans in
general--perform at higher levels in competitive
environments when compared to performing the
same task in isolation. Triplett’s findings led to
the modern scientific theory of social facilitation,
which is the tendency for people to do better on
tasks when in the presence of other people.
You will achieve peak performance more
easily when there are social or competitive forces
pushing you to train and perform more effectively.
This is true in sports, business, and daily life.
What you must (and will) learn is how to use
competition in a healthy and productive way to
improve your performance. In addition, you will
learn how to use a mind power team to accelerate
your progress and maximize your results.
In the 1920s, psychologist Walter Miles,
along with graduate student B.C. Graves and col-
lege football coach Glenn “Pop” Warner, focused
their attention on American football. They
wanted to find out the quickest way for offensive
linemen to move in harmony after the center
hiked the ball. Miles created his own equipment
for the experiment to ascertain the players’ reac-
tion times.
The ingenious device tested the individu-
al reaction times of seven linemen simultan-
eously. When a lineman moved, he triggered the
release of a golf ball that fell onto a rotating
drum. The drum was covered with paper
stretched over a wire mesh, and the ball made
a definite impression on the paper that allowed
measurement of the lineman’s quickness.
Coaches agreed that the initial charge of the line
could be a great advantage for the offense, and
they were interested in ways to quicken that
movement.
The significance of this experiment ex-
tends beyond faster linemen on a football team.
“In retrospect, Miles and Graves were in the fore-
front of a movement that is everywhere in sports
today: using psychological insights and experi-
mental techniques to get every possible advant-
age over opponents.”
Dr. Carl Diem founded the first sports
psychology laboratory during the early 1920s in
Berlin, Germany. He was one of the most influen-
tial historians in sports psychology and its impact
on performance in Olympic sporting events.
In 1925,
opened the
first sport psychology laboratory in North
America--at the
, where he
began his research on key factors that affect
sports psychology—including reaction times,
muscular tension and relaxation, and mental
awareness.
Separating Griffith from some of his
contemporaries--is the fact that he believed the
application of sports psychology research was
equally important as the generation of data and
knowledge. Griffith recognized that sports psy-
chology could promote enhanced performance
and personal growth.
In 1938, the Chicago Cubs baseball team
hired Coleman Griffith to conduct a rigorous psy-
chological analysis of players and provide sug-
gestions for improving practice effectiveness and
game performance. His pioneering work led to
the expansion of applied psychology within mod-
ern professional sports. Today, sports psychology
is used extensively in professional and amateur
sports.
Griffith, who is credited as the father of
American sports psychology, said “the more mind
is made use of in athletic competition, the greater
will be the skill of our athletes.” Based on modern
day science and results---we now know that Grif-
fith’s applied psychology theory and training
methods can improve performance in sports,
business, and daily life.
In 1985, several applied sport psycho-
logy practitioners, headed by John Silva, believed
an organization was needed to focus on profes-
sional issues in sports psychology and therefore
formed the Association for Applied Sport Psy-
chology (AASP). Today, AASP has the largest
membership of any professional organization de-
voted entirely to sports psychology.
Peak performance psychology is an area
of applied psychology and sports psychology. It
engages the individual performer on how to be
more successful by developing the power of the
mind. Peak performance for higher levels of suc-
cess requires deliberate training. The goal is to
optimize physical performance, resilience, and
results—using specific mental skills training.
The mental training that underpins the
psychology of peak performance has been re-
searched extensively over many decades. Today,
peak performance psychology can be applied in a
practical manner to help any motivated individual
excel in sports, career and business, and self-im-
provement.
In today’s society, we look up to highly
skilled professional and amateur athletes alike.
We admire them for their extraordinary physical
attributes and are amazed by their ability to
stretch the limits of the human body. We also
respect professionals who possess superior psy-
chomotor skills that allow them to perform ex-
ceptionally well under extreme pressure--such as
surgeons, firefighters, law enforcement officers,
and elite military personnel.
What most people overlook is the fact
that not all of these skilled professionals are born
with the physical prowess and mental resilience
they later display. There is a tremendous amount
of training and preparation that goes into per-
forming at an elite level and success always de-
pends on both physical and mental skills.
Peak performance occurs when an indi-
vidual is “able to do his best.” The peak perform-
ance state is one in which an individual performs
to the maximum of his ability, characterized by
subjective feelings of confidence, effortlessness
and total concentration on the task. In order to
perform at his best, an individual is usually in his
best physical and mental condition.
The Art of Leadership
Although leadership can be studied scientific-
ally—leadership is not a pure science. The quality
of leadership is more of an art that must be studied,
nurtured, and diligently practiced in order to de-
velop and maximize it.
Leadership is often misunderstood, misap-
plied, and misdefined.
True leadership is not defined or determ-
ined by any of the following:
*Seniority in an organizational hierarchy
*Title or position
*Personality
*Management style
When referring to leadership—far too
many people talk about only the senior ranking
members of an organization. Leadership doesn’t
just automatically happen when you hit a certain
pay grade or job title. The truth is that leadership
can be found at all levels of any organization. It
does, however, make sense that we would expect
to see more leadership at the most senior levels of
an organization, but it is not guaranteed.
The art of leadership can be demon-
strated in sports, work, business, and your per-
sonal life. The quality of leadership can be found
in people from all types of backgrounds and edu-
cation.
Don’t be fooled into believing that only
certain personalities can be effective leaders.
Contrary to popular (but false) beliefs—you do
not have to be a super high-energy extrovert or
naturally charismatic to become a highly effect-
ive leader.
Lastly, leadership is not synonymous
with management. Being a manager of many
people or things does not make you a great leader.
Management is a critical and important skill for
any organization, but being a good manager does
not automatically make you a good leader.
So, what is leadership?
The art of leadership is defined as fol-
lows: the practice of successfully compelling a
group of people to perform at their individual
peak while maximizing their collective efforts to
achieve a desired result.
Of course, leadership requires a leader,
follower, and a goal. But, the true art of effective
leadership is much more about “influencing”
people than it is about exerting authority or
power.
One thing that all great leaders have
is mental toughness! Great leaders must lead by
example, which means that they must become
highly skilled mental warriors who can use their
mind power to maximize their personal peak per-
formance under any circumstances, which in turn
allows them to effectively influence and lead oth-
ers.
The Art of Success
Success is the accomplishment of an aim or pur-
pose. Success is associated with winning, happi-
ness, and a favorable outcome. To succeed—a per-
son (or team) must achieve something desired,
planned, or attempted.
In practical application, the precise defin-
ition of success is ultimately a personal definition
and can vary greatly from one person to another
based on their core values.
For some people—advancing to the play-
offs for their designated sport; or losing the first
five pounds on a weight loss program; or getting
an entry-level job in their chosen field—all consti-
tute success and significant achievement.
For others—success in these same areas
might require a higher level of achievement, such
as winning the championship trophy in the play-
offs; losing twenty-five pounds and reaching target
weight; or getting promoted to Director, VP, or
CEO in their industry.
Most people have been conditioned to
use the “pyramid theory” when assessing their
personal level of success. The pyramid theory is
one way to measure your success, and it com-
pares your achievements to others striving for the
same general goal. In theory, the higher you are
able to go on the pyramid of achievement—the
less direct competition you have—and conse-
quently, the more successful you are (when com-
pared to everyone on the entire pyramid).
For
example—obtaining
advanced
knowledge through higher education, developing
superior skills, or fully leveraging natural talents
are all proven ways to elevate and differentiate
yourself on the pyramid of peak performance and
success. To win a national championship or world
championship in sports places you at the top of
the pyramid and clearly demonstrates success
through peak performance.
Unfortunately, most people don’t have
the mental training or skills to reach their full in-
nate potential. Consequently, far too many people
end up settling on a lower level of the pyramid.
You are not going to settle! You will
learn how to excel at the science of peak perform-
ance and the arts of leadership and success.
Art is the expression or application of
human creative skill and imagination. Success is
an art---and it comprises your personal values,
goals, circumstances, knowledge, perceptions,
and actions. The art of success is concerned with
how we as human beings can uniquely (and ef-
fectively) define, imagine, and achieve highly fa-
vorable results based on our desires.
From the perspective of beginning men-
tal toughness students—the repetitious nature of
mental training and skills development is some-
times perceived as tedious. However, for the ex-
perienced mental warrior and champion—the
consistent action of training and performing is
a captivating journey that provides intrinsic joy,
motivation, and opportunity for creativity. Suc-
cessful extrinsic results, accomplishments, and
rewards are merely a reaction to the diligent ap-
plication of art and science to training and peak
performance.
Elevating to the highest levels in any
sport or career (achieving peak performance), re-
quires that you progress from a solid scientific
foundation to the apex of artistry—from learning
principles and skill development--to experiencing
personal transformation and skill mastery.
Preparation, training, and performance
repetition is the best way to influence outcomes
in a positive manner. However, and contrary to
popular belief—hard work does not guarantee
success. To achieve peak performance and master
the art of success in your sport or industry—it
is imperative that you also work smart by lever-
aging the best training tools and strategies.
Learning how to exploit relevant sci-
entific and technological advances is an art unto
itself and should be an area of focus for the as-
piring peak performer and future champion. Keep
your focus on consistent progress and improve-
ments—and you will set yourself up for break-
through results and big wins.
Study champions in any field, and you
will find that they are always working to enhance
their skills and improve their game. They genu-
inely approach self-improvement as an art!
The art of success is simply a cumulative
connection of smart choices and effective actions
over time.
Peak Performance IQ
Peak performance is part physical (external ac-
tions; external reactions; external results)--part
emotional (internal reactions; internal results)--
and part mental (internal thoughts; self-talk; visu-
alization).
Physical performance involves your body
movements and the outside world.
Emotional performance involves your
feelings and physical reactions inside your body.
Mental performance involves your brain
and the two-way communications inside your
head.
Your mental performance has a significant
role and impact on your emotional and physical
performance. You cannot experience consistent
emotional and physical control without consistent
mind control. Consequently--you must become an
internal leader and champion before you can be-
come an external leader and champion.
Mental warriors have strong mental
muscles. They use specific training to develop su-
perior mental fitness and mental skills that facil-
itate superior emotional control and physical per-
formance.
Mental fitness is the ability to remain
strong, directed, and positive through your
thoughts, feelings, and actions in the face of
physical, mental, and emotional stressors. Mental
fitness has a direct effect on your performance,
results, and success.
Lack of mental fitness will always lead
to inferior mental performance, sporadic emo-
tional control, subpar physical performance, me-
diocre results, and limited success. Con-
versely—dominant mind power is the foundation
for superior mental performance, consistent emo-
tional control, peak physical performance, excel-
lent results, and continuous success.
Talent and luck can definitely play a role
in winning. However—you can’t change your
genetics--and the best way to invite more luck in-
to your life is to be thoroughly prepared for suc-
cess. This “pre-luck preparation” starts with de-
veloping mental fitness (mental toughness)—the
undisputed core trait of all consistent winners and
champions in every area of life.
The ability to control your mind despite
conflicting subconscious thoughts, conscious
thoughts, raw emotions, physical sensations and
cues, social cues, and environmental cues—is
one of our most precious and powerful gifts as
human beings.
You do have total control over your
thoughts and actions. Your ultimate power is al-
ways in the present moment. My goal is to help
you utilize this awesome truth and power to make
dramatic improvements in your performance, res-
ults, and happiness!
If you want to win more consistently in
sports, business, and life—you must increase
your peak performance IQ (knowledge and un-
derstanding). I created the Peak Performance
Progression™ concept to increase your peak per-
formance IQ and help make your mental tough-
ness training more productive. All mental warri-
ors and champions have mastered the application
of this continuous improvement tool for peak per-
formance management.
The Peak Performance Progression is
made up of five key elements and their connec-
tion to each other. Following, are the five com-
ponents of Peak Performance Progression.
1. Mental Toughness
2. Mental Performance
3. Emotional Performance
4. Physical Performance
5. Results
The components of the Peak Perform-
ance Progression are positioned to flow in a spe-
cific order based on scientific research and out-
comes from studying high performers in a variety
of fields.
The practical science of peak perform-
ance requires optimal engagement and productiv-
ity in every component of the Peak Performance
Progression.
Mental Toughness Tip
Mental toughness will give you the rare ability to
do the things that most people cannot or will not
do. With mental toughness, you will dramatically
increase your odds of joining the top 5% in your
field because you will be able to consistently make
better choices and take better actions.
Too often, I encounter beginning students
and clients who falsely believe that mental tough-
ness is predominantly an inborn or predetermined
trait. As with any sport, profession, or personal
activity—to deliver consistent superior results,
you must focus on developing and maintaining su-
perior skills.
Superior skills = superior results!
The same holds true for your mental skills.
In order to exhibit superior mental toughness—in
the form of willpower, focus, mental stamina, and
self-discipline—you must engage in consistent
and effective mental training to unlock, transform,
and maximize your mental skills.
Success through peak performance does
not happen by wishing or hoping! The great news
is that your mental skills—and consequently your
mental toughness--will improve with proper
training and hands-on experience.
Remember, the purpose of this book is
to “separate you from the pack” and transform
you into a mental warrior and superior leader by
showing you how to maximize the mental attrib-
utes and skills that will help you win more often
and achieve your goals more quickly.
Chapter 2
Mental Toughness Loop™
In this chapter, you will learn about an innovative
and little-known concept that is utilized by all
sporting champions, mental warriors, and highly
successful leaders. The concept is the Mental
Toughness Loop™--and it is the result of ongoing
research, testing, application, and interviews over
the past ten years.
The Mental Toughness Loop is the key to
accessing and maximizing your innate mind power
potential. You will learn how to use this invaluable
peak performance concept to accelerate the devel-
opment of your mental strength, focus, willpower,
self-discipline, and self-confidence to achieve
your most important goals.
Applied Mind Power
Viewing it from the most simplistic perspective—a
superior performance has two basic requirements:
1. That you mentally conceive your super-
ior performance.
2. That you physically execute your su-
perior performance.
To mentally conceive is only potential
mind power. To physically execute is applied mind
power!
Although it is simple in theory—applied
mind power (or peak performance execution) is an
advanced skill, and its mastery often separates ad-
vanced mental toughness students from beginning
and intermediate students.
Developing the ability to easily, com-
pletely, and consistently conceive peak perform-
ance is a crucial first step. However, simply con-
ceiving success is not enough to finish the job.
In order to actually deliver superior results—you
must be equally skilled in executing with peak
performance.
As an example, I have witnessed count-
less individuals demonstrate this concept with
weight loss. Many people have imagined losing
unwanted body weight—and some people talk re-
peatedly of reaching their desired size. However,
it is much more difficult to actually apply mind
power for successful weight loss and sustainable
weight management.
You and I are more interested in devel-
oping the skills of applied mind power for peak
performance and tangible success in daily life
and competitive situations, than we are with only
imagining peak performance—or just talking
about success.
Mental
Toughness
Loop™
Overview
Based on topics in the last chapter, you have basic
knowledge of peak performance IQ and the Peak
Performance Progression concept. In addition, you
now understand the importance of applied mind
power.
It’s time to introduce you to the concept
that represents the synthesis of all mind power
elements—the Mental Toughness Loop. This es-
sential tool will serve as a foundational base for
the improvement of your mental strength and peak
performance skills.
Because the Mental Toughness Loop is so
important to your success—let’s go further into
it so that you can internalize the essence of this
concept.
The Mental Toughness Loop is defined
as follows: The coordinated development, integ-
ration, and management of all individual mental
skills and attributes to maximize total mind
power for peak performance.
Your ultimate effectiveness in training,
performance, and achieving results will be de-
termined by your Mental Toughness Loop ca-
pacity—or more specifically—your total mind
power capacity. The higher your Mental Tough-
ness Loop capacity—the more capable you are of
consistent peak performance—and the more cap-
able you are of achieving success in your life.
Because of their higher Mental Tough-
ness Loop capacity--champions and elite leaders
are not deterred or derailed by physical or psy-
chological stressors. Consequently, they can de-
liver peak performances and successful results
more frequently.
The application of the Mental Toughness
Loop is where the “rubber meets the road,” and
where real-time peak performance management
actually happens.
In the midst of competition—or during
an important work project—or throughout the
day in moments of choice between success and
failure--you must maintain complete control of
your mind in order to make the best decisions and
take the best actions.
Most people have experienced the feel-
ing of peak performance—a heightened state of
psychological awareness and physiological en-
ergy that allows you to perform at 100% of your
capabilities. You may have experienced a feeling
of peak performance during important work pro-
jects, high-pressure sporting events, high-value
self-improvement tasks, or enjoyable leisure
activities.
Some people call it the “flow.” Others
refer to being in the “zone.” Regardless of the
preferred name—this phenomenon is definitely
part of a winner’s mindset!
For most people, this powerful state of
heightened performance is fleeting and often mis-
understood. For mental warriors and leaders
across many industries—the Mental Toughness
Loop provides instant and complete access to
peak performance through optimal functioning of
mind and body. It is your mind’s self-defense and
insurance against unproductive internal and ex-
ternal influences.
You can train your mind to eradicate neg-
ativity, self-doubt, and unproductive habits that
are limiting your progress and success. Mental
warriors fight off all threatening weeds of the
mind and only allow nourishing, nutritious
thoughts or “mind food” to enter and remain in
their brains.
Once you have grasped the essence of
the Mental Toughness Loop and developed your
mental skills, you will start to experience an over-
whelming sense of increased power and control
in your performances.
Knowing that, at a moment’s notice--you
can quickly put your mind on complete “lock-
down” against invading negative thoughts or in-
fluences is a critical advantage utilized by all
champions and successful leaders.
With the right training program and
tools, you will develop an effective mental cli-
mate that allows you to deliver consistent peak
performances and desired results. And, the best
part is that you will start seeing improvement and
results within a few weeks.
Ultimately, the Mental Toughness Loop
is all about cultivating the champion’s mind-
set—or the mental warrior’s mindset.
Obstacles and roadblocks to achieving
consistent peak performance and success can be
physiological, psychological, or environmental.
With the Mental Toughness Loop, you can elim-
inate the psychological obstacles and develop
knowledge and skills to succeed despite
physiological or environmental hindrances.
As
with
success
in
any-
thing—developing mental toughness and peak
performance requires putting in the right work.
You will need mind power to train consistently
and resist “mind failure,” which very often pre-
cipitates real-world failure.
The way you practice or train, often dic-
tates how you will perform. Mental warriors un-
derstand that they must approach practice as seri-
ously as the actual game or competition.
Champions and leaders are masters at
training smart! With the Mental Toughness
Loop, you can train smart and win smart.
The application of the Mental Toughness
Loop allows you to get more benefit out of train-
ing, practice, and event preparation. This is signi-
ficant, as it will ensure superior performance dur-
ing the actual event or competition.
Let’s revisit the definition of the Mental
Toughness Loop. It is--the coordinated develop-
ment, integration, and management of all indi-
vidual mental skills and attributes to maximize
total mind power for peak performance.
When all of your mental skills and attrib-
utes are highly developed, integrated, and man-
aged—you will have what it takes to: win in
the last minute of a close championship game;
push through the wall of pain during the last few
minutes of a long endurance event; or use a burst
of energy and explosiveness to close out a career-
defining project with skill, finesse, and excel-
lence.
It is true that “showing up consistently
is 80% of success in life.” By maximizing your
Mental Toughness Loop—you will consistently
show up at your best and win more often.
Mental Training Isolation
Because the Mental Toughness Loop involves
your individual mental attributes and skills—we
have to address the notion of isolation in peak per-
formance training.
You can use the isolation training prin-
ciple to make rapid progress in all components
of your Mental Toughness Loop--thereby helping
you achieve maximum total mind power in the
shortest possible time.
To make full use of the isolation principle,
you must totally commit and involve yourself with
“here and now.” This is where your absolute power
lies. Do not concern yourself with “there and
then,” which deals with false perceptions of effect-
iveness.
You should maintain this sense of purpose
in the present, throughout every phase of your
mental toughness training sessions. For mind
strengthening purposes, realize that five minutes
of intense and focused mental skills training is
more productive and beneficial than thirty
minutes of lackadaisical training.
The more you can break down a skill
or attribute in training, the more productive the
training will be. This leads to another purpose
and benefit of the Mental Toughness Loop. It is
a conceptual vehicle, through which you can ef-
fectively isolate the individual parts of the whole
to make significant and rapid improvement on the
sum total.
We (mental warriors) don’t want to de-
velop partial or limited mind power—right?
Rather, we want to develop total mind power (the
entire Mental Toughness Loop), and we want to
maximize it!
Mental Toughness Tip
Science has proven that the best way to develop an
attribute, skill, habit, or desired success quality is
as follows…
1. Isolate and effectively train the essential
individual parts (we will identify and cover the es-
sential mental attributes and skills as part of this
book).
2. Integrate and effectively train the sum
total of the individual parts.
This approach has proven effective for
countless champions, leaders, and mental warriors.
If you will follow the same simple process--it will
lead to improved skills, performances, and results.
Not easy, but it is simple and straightforward.
Below are three simple steps on how to
apply the isolation training principle.
1. Begin by clearing your mind and re-
viewing the specific mental toughness skill or
component you will be training, prior to beginning
any drill or exercise.
2. Concentrate intensely on developing
that specific attribute or skill by giving it your
total, undivided attention.
3. Train when and where you will not be
disturbed unless there is an emergency (and if
training with partners or a team, try to make sure
they are equally as focused).
Chapter 3
Mind Power Principles
There are nine foundational principles of mind
power. Understanding these key principles will
help you “crack the mental toughness code” and
improve your peak performance knowledge and
capacity.
You must always remembers that know-
ledge is power! Study and apply the nine mind
power principles in your training and daily
life—and you will see faster progress in the devel-
opment of your mental toughness.
Now, let’s review the mind power prin-
ciples.
Programming
Your basic mental encoding will determine a lot
about how you perform and ultimately--how suc-
cessful you will become in achieving your goals. It
is nearly impossible to overcome bad or negative
programming unless you are conscious of the
problem and have identified the root cause and
solution.
The programming principle alerts you to
the fact that your thoughts, beliefs, and actions
are largely determined by your programming. The
good news is that this programming is well under
your control. Consequently, you have the power
and ability to program yourself for peak perform-
ance and higher levels of success.
The programming principle manifests it-
self in daily life in many ways. However, most
people are totally oblivious to the presence or
power of this key principle.
If you want to maximize your mind
power—it is imperative that you take an active
role in managing the programming of your mind.
Without a high level of engagement in filtering
and controlling your internal and mental pro-
gramming—you will be hard pressed to achieve
peak performance and reach your maximum po-
tential.
Champions and highly successful people
typically exhibit high levels of mental toughness.
Inherent in their Mental Toughness Loop is the
core belief that the mind is a precious commodity
that must be protected and managed at all times.
The way to do this is through programming.
Mental programming for mind power,
peak performance, and success is possible
through the following methods…
1. Talking
2. Listening
3. Visualizing
4. Viewing
5. Feeling
6. Acting
What you say, hear, imagine, see, feel,
and do has a definite impact on your mental func-
tioning and performance. If you control these
methods--you can control your mental program-
ming. Programming that is aligned with (and sup-
ports) the realization your desired goals is good
programming. On the contrary—bad program-
ming (from you or an external source) will con-
flict with your goals and prohibit peak perform-
ance and success.
The most important takeaway for you is
to “be conscious” of programming at all times.
Learn to pay very close attention to what you say,
listen to, imagine, view, feel, and do.
Once you become a committed mental
warrior and begin to increase your mental
toughness--programming for success and coun-
tering negative programming will become second
nature and automatic.
It is very difficult to know if any com-
munication or programming is positive or negat-
ive without first knowing your desired results and
goals. Once you know your goals, it is easy to de-
termine if incoming programming is beneficial or
detrimental.
For example, if your goal is to become
a national champion in your chosen sport—any
programming that undermines effective training
or game execution is negative programming. This
might include a diet that is not balanced and nu-
tritious—or not having the right conditioning
program to support your athletic goals. Negative
programming will prevent athletes from reaching
the national level in sports.
If you aspire to elevate to the highest
level in your sport, business, or career—you will
need to program yourself for success and avoid
programming that can mire you in a low-level po-
sition among the crowd.
It is okay to start from an entry-level
position, but if you want to ascend quickly in
any industry--you will need to program yourself
to focus on what the most successful people in
your industry focus on. If the most successful
people always finish projects on schedule and be-
low budget—you will need to program your mind
to help you perform critical activities with excel-
lence. This is the way to become a part of the top
5% in your field.
You can learn and benefit from other suc-
cessful people by using a simple training tool
called “modeling.” Successful business leaders
and sporting champions “model” or “imitate” the
most successful people in their industry through
viewing, reading, listening, and visualization. I
suggest you identify and use the modeling meth-
ods that are most helpful for you based on your
goals and circumstances.
Don’t allow yourself to be programmed
by negative people (better known as “drain
people”) or adverse circumstances. Don’t invest
time, attention, or energy into things that don’t
contribute to your goals and values. Keep your
mind on lockdown against failure by exercising
and applying your mental toughness skills regu-
larly.
For instance, I do not watch much cable
news. I find that it is (for the most part) simply
bad programming for my mental state, mind
power, performance, and desired results. Watch-
ing people get paid to sensationalize, distort, and
subjectively
twist
unimportant
topics
ad
nauseam--when the important facts could be ob-
jectively summed up in thirty seconds or
less—simply doesn’t align with my personal
goals or definition of success.
Science has proven that conscious, posit-
ive, and productive mental programming leads to
faster mind power development--which leads to
mental toughness, peak performance, and better
results.
Choose to invest your time and attention
in things that give you a good “return” in the form
tangible benefits, which means that you get defin-
ite value in return—such as improved results and
a more successful career and life.
Keep in mind that programming yourself
for success is not hard. It is just as easy as pro-
gramming yourself for failure. In fact, program-
ming yourself for failure is much more difficult
because of the negative and damaging impact it
can have on your life.
Don’t be discouraged if you have al-
lowed negative programming to enter your mind
in the past. You can reverse negative program-
ming. The sooner you start increasing your Ment-
al Toughness Loop capacity with more product-
ive programming—the sooner you will start to
see faster progress toward becoming a winner
and superior mental warrior.
Don’t wait. Start using the principle of
programming today! Make a solemn promise to
yourself that you will never allow negative pro-
gramming to infiltrate your mind. Start using the
components of your Mental Toughness Loop to
keep your mind on lockdown from unproductive
influences. You deserve this!
With consistent and effective program-
ming, the warrior mentality will transfer from
your conscious mind to your subconscious mind
where it will start to permeate your core beliefs
and behaviors.
This is a critical turning point, which will
start your transformation into an outstanding
peak performer and exceptional leader with su-
perior mental toughness.
Training
Training involves the use of organized activity to
improve individual or team skills in order to attain
a higher level of peak performance.
This book focuses on mental training,
which is the starting point for peak performance
and success. As with the development of superior
physical strength, the development of superior
mental strength requires effective training that
leverages sound scientific principles and proven
tools.
You are ahead of most people simply be-
cause you recognize the importance of the “mental
game” and mental toughness in deciding personal
outcomes and success levels.
I believe that reading this book represents
a good starting point for anyone who wants to im-
prove mental toughness. However, if you really
want to maximize your mind power and perform-
ance capabilities—you will absolutely have to in-
vest time in mental training.
Is there a world-class athlete who doesn’t
train in his or her sport? The answer is a resound-
ing no! An athlete in any sport has to actually par-
ticipate in the sport if he wants to learn the fun-
damentals, improve his skills, and gain the neces-
sary knowledge of the game.
In order to develop and maintain any
skill, you must train consistently. In order to
thrive and excel beyond your peers, you must be
willing to train harder and smarter.
Always respect the basic principle of
training and its fundamental impact on your suc-
cess in achieving any significant goal. Without
active and consistent training--there is no peak
performance.
In chapter thirteen, we will delve further
into the subject of training by designing your
personalized mental toughness program for peak
performance, leadership development, and suc-
cess.
Attitude
Attitude is the way you think and feel about
something or someone. In general, your attitude
can be positive, neutral, or negative. A positive
attitude supports peak performance--and will help
you realize positive results more often. A consist-
ently negative attitude has an adverse impact on
performance and leads to failure more often.
Having a negative attitude is not always
a bad thing if you are reacting to something that
you don’t want (negative programming) because it
does not align with your goals and objectives. Too
often, people will settle for less and happily accept
mediocrity in their performance and lives.
Sometimes, it is okay to express feelings
of frustration, regret, or disappointment if commu-
nicated in a constructive way (to yourself or oth-
ers) that will motivate and inspire improved per-
formance in the future.
As a mental toughness student, you must
shift your thinking from simply positive attitude
vs. negative attitude. Instead—you will need to
re-frame your language (programming) to identi-
fy attitudes as empowering or dis-empowering.
Perception is your mental impression of
something. How you “process” messages will de-
termine if they are empowering or disempower-
ing. Empowering means in control, confident,
and strong. Disempowering means out of control,
passive, and weak.
You can choose to use incoming mes-
sages and communications to serve your purpose
and move you more quickly towards your goals.
Champions and successful leaders are able to
maintain an empowering or peak performance at-
titude under stressful circumstances that would
cause most people to break down mentally and
“go negative”—which will ultimately undermine
results and success.
In order to perform at your peak, you
must condition yourself to maintain an empower-
ing attitude. Nobody can be upbeat, happy, and
positive all of the time—but, through conscious
management of programming, consistent train-
ing, and effective processing of incoming mes-
sages—you can develop an empowering attitude
habit that supports peak performance.
As your mental toughness improves,
your ability to command and maintain an em-
powering attitude during intense competition or
situations will improve dramatically.
Another key to maintaining the right at-
titude for peak performance is to let go of per-
fectionist tendencies and habits. Let me put it
bluntly--perfection does not exist in humans! A
worthy and achievable goal for anyone is peak
performance and continuous improvement based
on innate capabilities.
While you must be honest with yourself
when assessing your skills, performance,
strengths, and weaknesses—you must also be
forgiving of yourself when you fall short of ex-
pectations.
This does not mean that you are “soft” on
yourself. Quite the contrary. The champion mind-
set is always focused on improving and does not
wallow in defeat, but instead quickly changes fo-
cus to identify what can be done differently to
cause better results next time. In order to adapt
and improve continuously, you must adopt this
same empowering attitude and approach.
Having the right attitude will improve
your leadership capabilities, impress others, and
often expand your career options. Without the
right attitude and mental training--a weaker
minded individual is more likely to fall back to
a negative and disempowering attitude under
stress, which will severely hamper his ability to
perform with excellence on a consistent basis.
By no means should you maintain a
false, fake, or subjective positive attitude that ig-
nores the reality of performance outcomes. Facts
are facts and should never be ignored. However,
you must learn that emotions only enter into a
situation because of our mental perceptions (of
pleasure and pain).
You can “keep it real” by staying object-
ive and still maintain an empowering attitude that
focuses on continuous improvement and positive
outcomes. Learn to maintain a peak performance
attitude by learning how to manage your mental
perceptions.
For starters: When faced with temporary
failures, learn how to quickly “reframe” problems
by asking the right empowering questions--
identifying effective solutions, tools, and plans--
and boldly moving forward with the right attitude
and actions.
Clarity
Now that you understand the importance of man-
aging your programming, training your mind, and
maintaining an empowering attitude—you are
ready to move on the next principle of mind power.
Before you can achieve peak performance
and maximum results—you must get very clear on
what it is that you really want. Clarity is the qual-
ity of being clearly understood. You need absolute
clarity on your goals if you want to make fast pro-
gress toward improving your mental toughness for
peak performance.
Champions and successful leaders place a
premium on the principle of clarity because they
know it is indispensable in helping them reach
their destination (goal) through the most direct
route and in the shortest possible time.
Misguided actions that move you away
from your desired outcome will leave you feeling
disempowered and unsatisfied. At best, a lack of
clarity will cause mixed results and sporadic suc-
cess. Conversely, a high level of clarity is a
proven solution for more rapid and sustainable
success.
You can’t achieve what you’re not clear
about--because there are simply too many ran-
dom external (and internal influences) trying to
determine your goals for you.
Maintain your clarity of goals--and you
will minimize wasted energy on actions and
activities that do not contribute to your success.
Understand that goals can (and will)
change, but the key is to maintain clarity. All
successful people make use of the clarity prin-
ciple. For some people, writing or recording a
goal helps them achieve and maintain clarity. For
others, verbally repeating or mentally visualizing
a goal provides the same benefit of clarity.
The key is to get clear and stay clear so
that you can utilize your mind power and direct
it toward taking action on goals that are most im-
portant and beneficial to you.
In addition to clarity of goals--you must
be clear about your priorities. Clarity of priorities
allows you to manage your daily training and
workload to make sure you are saying yes to the
right things and saying no to the wrong things
(which is anything that is not moving you toward
your goals).
With enhanced clarity—you set the stage
for more effective application of your mind
power. Your brain will naturally support you in
identifying opportunities to improve your per-
formance and move you toward your desired res-
ults (as long as your brain is clear on what you
really want).
Keep in mind that your goals and priorit-
ies should align with your personal values. Take a
few minutes to clarify your core values. This will
sharpen your clarity of goals and strengthen your
motivation.
Commitment
Commitment is a state or quality of dedication. To
be committed is to be obligated to something and
willing to give 100%---not 80 or 90%--but, 100%
focus and effort in training and during the compet-
ition or event.
You must commit fully to developing
mental toughness if you want to maximize your
performance through improved willpower, self-
discipline, focus, and mental stamina.
For mental warriors, commitment is ex-
pressed as a conviction. For those lacking suf-
ficient mind power, commitment is typically ex-
pressed as a “wish” or “hope.”
You must “go all out” to truly separate
yourself from the crowd. Of course, this requires
advanced mind power skills and attributes. The
principle of commitment is one that you must em-
brace and regularly demonstrate if you are going to
maintain consistent peak performance levels that
result in championships, dramatic life improve-
ments, and stellar career accomplishments.
In the last section, we discussed the prin-
ciple of clarity and the importance of getting clear
on your specific goals. Now that you know what
you really want---it is imperative that you fully
commit to achieving it. Commitment is super im-
portant for highly ambitious people and leaders
who want to achieve big goals that stretch far
beyond “average.”
Everyone has expressed commitment to
something. The key is to make sure that you are
committed to the right things based on your per-
sonal values, goals, and priorities.
Practice demonstrating commitment reg-
ularly. The best way to do this is to invest time,
resources, and energy into activities that deliver
improvements and results. Stop investing in
activities, things, or people that do not result in
consistent progress based on your specific goals.
Keep in mind that commitment does not
guarantee success. Mental warriors may fail
along the way to success, but they do not make
excuses. You may occasionally falter in your
journey to success, but (because you understand
and utilize mind power principles) you will learn
to identify the true reasons for progress impair-
ment—and you will learn to take immediate steps
to correct training or performance mistakes.
Real commitment is a simple principle,
but it is hard to put into practice for most people.
Great leaders and champions demonstrate the
principle of commitment regularly. With regular
training, you will develop the mental toughness
to leverage and apply the power of real commit-
ment.
Passion
To be passionate is to have strong feelings or en-
thusiasm for something or about something. Pas-
sion for your sport, job, business, health, or family
helps you become a better performer. Passion mo-
tivates you to do more and be more.
Without passion for what you are doing,
your commitment and attitude are more likely to
fluctuate.
The principle of passion is critical to
achieving peak performance. Developing mental
toughness through training is much easier and
more effective when directed toward a goal or
purpose that you are intensely passionate about
achieving.
Mind power masters are intimately famil-
iar with their areas of intense passion and they
know how to leverage this powerful force for im-
proved performance. In addition, they are skilled
at aligning their passions, priorities, programming,
and training methods.
While passion often conveys or conjures
up images of pure unbridled intensity, it can also
be a relaxed yet enjoyable power. Enjoyment is a
key element of passion. It is very difficult to get
passionate (and stay passionate) about something
that you don’t like and appreciate.
If you want to be the best in your field,
you will need a combination of skills and passion.
You can train to develop mental toughness and
specific technical skills. However, you will have
to have passion from the outset. Without passion,
you are not likely to rise to the top of your field,
because you will perceive the work as too hard or
difficult to do and/or maintain.
Sometimes when you seem to lack mo-
tivation, willpower, or self-discipline—you may
find (upon further examination) that you are
simply not passionate enough. By being honest
with yourself, you will be able to address your
passion gaps and find the right goals, priorities,
and activities to ignite your passion.
To perform at your peak consistently, you
must identify your natural sources of passion.
This will bolster clarity, help you customize your
training methods, and deliver faster improve-
ments.
Simplicity
In order to become a successful champion or lead-
er, you must commit to the principle of simplicity.
I have personally used this principle to ac-
celerate progress in all key areas of my life--in-
cluding business, sports, health, and family.
Human brains are highly complex and sophistic-
ated machines. It is very easy for us to overcom-
plicate anything. When we prioritize and focus on
simplicity—our brains can direct laser-like power
toward mastering the essential skills and habits
that will lead to superior performances and results.
I suppose this mind principle is very
much like the K.I.S.S. principle, which is a famous
acronym that stands for “keep it short and simple.”
The simplicity principle has proven itself highly
effective in the realm of sports, business, and self-
improvement.
If you want to avoid weakening your
mental toughness during training or perform-
ances—you must avoid the human tendency to
overcomplicate. Instead, you must continuously
strive to simplify what you are seeing, learning,
and doing.
The principle of simplicity is beautifully
artistic in its application. Often, we have wit-
nessed our most beloved heroes exhibit the
highest levels of performance and effectiveness
in ways that were so simple yet so effective, that
we sometimes can’t believe what we are seeing.
As a martial artist, Bruce Lee developed
a unique fighting style called Jeet Kune Do—a
combat system and philosophy that is based on
the principle of simplicity and directness. In his
movies, Bruce Lee always tried to convey this
philosophy during his fight scenes. Instead of the
traditional and exaggerated movements of more
sophisticated styles in his day—Bruce would of-
ten amaze because he employed the most fun-
damental fighting tactics--but he did so with un-
canny speed, power, and effectiveness.
In sports--if you have totally mastered
a few fundamentals, you will excel far beyond
an athlete who has loosely grasped many dif-
ferent techniques of the sport. The principle of
simplicity is all about mastering the critical few
techniques and skills that make the difference
between winning and losing.
As a way to apply the simplicity prin-
ciple in their lives, winners routinely use the
Pareto principle (better known as the 80/20 prin-
ciple). This principle was named after economist
Vilfredo Pareto. The Pareto principle states that
you will always derive 80% or more of your res-
ults from just 20% (or less) of your activities. The
key implication of this proven scientific principle
is that you must learn to identify and focus on the
20% (high value activities) in order to reap more
benefits and reach your goals faster.
The simplicity principle for mind power
is very similar to Pareto’s principle. In order to
maximize your mental toughness—you have to
simplify and reject any complicated or non-es-
sential thoughts or activities. This applies to
training, event preparation, and the actual per-
formance.
Simplicity is not as easy to put into prac-
tice as it sounds. Without sufficient mental tough-
ness, some people don’t have the skills to control
their naturally curious minds--and they end up
losing their ability to “keep it simple” and main-
tain focus.
Contrary to popular belief—superior
leaders and champions understand that success
is simple. Yes, it really is! People who struggle
and fail to achieve their goals due to lack of
knowledge, skill, or mental training will typically
define the road to success as complicated and de-
pendent on luck or circumstances.
Success is not easy--and success abso-
lutely requires diligence. However, success does
not have to be complicated. Strive to make things
simple and keep them simple if you want to im-
prove faster and succeed more often!
With training, you will learn to cut
through mental clutter instantly—and identify the
most important thing to focus on to deliver results
and success. In my experience, I have found that
mastering the principle of simplicity is a real pas-
sion for all highly effective leaders and champi-
ons.
Mental warriors don’t waste time or
thought on things they can’t control. Instead, they
simplify the skill-building process by learning,
mastering, and automating one skill before mov-
ing on to the next. Within a short time, they are
able to build a superior set of skills that allow
them to achieve peak performance success more
consistently. This is called skill stacking.
Choose to embrace and respect the power
of simplicity. Stay committed to continuous sim-
plification in your training, performance, and life.
Sometimes, you will find that complication is
due to lack of knowledge or experience. As you
improve your mental toughness knowledge and
skills, you will naturally learn to simpli-
fy—which will make you a more capable leader
and competitor.
Reality
The principle of reality is one that people are not
expected to apply as often when they are children.
Unfortunately, many people often ignore the real-
ity principle as adults—which often causes regres-
sion, subpar performance, and disappointing res-
ults.
The reality principle is concerned with the
objective state of things as they actually exist and
happen—as opposed to the subjective perception,
notion, or image of things.
In all honesty, you and I both know that
this is a tough and unforgiving principle, but with
the right training and mind strength—you can
learn to use (and yes, even embrace) this founda-
tional scientific principle.
For starters, you have to realize that real-
ity is the ultimate coach and guide. If you become
comfortable with reality and the results that come
from it—you will be able to minimize wasted time,
recover more quickly from mistakes, and leap frog
the competition as you power toward more wins
and higher levels of success.
Ignoring reality has serious negative
consequences. Science allows no margin of error
on the reality principle—and it will show up con-
stantly in the form of results from your training,
performances, decisions, and actions.
It is a natural human tendency to ignore
reality when faced with extreme stress. Some-
times, humans will exaggerate the impact or ef-
fect of something in their minds. In other cases, it
is just as easy to underestimate the impact or ef-
fect of an event or action.
As with the simplicity principle, the real-
ity principle is not so easy to apply consistently.
Adherence to reality requires training and mental
skills. Mental toughness allows you to enter and
remain in the “reality zone” during any compet-
itive situation so that you can maintain peak per-
formance and execute the right actions.
While some people are temporarily
misled and misdirected due to false perceptions
or delusions of grandeur--champions and suc-
cessful leaders are always focused on making
their way to the brutal (but honest) “home of real-
ity” because they know it represents the path to
peak performance and success.
Reality is simply about acknowledging
things as they currently are--as opposed to only
seeing things as you might want them to be. For
beginning mental toughness students--it is often
very challenging to stay within the reality zone
of personal strengths, weaknesses, and opportun-
ities for success.
The right coach can elevate your know-
ledge, mental performance, physical perform-
ance, competitive skills, and help deliver more
wins. Great coaches are easily worth their weight
in gold.
A large part of the coach’s role is to keep
you engaged with the reality of the situation so
that you can make the proper adjustments and
employ the correct strategies to achieve more vic-
tories than losses. You will find that learning how
to use the reality principle becomes easier when
you are part of a like-minded team focused on
peak performance.
Action
The last principle of mind power has more to do
with the body than the mind. It is the principle of
action.
Actions are the single most important
controllable determinant of success or failure in
life. There are simply no results without action.
The right action leads to the right result (based
on your desired outcome). The wrong action leads
to the wrong result (based on your undesired out-
come).
By studying and applying the nine prin-
ciples of mind power, you will set yourself up to be
more action-oriented. This will allow you to accel-
erate the development of peak performance skills,
such as mental toughness.
Don’t talk about—be about it! You must
actually do what you are programmed and com-
mitted to doing if you want to improve, win, lead,
and achieve success.
Taking action requires faith and confid-
ence. With training and practice--you will train
your mind and body to overcome doubts, fears,
and obstacles that may have prevented you from
taking action (or taking the right action) in the
past.
The action principle is evident in all parts
of life. People who are consistent in taking the
right actions are rewarded with higher levels of
success and self-fulfillment.
Taking the right action at the right time
requires mental toughness and decisiveness.
Highly successful athletes and career profession-
als enjoy taking action! They instinctively know
when to transition from thought to action and
back to thought. They can do this so quickly that
it appears to be instantaneous to the untrained ob-
server.
Elite U.S. military forces, such as Navy
Seals and Army Rangers, are trained to rely on
their mental toughness to execute well-timed and
precise actions during intense missions and pro-
jects.
One of the benefits of mental toughness
training is that it will free your mind to focus on
the critical actions necessary to perform at your
peak in the moment. You are much more likely to
perform with excellence and win over the com-
petition when your actions are responsive, fluid,
and decisively executed based on the reality of
the situation and circumstances.
Chapter 4
Mind Power Attributes
In this chapter, you will discover the most im-
portant attributes for mind power development.
Whereas mind power principles are the foundation
of your knowledge base--the attributes covered in
this chapter are the building blocks of your mental
toughness skills.
Mind power attributes are characteristics
or qualities of an individual’s psychological or
mental functioning. Science has determined that
these characteristics are critical to the development
of the mental toughness skills that directly affect
performance and success.
No single attribute trumps all others. The
combined sum of your mind power attributes will
always have the greatest impact on your Mental
Toughness Loop.
Our collective goal is for you to identify,
understand, and develop the five attributes of
mind power until they become a natural part of
your behavior and actions.
Ambition
Ambition is a strong desire to achieve something
that is not common or easy. Every shining example
of significant success or achievement includes the
attribute of ambition.
Desire to achieve is at the heart of all great
discoveries and inventions. Ambition is a proven
fuel that drives individuals to become great ath-
letes and leaders.
Like all mental warriors, I’m sure you
have set high standards for achievement in your
life. Ambition is an attribute that seems to be hard-
wired in the most successful people.
Without sufficient ambition or desire, we
are at risk of settling for less or not reaching our
full potential based on our natural gifts and talents.
Between equally skilled competitors, winning can
sometimes come down to “who wants it more.”
Having higher than average standards and
goals is not a bad thing as long as you are con-
sistently willing to do what is necessary (right ac-
tions) to achieve the desired results. Ambition
will help keep you going when most others would
have thrown in the proverbial towel and quit.
Highly ambitious people do not typically
have a fear of success. They do tend to have a fear
of failure, which drives them to work harder and
faster. High achievers find comfort and purpose
in ambitious goals--and they are generally very
interested in self-improvement, achievement, and
winning.
The attribute of ambition is a benefit to
your mental toughness because it will keep you
moving forward toward improved performance
and increasingly better outcomes until you reach
your goal.
Ego is somewhat related to the attribute
of ambition. You must develop a healthy ego in
order to possess healthy ambition.
Ego and ambition are beneficial for men-
tal toughness development—that is, unless they
cause someone to spiral out of control and into
unproductive behavior that defies the reality prin-
ciple. In this case, extreme ego and ambition can
derail your career and success very quickly.
I suggest you nurture and grow your am-
bition (without becoming egomaniacal) as you
continue to improve and succeed over time. Do
not try to minimize your ambition as doing so
will hamper your success programming and ac-
tion orientation—both of which are critical to
your success.
Wanting to be a consistent peak per-
former, a great business leader, a sports champi-
on, or a super fit and healthy person is ambitious.
There is nothing wrong with ambition--it is es-
sential for developing the mental toughness re-
quired to achieve your biggest goals and dreams.
Knowledge
As with action, the right knowledge can have a
significant impact on your results and subsequent
success (or failure). The most successful people
are always thirsty for more (relevant) knowledge.
No matter how much knowledge you
have regarding a subject, industry, or sport—you
must remain a humble and eager student in order
to identify, learn, and master the most effective
concepts and strategies for success as taught by the
best coaches and teachers.
Mastery of something does not mean you
stop learning or stop being a student. On the con-
trary—successful winners are highly respectful of
“continuous knowledge acquisition” and its power
to change performances, behaviors, and outcomes.
You will become a more capable athlete
or leader through effective development and ap-
plication of mind power attributes and skills. You
have invested in yourself by investing in this book.
You (like all successful people) have demonstrated
that you respect the power of knowledge for per-
sonal development and peak performance.
In addition to subject knowledge, the
pursuit of self-knowledge is just as important for
the mental warrior. Mastering the “psychology of
self” is an important factor in successful peak
performance management.
I am constantly amazed by the fact that
one small piece of information can dramatically
change the trajectory of a situation or game in
your favor. This validates the need to make sure
you are actively seeking the right knowledge to
improve your performance and chances of win-
ning.
Ambitious and committed mental war-
riors do not waste time pursuing knowledge that
is unrelated to their specific goals and priorities.
My only caution is that you stay open to potential
lessons and learnings from unlikely places as the
source of relevant information is not always ini-
tially evident in some instances.
Sources of learning include printed
books, digital books, audio books, videos,
classes, seminars, personal coaching, and assor-
ted online tools. Also, don’t forget the most im-
portant source of learning--active participation!
Controlled learning is important, but it is
no substitute for the experience gained from par-
ticipating and competing in the actual sport or in-
dustry. It is only through active participation that
you will be able to assess your real progress and
evaluate the practical effectiveness of your ac-
quired knowledge.
Because you are following the principles
of simplicity and reality--it is important to get
comfortable with letting go of knowledge that
is not useful or effective. Due to constant ad-
vances in peak performance science and techno-
logies—knowledge is evolving faster and faster
with each successive generation.
Masters of peak performance and mind
power are most concerned with practical know-
ledge that is highly efficient and effective in de-
livering results for today’s world.
Another source of knowledge is mod-
eling successful leaders in your field or sport.
How do the most successful people train, com-
pete, think, play, and execute their winning
strategies? If you want to learn how to be the best,
you have to study the best in your field (from
today and previous generations).
The hallmark of a superior champion or
leader is that he always seems to be one step
ahead of the competition. Like most people, the
superior competitor is always concerned with
working harder to improve his chances of win-
ning. However, he (unlike most) is equally con-
cerned with working smart. It is his focus on
maximum efficiency allows the superior compet-
itor to get maximum results with minimal effort.
As your Mental Toughness Loop capa-
city continues to grow, you will notice that you
can achieve more even though success seems to
require less effort than it did initially. Your mind
is like a muscle. The stronger it gets—the lighter
the initial weight (or challenge) feels. It also
means that you must use it or lose it when it
comes to mental muscle and mind power.
I suggest you commit right now to be-
coming a lifelong student of mind power and
mental toughness for peak performance manage-
ment. Committed students in any field are the fu-
ture leaders in that field. In sports, the best stu-
dents of the game end up being successful play-
ers, coaches, and executives. In business, the best
students in the industry end up leading compan-
ies and organizations.
The knowledge attribute is always a
factor in determining success or failure. If you
make relevant knowledge acquisition and con-
tinuous learning part of your ongoing mental
toughness program--you will be ahead of the
competition.
Belief
The awesome power of belief has delivered many
miracles in our society. Belief is trust, faith, or
confidence in something.
To believe in something, you have to have
an empowering attitude and be willing to commit.
To believe in yourself, you must have ambition
and passion for achieving your goals.
If you lack belief in your abilities or skills
to perform at your peak or win consistently--you
will need to first work on correcting your own be-
lief system. You must believe that you can correct
any mental hurdles. You must believe that you can
gain the necessary knowledge and tools to excel
and win.
You cannot express or demonstrate genu-
ine belief without some evidence of your capab-
ilities to achieve your desired goals. Not having
the exact knowledge or enough willpower in the
present is no reason to suspend belief in yourself
or your ability to improve and reach your goals.
You don’t have to start off with all of the
skills for success in your field in order to believe
that you can be successful. The starting point is to
simply believe! However, you must translate your
initial belief into commitment and action if you
want to reach your maximum potential.
Champions experience fear and anxiety
like all players. The difference is that champions
believe they can win--and deserve to win. Be-
cause of this winning belief, champions are never
quitters (even in temporary defeat or setback).
As a mental toughness student, you must
adopt a “can do” mindset that has unwavering be-
lief at its core. You really can learn to be ultra-
focused, mentally tough, and consistently discip-
lined. Do you believe this? You should because
it’s true!
You cannot conceive or achieve what
you cannot believe. Belief is the starting point
for any major transformation. The strengthening
of your Mental Toughness Loop will strengthen
your belief in yourself and your ability to win.
You must guard against any thoughts or
influences that suggest or tell you that you are not
good enough to be a successful peak performer
and winner. As long as you don’t disrespect the
principle of reality, it is a requirement (and per-
sonal right) to have total belief in your ability to
reach your goals.
Sometimes you have to challenge and
push yourself to believe. If you are in a game, los-
ing by a wide margin, and the clock is running
down—it is very easy to believe that the game
is over. However, you have probably witnessed
many competitions where a person or team has
come back from the jaws of defeat to snatch a
surprising victory due to their sheer unwilling-
ness to stop believing that they could win.
As part of your mental toughness train-
ing—you will learn how to maintain a strong be-
lief in your ability to win. And, despite a loss or
temporary setback—you will learn how to keep
making progress under the most difficult circum-
stances. There is a direct correlation between
consistent peak performance and consistent belief
or faith.
You can use self-talk and body language
to have a positive impact on your belief and faith.
You have to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk”
to be a superior performer. Champions and suc-
cessful leaders act like winners because they sin-
cerely believe they are winners!
By having belief in yourself, you will be
more comfortable holding yourself accountable
for your performance and results. An empower-
ing attitude coupled with a strong belief will nat-
urally lead to more success.
It’s normal for any athlete or leader to
feel more anxiety as personal accountability in-
creases. He knows “it’s on the line” and that win-
ning or losing is solely or partially up to him.
With a strong belief—successful performers are
more than willing to assume the pressure of ac-
countability because they understand that the ac-
countability is simply “part of the job” to become
a winner and champion.
Persistence
Persistence is the quality that allows someone to
continue doing something or trying to do
something even though the desired result does not
come fast or easy. The attribute of persistence is
expressed as a firm and steadfast continuance in a
course of action despite difficulty or opposition.
The quality of persistence is crucial in the
process of transmitting desire or ambition into
winning. The basis of persistence is belief and
commitment. Without belief and commitment—a
person cannot possibly possess above average per-
sistence.
Persistence is an attribute that deserves all
of the accolades it receives--starting in our child-
hood, with the book, “The Little Engine That
Could.” In sports, business, and life--persistence is
one of the best ways to overcome resistance.
Most people give up and quit too soon
when faced with opposition or obstacles. For men-
tal warriors and students of mental toughness, hav-
ing the persistence trait is mission critical to
achieving more wins and more success.
The power of persistence has been
demonstrated and validate throughout history. In
order to access this tremendous power, you must
make up your mind that you will not give up
and that you will continue to improve—no matter
what. For battle-tested champions—failure is
simply a step in the direction toward ultimate suc-
cess.
Failure is always temporary to someone
with a high level of persistence. Mental warriors
and consistent winners simply refuse to give up
or accept failure as a lasting result. For the highly
persistent—“no” never means “not ever.” For the
highly persistent person—“no” simply means
“not right now,” but “maybe later.”
Mental warriors know that they may
need to make some changes in their strategy or
actions if they want to turn a “no” into a
“yes”—or turn a past loss into a future win.
Mentally tough people simply don’t accept the
word “no” as personal or permanent.
To develop superior persistence--you
must learn to embrace the “journey to success”
and not just the result of success. If you don’t
learn to enjoy the journey along the way (both
good and bad)—you are much less likely to per-
sist long enough to make it to your intended des-
tination.
Mental toughness training is a part of
your journey to success. Learning to make mental
training an enjoyable habit is critical to develop-
ing the persistence necessary to achieve peak per-
formance and lasting success in your professional
and personal life.
Extraordinary success requires that you
pay the price in full before obtaining the benefits.
For those who do not pay the price in full--they
will often lose their success within a short period
of time. For mental warriors who have paid their
dues and developed the core attributes and skills
of success—they are confident because they can
produce consistent results that will allow them to
maintain their success.
Knowing that you fully understand and
can always leverage the power of persistence is
very potent and energizing. A strict “no quit”
mentality often separates wins and losses.
Most people don’t understand that win-
ners typically have failed more times than losers.
Nearly all champions and great leaders have ex-
perienced bitter defeat prior to achieving their
greatest triumphs.
If you are not taking continuous action
toward significant goals (and thus failing more
often)—you are probably not experiencing a lot
of success. One significant achievement, driven
to realization by the power of persistence, can po-
tentially make up for five previous small losses.
Does it matter that a person may have
failed to lose weight on twenty-five previous at-
tempts if they become trim and fit enough to fin-
ish a triathlon on their twenty-sixth attempt at
weight loss? What matters is that they persisted
and didn’t give up until they found the right com-
bination of strategies and actions to achieve and
maintain success.
Winning consistently is not easy. To win
big, you will need to keep trying over and over
again (while improving along the way) until you
can identify and execute the right strategies for
success. The key to finding successful solutions
is often a matter of pure persistence. No matter
what---you must never give up—period!
The vast majority of people are ready to
throw their goals overboard and give up at the
first sign of opposition or defeat. A few (mentally
tough people) carry on despite all opposition, un-
til they achieve their worthy goals.
Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Bill Gates,
Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. These talen-
ted and celebrated achievers clearly demonstrated
extraordinary levels of persistence in their profes-
sions. Regardless of your innate talent level, you
can train yourself to develop the mental attributes
(like persistence) that will allow you to maxim-
ize your potential and achieve significant goals in
your life.
Famed Think and Grow Rich author, Na-
poleon Hill, was quoted as saying, “there may be
no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but
the quality is to the character of man what carbon
is to steel.” Simply put—persistence is an indis-
pensable personal trait for success.
There is a close correlation between per-
sistence and patience. Patience is the ability to ac-
cept or tolerate delays as part of the success pro-
cess. An overly eager or impatient player or com-
petitor will often beat himself due to his inability
to take the right actions at the right time.
The right time for success is when the
opportunity to win presents itself, and you are
prepared to deliver a winning performance. The
skilled application of the persistence attribute
(which includes patience and timing) is a sure fire
way to increase your odds of winning and achiev-
ing success.
Adaptability
If you consistently take an action that does not res-
ult in success—you need to adapt and change your
strategy and action in order to succeed. The right
action always equals the right result.
If you are not getting the results you want,
you either are not taking the right actions--or you
simply cannot take the right actions (for example,
I simply don’t have the ability to execute the right
actions to defeat Michael Jordan on the basketball
court in his prime).
Adaptability is becoming more and more
important as the pace of life and technological
evolution continues to accelerate in our society.
Too often, I have witnessed short-term winners
achieve a certain level of success and then stop
adapting because they believe they have achieved
perfection in performance, strategy, or process.
Having the ability to adjust to new cir-
cumstances quickly and effectively will separate
you from the competition and allow you to achieve
your goals more quickly and consistently. The
ability to adapt in order to operate more effect-
ively in a situation will help you achieve and
maintain a higher level of success.
Today’s superstar athletes, teams, exec-
utives, and career professionals are often the most
versatile participants in their field. The ability to
adapt quickly and easily is a highly valued skill
in today’s workplace. In addition, the adaptability
attribute can have a positive impact on your per-
sonal life.
As human beings, we have a natural abil-
ity to continue adapting as long as we are alive
and healthy. There is no age restriction on the at-
tribute of adaptability.
While persistence is the “gas that will
fuel your continued push to the finish line”—the
attribute of adaptability will allow you to choose
the fastest and most direct routes to victory. By
not employing the adaptability attribute, the jour-
ney to consistent peak performance and success
can be more difficult.
Champions, leaders, and mental warriors
who dominate in their field for extended periods
have mastered the art of adapting. Sports organ-
izations that have won multiple championships
(sometimes called dynasties) must exhibit con-
tinuous adaptability in how they recruit, train,
coach, and play.
An emerging and nimble competitor or
organization will often supersede established
players or organizations that refuse to adapt and
change. History books are full of fallen compan-
ies, industries, and dynasties that failed to adapt
quickly and consistently.
In order to deliver excellent results con-
sistently, you must develop the habit of adapting
to the reality of the circumstances. Adapting ef-
fectively and continuously requires persistence
and the ability to accurately assess and interpret
current situations and results.
Your mental flexibility or adaptability
can be measured by watching how you manage
and implement new knowledge, strategies, train-
ing methods, and execution processes. For ex-
ample—adapting to and utilizing the latest in-
novative technology, analytical tools, and train-
ing systems is a requirement for lasting success in
today’s sports and business worlds.
The most famous martial artist in history,
Bruce Lee, once said that you must “be like water
making its way through cracks. Do not be as-
sertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall
find a way around or through it. If nothing within
you stay rigid, outward things will disclose them-
selves.”
As a mental toughness student, you must
be willing and able to adapt as needed if you want
to maximize your skills, performance, and results
for long-term success.
Chapter 5
Motivation
Now that you understand the principles and attrib-
utes of mind power—it’s time to start reviewing
and developing the individual skills that will cul-
minate in the maximization of your Mental Tough-
ness Loop.
The starting point for all achievement is
motivation. Without sufficient motivation, you
will not take that crucial first step toward success.
Motivation is literally the desire to do
something. It's the difference between wanting to
jump out of bed at the crack of dawn because you
can’t wait to start your training or work—versus
wanting to hit the snooze button continuously all
morning.
Motivation requires emotion. Knowing
something isn’t enough to cause change. You must
feel something emotionally, mentally, and physic-
ally that causes you to want and need the result
you are seeking.
The term motivation describes why a per-
son does something. Motivation is what causes
us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to
quench our thirst or reading a book to gain know-
ledge.
Motives are those things that motivate
us. Motives are the "whys" of behavior--the
needs or wants that drive our actions and explain
what we do. We can’t actually observe the
motives of others, but we can infer motives based
on the behavior we observe in others.
Motivation is an essential element in set-
ting and attaining goals—and research shows that
you can influence and increase your own levels
of motivation. The more you exercise your
motivation--the more powerful it will become.
Mental warriors view motivation as a
skill that (like any other skill) can be improved
with the proper knowledge and practice.
The Science of Motivation
Motivation is a process that initiates, guides, and
maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation can
be divided into two types: intrinsic (internal) mo-
tivation and extrinsic (external) motivation.
Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation
that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the
task itself, and exists within the individual rather
than relying on external pressures or desires. Ath-
letes and business leaders who are intrinsically
motivated to win are naturally more enthusiastic
about their training and work.
You are intrinsically motivated if you dis-
play the following three traits:
1. Belief that you have (or can develop)
the skills to reach your goals.
2. Commitment to learning and mastering
the required skills to reach your goals.
3. Acceptance of your power to influence
your performance, results, and success.
Extrinsic motivation comes from outside
of the individual. Extrinsic motivators include re-
wards, for exhibiting the desired behavior—and
punishment, for not exhibiting the desired beha-
vior.
I recommend using both intrinsic and ex-
trinsic motivation methods to improve your men-
tal toughness, peak performance, and consisten-
cy.
In my own personal experience, I have
found that I am most motivated when anchored
by intrinsic motivational factors. From there, I
identify compelling external motivational factors
that will increase my total motivation. This dual
approach to “motivation flexing” is particularly
helpful in getting me past any initial procrastina-
tion related to a new goal or project.
If you are not motivated to take action on
your most important goals—you should start with
asking yourself, “why am I not motivated?”
Is it that you are not sure what you really
want? Is it that you don’t really want the reward?
Is it that you believe the work required to achieve
the goal is too difficult? Is the goal or objective
in conflict with another goal or personal value?
Do you doubt that you have “what it takes” to
achieve the goal?
Take the time to identify and understand
the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that will
drive you to achieve your significant goals. In-
timate knowledge of your key motivators will
provide constant energy.
One of my favorite motivation sayings to
students is this: “you must be mindful before you
can be motivated.” This means that it’s always
worth taking a timeout to assess your motivation
gaps if you find that you are procrastinating or
not feeling eager to take consistent action toward
your goals.
Being mentally tough is not about trying
to find out how many brick walls you can run
through. Being mentally tough is more about how
to listen to your mind—learn from your
mind—use your mind—and grow your mind.
The mind is the most complex and powerful ma-
chinery known to man, and you must learn to re-
spect it if you want to master it and unleash its
full potential.
If you are not motivated—trust me, there
is a logical reason for it. True, you may not know
what that reason is—but, your mind is fighting
against you for some reason that (if identified)
can be addressed and overcome.
A conflict between your mind and your
goals will weaken your Mental Toughness Loop
and your performance. To maximize your mental
toughness and performance consistency, you
must actively engage and hone your motivation.
You can start by making sure you always have
consistent alignment between your mind, goals,
and values.
Hierarchy of Human Needs
American psychologist, Abraham H. Maslow, de-
veloped the hierarchy of human needs theory,
which consists of five specific stages or levels.
According to Maslow, people are motivated by
unsatisfied needs. The needs are arranged in or-
der of importance to human life, from basic to the
complex as follows:
1. Physiology (breathing, hunger, thirst,
sleep)
2. Safety (security, shelter, health)
3. Social (belongingness, love, friend-
ship)
4. Self-esteem (confidence, recognition,
achievement)
5. Self-actualization (fulfillment, cre-
ativity, inner peace, purpose)
The most basic requirements or needs
provide the foundation or first level in the
hierarchy--physiology. If there are deficits on this
level, all behavior will be oriented to satisfy this
deficit. Essentially, if you have not slept or hy-
drated adequately, you won't be interested in your
self-esteem desires.
Next, we have the second level, which
awakens a need for safety. After securing the
first two levels, human motives shift to the social
sphere, the third level. Psychological require-
ments comprise the fourth level of self-esteem,
while the top of the hierarchy consists of self-ac-
tualization and fulfillment.
A person advances to the next level of
needs only after the lower level need is at least
minimally satisfied. The further the progress up
the hierarchy, the more individuality and psycho-
logical health a person will show.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory can
be summarized as follows—“Human behavior is
generally directed by a hierarchy of needs and de-
sires—and unsatisfied needs and desires will in-
fluence behavior much more than satisfied needs
and desires.”
Future goals and potential achievements
are naturally more motivating to people than past
events or successes. This explains why we often
witness aging superstar athletes who refuse to
step away from a sport despite significant decline
in their skills and performance. They are motiv-
ated by what they believe they can still achieve
in the future—not by what they have achieved in
the past.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory
provides a framework for how a mentally healthy
and strong person should be motivated. In the
practical realities of daily life—“perceived cir-
cumstances” are the most powerful motivator.
In Maslow’s hierarchy, a person (in the-
ory) should be less motivated to achieve pro-
fessional accolades and career success than to
achieve love and friendship. However, I have per-
sonally witnessed many individuals who were
much more motivated by winning on the field or
in the office than winning at home or in their spir-
itual lives.
If you “perceive” that drinking and
smoking too much to gain the favor of desired
friends is more important than your health and
safety—you are not adhering to Maslow’s hier-
archy that says you must satisfy lower level needs
before higher level needs.
This is why my research and observa-
tions have led me to believe that “perceived cir-
cumstances” are the primary driver of practical
daily human motivation. If you don’t “perceive”
the absence of lower level needs being met as a
real threat—you can be very motivated to achieve
higher-level needs despite the fact that it may not
be healthy, logical, fulfilling, or sustainable in the
long-term.
If you are motivated to achieve higher
level needs without having lower level needs sat-
isfied—your mind will be in conflict, which will
ultimately undermine your motivation and weak-
en your mental toughness. In this case, the indi-
vidual may not be in the healthiest state of mind,
which means they will not be operating at peak
performance.
As a mental warrior, you can use
Maslow’s innovative hierarchy of human needs
to improve mental toughness, consistency of peak
performance, and long-term results. The order of
the levels in Maslow’s hierarchy are correct when
viewed from the perspective of the person with a
healthy body and sound mind.
A healthy state of mind is essential for
achieving maximum mental toughness. For men-
tally fit individuals, studying Maslow’s hierarchy
can help improve your motivation skills and per-
formance because it can help you identify and
avoid psychological conflicts that arise from try-
ing to satisfy higher level needs before lower
level needs.
For athletes, understanding the basics of
motivation psychology will improve your ability
to assess competitors and gain a winning edge.
For leaders, understanding the drivers of motiva-
tion will improve your ability to lead and inspire
teams to achieve superior results.
Motivation Methods
The following solutions can help stimulate, im-
prove, and maintain your motivation for peak per-
formance and success. Use the motivation meth-
ods that work best for you and don’t hesitate to
try new solutions, or discard a solution if it’s not
working for you.
Goals
As we discussed in the section on clarity--you
can’t achieve something if you don’t know what
you are trying to achieve! You must learn how to
set and achieve goals if you want to develop ad-
vanced mental toughness skills.
It is much easier to maintain motivation
if the process of managing your goals is a regular
and enjoyable activity in your life. By regular, I
mean you should be reviewing and thinking about
your big, inspiring goals on a daily basis!
Goal setting provides instant mental
toughness capacity because it immediately focuses
your brainpower on a specific outcome. Con-
versely, having no goals or unclear goals hinders
mental toughness because your brain is more
scattered and less focused.
The daily management of motivating
goals can be easy and effective. In chapter thir-
teen, you will learn more about how to use
S.M.A.R.T. goals as part of your mental tough-
ness training program.
Music
Music is a great tool for stimulating and main-
taining your motivation to give 100% to a task,
project, or training session. I find that music
helps me enter the “zone” or peak performance
state of mind—which increases my overall men-
tal toughness and results.
Music can make any activity seem more
enjoyable, creative, and fulfilling.
Nearly all champions and mental warri-
ors use music as an effective motivational tool.
You can choose your music based on your per-
sonal tastes, mood, or a specific situation and
activity. The key is to choose music that helps
you get motivated and stay motivated to take the
right actions and perform at your peak.
Fans
Praise is an inexpensive motivational method.
The genuine recognition and acknowledgement
of an outstanding performance is a powerful and
proven form of extrinsic motivation. Too many
aspiring leaders fail to understand and apply this
simple strategy and truth.
Fans are those people in your life that
“have your back” and will always be rooting for
you to win and succeed. They can be family
members, friends, mentors, teammates, teachers,
students, colleagues, coaches, or approving
strangers.
The best (“core”) fans are totally com-
mitted in their support and desire to see you suc-
ceed. They will be there during the difficult times
when your motivation needs a charge—and not
just when you reach your greatest heights. Treat
these fans like invaluable treasures—because
they are!
Family
There is nothing like having a supportive spouse,
parent, child, best friend, or other close family
member to help motivate you and keep you striv-
ing for improved performance, more wins, and
higher levels of success. These are essentially
your super fans.
Sometimes, family members and friends
can be de-motivating. Often, some people may
not understand the mental warrior’s drive to
achieve a high level of success—and they may
express this lack of understanding in the form of
unproductive comments or suggestions.
In these instances, just ignore the unsup-
portive inputs--and choose to discuss your sig-
nificant peak performance goals only with those
who provide productive guidance and motiva-
tion. Be sure to express consistent thanks and
gratitude to those who are your most ardent sup-
porters.
Coaches
I have not met a top athlete or business executive
who did not credit multiple coaches or mentors
with having a significant impact on their personal
development and success. Great coaches are in-
valuable to anyone who wants to achieve peak
performance.
A skilled coach can provide knowledge
and technical guidance on how to become a better
performer and more capable competitor. Also, a
quality coach will enhance your desire and help
sustain your motivation to achieve a challenging,
but worthy goal.
Role Models
I have always been fascinated with the mental
qualities and success strategies that differentiate
ultra-high achievers from average achievers in
sports, business, careers, and health.
Studying, interviewing, and modeling
winners at the highest level is one of my personal
motivation methods. For business, health, martial
arts, or my personal life—I will typically focus
on one specific champion or leader at a time.
Once I have integrated and started applying the
key learnings from one high achiever, I will start
to seek out another high-level competitor in the
field. It is a continuous process.
If you study the top 5% of all performers
in any field—you will find that their specific
methods, techniques, and strategies may differ
slightly. By studying multiple leaders and cham-
pions in your target area of peak performance,
you will have a better chance of gaining insights
that will be most effective for your unique skills
and circumstances.
Pictures
You’ve probably heard the saying “a picture is
worth a thousand words.” As it relates to the
development of your self-motivation skills, the
right pictures can be a great source of ongoing in-
spiration.
I’ve seen athletes make poster boards out
of the championship trophy and hang it in their
rooms as a way to stay focused and motivated un-
til they obtained the real thing. Similarly, you can
hang or download pictures of any object that rep-
resent success for you based on your significant
goals.
Also, you can use pictures of your per-
sonal idol or favorite performer in your field as a
way to maintain your motivation intensity.
Visualization
Visualization is an internal picture—or a picture
in your mind. Because visualization allows you
to alter pictures instantly and completely, it is a
powerful and convenient motivation tool.
I find that visualization works best when
you use a dual action technique. First, you start
by picturing yourself doing the activity or action
that leads to your goal. Second, you picture the
actual moment or representation of success in
achieving the goal.
For example, if your goal is to lose ten
pounds—you would first visualize yourself eat-
ing right and exercising regularly. Secondly, you
would visualize yourself after you have achieved
the weight loss. The second picture may consist
of you imagining yourself stepping on a scale that
displays your target weight. Or, you may imagine
your new body features and how attractive they
are to others who are complimenting you on your
improved appearance.
Self-Talk
Self-talk (done correctly) is a very effective pro-
gramming tool. With productive and precise self-
talk, you can provide instant and sustainable mo-
tivation. I suggest you get creative and find the
right motivational sayings to help you start and
stay in action. For example, I have used the fol-
lowing: “Let’s do it!” “Let’s go for it!” “I’m
ready right now!” “I know I can do this!”
The key to effective self-motivation
through self-talk is to use your body and emo-
tions to generate increased energy and stronger
positive connections with the peak performance
activity. By that, I mean that you must “say it like
you mean it!”
Self-talk works best when you say your
motivational commands aloud. However, if you
are not comfortable or able to do this--you may
choose to use silent self-talk commands within
your mind.
Use self-talk before every practice, train-
ing session, and big event or game to help enter
the “peak performance zone” more quickly. You
will find that your go-to motivational commands
will become automatic triggers that you can use
to motivate yourself anytime and anywhere.
Kinesiology
As a mental warrior, you need to have solutions
for getting motivated and moving even when you
are not feeling up to it.
Kinesiology is the scientific study of hu-
man movement. One effective solution for over-
coming inertia is movement. It is much easier to
get motivated and stay motivated when you are in
motion. If you will simply “get moving” and take
that first action step—and the next step, you will
become increasingly more motivated.
Social Circle
As humans, we are naturally susceptible to peer
pressure. As a mental warrior, you must use this
scientific fact to your advantage by associating
with people who will strengthen and consistently
renew your motivation to perform with excel-
lence.
As my dad used to say to me when I was
a teenager, “You are who you hang out with.” As
I’ve grown older, I can now fully grasp the truth
and impact of this statement. I have learned that
the people you surround yourself with either lift
you up or pull you down; they motivate you or
drain you; they support you or criticize you; they
make you cheerful or make you gloomy.
If someone regularly associates with un-
derachievers, they may not become a total
loser—but they will decrease their odds of
achieving significant success and reaching their
full potential. If you want to become a win-
ner—associate with winners!
Declaration
A declaration is an explicit and formal statement
or announcement. It is a public commitment. By
“going public” with your goals, you can leverage
the peer pressure factor to help initiate and main-
tain motivation.
You can declare your goals to your im-
mediate family—or you can broaden the reach
and motivational force of your declaration by
proclaiming your goals to a wider circle of team
members and friends.
Mental Toughness Tip
One thing I’ve learned is that success and consist-
ent progress are very powerful motivators.
I urge you to use your knowledge of the
mind power principles to get motivated and stay
motivated. The simplicity and clarity principles in
particular are very useful for motivation mainten-
ance.
From my own personal experience, I
know that it can be easy to “zone out” and start
losing motivation if I feel like a goal, project, or
task is becoming too complicated. I may start to
feel overwhelmed with too much information or
too many details.
Feeling or being mentally overwhelmed is
all too common in today’s hyper-paced modern so-
ciety. We have fantastic technology and productiv-
ity tools to help us manage our time, but we some-
times undermine ourselves by constantly adding
more and more to our maxed out “to-do lists.”
It has been proven time and time again
(by highly successful people) that the more you
embrace the principles of simplicity and clar-
ity—the more you can spark and maintain your
motivation. Consistent application of the simpli-
city and clarity principles will eliminate unne-
cessary thoughts, tasks, and clutter in your
life—which frees your mind to allow motivation
(through focus on your most important goals) to
grow and expand.
Chapter 6
Willpower and
Self-Control
Many people believe they could improve their
lives if only they had more of that mysterious
thing called willpower. With more self-control, we
would all eat right, exercise regularly, practice our
sport or craft more intensely, avoid drugs and alco-
hol, save more for retirement, stop procrastinating,
and achieve all sorts of positive goals.
According to the American Psychological
Association--not having willpower was the num-
ber one reason people cited for being unable to
reach their goals and make successful lifestyle
changes related to their health, career, finances,
and relationships.
A growing body of evidence indicates that
willpower and self-control are essential for a
happy and successful life. As a mental toughness
student, you must learn how to develop and max-
imize willpower and self-control, so that you can
resist negative influences and eliminate bad
habits that undermine consistent peak perform-
ance.
We have many common names for will-
power: self-control, impulse control, delayed
gratification, resolve, or determination. Accord-
ing to most psychological scientists, willpower
can be described as follows:
* The ability to delay gratification, resisting
short-term temptations in order to achieve
long-term goals.
* The capacity to override an unwanted or
negative thought, feeling or impulse.
* The ability to employ a “rational” cognitive
system of behavior rather than an “irrational”
emotional system.
* Conscious regulation of the self by the self.
* A limited resource capable of being de-
pleted.
Motivation (covered in the previous
chapter) is about increasing desire to do
something that moves you closer toward your
goals. Whereas, willpower is more about having
the skills and ability to resist or not do something
that conflicts with and undermines progress to-
ward your goals.
The Science of Willpower
Two main areas of the brain contribute to the pro-
cess of willpower--the limbic system (located right
under the brain) and the prefrontal cortex (the front
section of the brain right behind your forehead).
These sections of the brain are linked closely to-
gether, and their communication efficiency de-
termines how well you can exhibit willpower and
self-control.
The limbic system is the “emotional” part
of the brain. It is associated with your desires and
urges for instant gratification. The prefrontal cor-
tex is the “logical” part of the brain, which is
associated with the cognitive function of rational
thought, decision-making, and behavior regula-
tion.
Whenever an emotional response is gen-
erated by the limbic system, the prefrontal cortex
then interprets the response. This allows the pre-
frontal cortex to produce a logical behavioral re-
sponse based on the situation. The more active
your prefrontal cortex is--the greater your capa-
city for willpower and emotional control.
The willpower process is activated in re-
sponse to an internal conflict. Let’s use lunchtime
as an example. The desire for instant gratification
may cause an individual to order a supersized fast
food lunch, followed by a cigarette break. Con-
versely, motivation and a stronger desire to exer-
cise willpower may cause an individual to order
a healthy and hearty salad, followed by a short
walk.
One of the most consistent scientific
findings about willpower is that it seems to be
finite—that is, we only have so much during a
24-hour period and it runs out as we use it—and
we need to replenish it regularly. Willpower de-
pends on the body’s natural energy cycle and
tends to be strongest at the beginning of the day.
Trying to control your instant gratifica-
tion desires, negative emotions, non-vital distrac-
tions, or simply refusing an unhealthy desert all
tap the same source of mental strength known
as willpower. The more we use willpower, the
weaker it tends to get throughout the day.
Willpower
is
essentially
like
a
muscle—it can be exhausted by overuse, but just
like our physical muscles--researchers believe we
can strengthen our willpower and expand its ca-
pacity by training it. Because willpower is like a
muscle--you have to exhaust it in the short-term
in order to build its strength in the long-term.
Your willpower is strengthened by doing
anything that gets your brain out of its comfort
zone in a healthy manner. When you work to de-
velop mental toughness and change habits, you
deplete your willpower in the process--but over
time, the strength of your willpower increases
from these exercises, making you better able to
demonstrate mental toughness and achieve your
goals in the future.
The best part about creating a new will-
power habit is that not only does it strengthen
your mental toughness--it also frees up more of
your willpower for other things. When a decision
evolves into a habit--it draws little, if any, energy
from your willpower supply. The more good de-
cisions you can make habitual, the less impact
and drain on your willpower you’ll experience
throughout the day.
This is why mental warriors with
stronger self-control actually spend less time res-
isting desires than those with weaker self-control.
By developing willpower, self-discipline, and
good habits—mental warriors minimize the num-
ber of temptations they face by making many
daily decisions and actions automatic.
This is when the Mental Toughness Loop
really starts to kick in and naturally take over by
accelerating all of your mental toughness skills,
driving improved performance, and delivering
better results in your life!
The Marshmallow Experiment
The most persuasive evidence on willpower and
delayed gratification comes from two studies that
measured young children’s self-control, and then
kept track of them as they grew into adults.
The most well-known experiment, the
“
,” was started in the
1960s by psychologist Walter Mischel. He
offered four-year-olds the choice of a marshmal-
low now, or two if they could wait fifteen
minutes. He and other researchers then tracked
the performance of these children, as they be-
came adults. They found that children who resis-
ted temptation (“high delayers”) achieved greater
academic success, better health, and lower rates
of marital separation and
. Mischel con-
cluded that the ability to delay gratification con-
stituted “a protective buffer against the develop-
ment of all kinds of vulnerabilities later in life.”
In
, 1,000 children were
tracked from birth to the age of thirty-two. The
researchers found that
self-control pre-
dicted physical health, substance dependence,
personal finances, and criminal offenses. This
was true even when other factors such as
and social class were considered. The re-
searchers even compared
pairs and found
that the sibling in each pair with lower measured
willpower or self-control had more negative life
outcomes, despite shared family background.
Below is a link to a Marshmallow exper-
iment video:
The Marshmallow experiment provides
evidence on the lifelong impact of being condi-
tioned to exercise willpower vs. succumb to in-
stant gratification.
Mental warriors know that willpower is a
core component and skill of all highly successful
individuals. Increased willpower will directly in-
crease mental toughness, peak performance con-
sistency, and leadership effectiveness.
The Willpower Journey
In order to maximize your willpower, you must
learn to enjoy the moments and process of exer-
cising and strengthening your willpower. This atti-
tude and approach to willpower development will
help you reach your goals faster and maintain your
success longer.
If you are going to be a peak performer,
transformative leader, and sports champion at the
highest level--you must fall in love with the des-
tination (goal), and you must fall in love with trav-
eling the actual journey (which is the process of
developing willpower and other mental toughness
skills).
Use the pleasure of seeing yourself grow-
ing and developing unstoppable willpower as mo-
tivation to continue exercising your willpower un-
til it becomes automatic. When I was first learning
how to strengthen my willpower, I would pat my-
self on the back (literally) and say “great job”
every time I exercised willpower throughout the
day.
I suggest you use this simple reinforcing
tool. You can insert your name to make it feel
even more personal. And, don’t worry if you are
reluctant about shouting to yourself in a crowded
room. You can pat yourself on the back and si-
lently tell yourself that you did a “great job”
whenever you exercise willpower.
You can also use the pain of potentially
seeing yourself fall short of maximizing your po-
tential as motivation to exercise regular will-
power and ensure significant progress toward
your goals.
Do not fall victim to the bad advice that
you should reward yourself (associate pleasure)
with the very things that you will use willpower
to avoid or stop doing. The problem with this bad
advice—for example, having a piece of chocol-
ate cake to reward yourself for losing two pounds
this week—is that it undermines the development
and optimization of your willpower and peak per-
formance habits.
Inevitably, you will experience lapses as
you are developing your willpower and self-con-
trol skills. But, please make the following prom-
ise to yourself: Never say—“oh well forget it” or
allow yourself to spiral out of control just because
you lose one episode of “willpower vs. instant
gratification.”
All mental warriors and champions have
occasional lapses in willpower. The difference
between mental warriors and the average person
is that the mental warrior’s willpower lapses are
much less frequent (perhaps once every month or
once every week—as opposed to once every day
or even once every hour for those with nonexist-
ent willpower).
Also, mental warriors typically have
willpower lapses on things that are not critical
to their key goals. Whereas, those with low self-
control skills will experience consistent will-
power lapses on decisions and actions related to
their key goals.
Conserving Your Willpower
Because willpower is a real, finite energy, the
question that naturally arises is; how can you con-
serve and strengthen this force to maximize your
mental toughness and reach your full potential?
How do you generate enough willpower
energy to strive towards and achieve success? The
first step is to consciously conserve this core men-
tal toughness component, by keeping it from being
squandered--and saving it for the goals that are
most important and impactful to you.
Following are seven specific and proven
ways to help conserve your willpower energy.
1. Clarify and prioritize goals
2. Plan and prepare
3. Simplify your life
4. Get enough sleep and rest
5. Stay healthy
6. Track results
7. Eliminate willpower killers
Let’s review and discuss the seven will-
power conservation solutions.
Clarify and Prioritize Goals
My personal experience with athletes and leaders
in multiple fields, has taught me that limiting
your focus to one or two significant goals at a
time will dramatically improve your odds of suc-
cess.
Because willpower is a finite re-
source—chasing too many goals at once will
drain your mental strength, and will not provide
sufficient willpower for any of your goals. The
result is typically failure in most, if not all of your
goals. Instead, you should funnel your willpower
towards one or two key goals at any given time.
Clear goals provide clear focus for your
brain and added motivation to exercise your will-
power. If you set S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measur-
able, actionable, realistic, and timed) goals—you
will be ten times more likely to reach your goals
than those who have poorly articulated or “non-
smart” goals.
Plan and Prepare
Science and daily life have both provided ample
evidence that planners are winners.
You cannot achieve sustainable success
of any significant measure without learning how
to properly plan and prepare for intense compet-
ition. Plans don’t need to be complicated. Often,
it’s the simplest plans that are most effective.
The definition of luck is when prepara-
tion meets opportunity. If you learn to appreciate,
enjoy, and invest in planning and preparation--
you will excel during significant events and per-
formances.
In the midst of intense competition, elite
peak performers and leaders rely on their instinct-
ive skills and mental toughness to take over while
their conscious mind is free for real-time obser-
vation, adjustments, and decisions. This, my
friend, is the way of the mental warrior!
Simplify Your Life
The mind power principle of simplicity is a con-
stant and trustworthy companion for all peak per-
formers and mental warriors. Simplification leads
to less clutter in your mind, which helps to con-
serve your valuable willpower.
Following are some recommendations to
help you simplify your life and mind.
Automate Routine Tasks
Whenever you recognize a specific and necessary
decision or activity that demands repeti-
tion—begin to seek out ways to automate the
task. This will free up time and mental energy.
The best way make a task more efficient varies,
but options include--technology solutions; im-
proved processes; and delegation or outsourcing.
You should evaluate any repetitive task
occasionally and ask yourself if it is necessary. If
a task is simply not necessary, eliminate it.
Use To-Do Lists
Lists are a very effective way to save time and
free up your mind power for more critical tasks.
Using lists will improve your productivity and ef-
fectiveness. Every successful leader has learned
how to use lists to help manage performance and
deliver superior results.
You can choose to keep important lists in
your smartphone, or you can simply use pen and
paper.
Get Organized
Highly successful peak performers place a high
value on their time. A commitment to becoming
and staying organized will save time and reduce
stress.
Chronic disorganization will deplete
your willpower. Simplify your life and protect
your mental energy by implementing simple
routines to stay organized at home, work, school,
and during travel.
Get Enough Sleep and Rest
The most successful athletes and peak performers
make time for adequate sleep and rest. In compet-
itive situations, being well-rested will have a pos-
itive impact on your performance.
Following are a few outcomes from sci-
entific sleep studies conducted on athletes:
*Sleep improves split-second decision-
making ability by 4.3%.
*Tennis players get a 42% boost in hit-
ting accuracy when they get adequate sleep.
*An athlete’s maximum bench press
drops by 20 pounds after four days of inadequate
sleep.
Similar outcomes related to sleeping
habits were found when observing and testing
business executives. The more rested they were,
the better they performed on cognitive skill tests
and decision-making assessments.
Sleep
Sleep is a natural periodic state of unconscious
rest for the mind and body. Adequate sleep is vi-
tal to willpower maximization, mental toughness,
and peak performance.
Research suggests that even small
amounts of sleep deprivation will take a signi-
ficant toll on your health, mood, cognitive ca-
pacity, and productivity. Conserving, exercising,
and managing willpower becomes exponentially
harder as sleep deprivation increases.
Don’t fool yourself by bragging to your
colleagues and friends about how you can func-
tion on a few hours of sleep per night! Champion
athletes and great leaders understand the import-
ance and power of this most basic human func-
tion. Sleep is much more important than your
ego!
LeBron James is one of the most celeb-
rated and gifted professional athletes in profes-
sional sports today. In addition to innate talent,
dedicated
training,
and
mental
tough-
ness—LeBron credits healthy sleeping habits as
one of the keys to his peak performance consist-
ency.
During particularly intense periods, such
as during the playoffs--LeBron often sleeps up
to 12 hours a day. This may seem like a lot for
most people, but elite athletes place an enormous
amount
of
stress
on
their
bodies
and
minds—which requires significant sleep time for
complete repair and recuperation.
As a peak performing athlete, leader,
or career professional—you should get adequate
sleep each night if you want to conserve your
willpower and keep your Mental Toughness Loop
functioning at a maximum level.
Naps are a natural and powerful will-
power conservation tool that you can use when
you don’t have a lot of time for regular sleep--
or simply need a boost in physical or mental en-
ergy. Short, effective naps can be as little as five
minutes--and longer, more restorative naps can
be as long as ninety minutes.
Short Rest
Too many average performers believe the fallacy
of working non-stop without rest. But, superior
performers know (through proven science and
results) that well-timed breaks or short rest peri-
ods help conserve and optimize willpower
throughout the day.
I highly recommend the use of short rest
periods between intense, focused periods of work
or training. I personally use the well-known “Po-
modoro Technique” to maximize my personal
productivity. The short periods of rest help me
stay physically and mentally charged—and I am
able to finish my work faster, train harder, and
reach my goals twice as fast.
The Pomodoro Technique is a
method developed by Francesco Cirillo.
The technique uses a timer to break down work
into intervals traditionally 25 minutes in length,
separated by short breaks of 3-5 minutes. The
method is based on studies that have shown im-
proved mental agility can be achieved with short,
frequent breaks. In Chapter 8, we will discuss
how to use the Pomodoro Technique to improve
your focus and concentration.
Long Rest
Mental warriors and champions value the bene-
fits of an occasional extended break from work
or training. The timing, duration, and frequency
of your long rest or vacation will vary depending
on your circumstances, but you should listen to
your mind and body—as they will usually give
you clues about when you are near the point of
potential overload or exhaustion.
Time off from work or training provides
your body and mind with time to relax, repair,
and recharge. Your Mental Toughness Loop will
benefit from enjoyable vacation time. You will
discover that your motivation, willpower, focus,
and creativity will start to increase--and you will
be eager to get back to work and continue making
progress on your goals!
Stay Healthy
For most elite athletes—exercise is part of their
job.
For
peak
performers
outside
of
sports—exercise and a healthy diet have been
linked to increased willpower and mental tough-
ness.
Recent studies have shown that exercise
is effective in reducing stress and even short-term
bouts of depression. Certainly, you will be bet-
ter equipped to conserve and exercise willpower
if you are effectively managing your stress and
mood.
Make it a priority to engage in regular,
enjoyable exercise and work to improve the
health of your diet over time. Your willpower
capacity will increase if you exercise and eat
healthy on a consistent basis.
Lastly, I always recommend that serious
peak performers schedule regular physical exams
with a medical doctor. Suffering from a known
or unknown physical or mental ailment can affect
your willpower and mental toughness. Like su-
perstar athletes, you should view your doctor as a
key member of your success team—and any ne-
cessary treatments as part of your success pro-
gram.
Track Results
Remember, our goal is to make sure you get the
highest return on your investment of willpower
each day by applying your limited mind energy to
your top one or two goals. This ensures that you
will get better results and make faster progress.
You can reach peak performance con-
sistency and champion status sooner if you take
the time to evaluate your performance on a regu-
lar basis. Using this proven strategy--you will al-
ways know what’s working and what’s not work-
ing to help you succeed.
By knowing the key drivers of your suc-
cess—you can focus your willpower on those de-
cisions and activities that are proving most be-
neficial for your development and performance.
Champions, leaders, and mental warriors relish
the accountability of regular evaluation because it
provides them with “actionable insights,” which
they skillfully use to stay at the top of their game
and ahead of the competition.
Eliminate Willpower Killers
Drain people
People who pull you toward negative instant grat-
ification decisions or activities that directly con-
flict with your goals are drain people.
Don’t tax your willpower unnecessarily.
Eliminate or avoid drain people as much as pos-
sible.
When you can’t avoid drain people, seek
to minimize their impact by making your goals
clear and willpower evident. Typically, drain
people want to hang out with like-minded people
and don’t want to be reminded of their own short-
comings by way of discussions on significant
goals and peak performance.
Burnout
Remember, you only have so much willpower
available in a 24-hour period before your will-
power starts to wane and become more difficult
to maintain due to declining energy or sleepiness.
Be careful of overworking and overtrain-
ing because it can lead to burnout. Symptoms of
burnout include a noticeable decline in motiva-
tion, willpower, performance, and results. Adher-
ing to this warning and avoiding burnout is typ-
ically difficult for uninformed “Type A” person-
alities and perfectionists who want to apply will-
power to every task throughout the entire day.
Remember—for the best long-term res-
ults, you should conserve your willpower for
daily decisions and activities that lead to signi-
ficant and extraordinary goals. Don’t waste pre-
cious willpower energy on insignificant goals. As
author Richard Carlson exulted in his bestselling
book—“Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff.”
Drugs and Alcohol
Fact: Drugs, medications, and alcohol can impair
mental capacity and weaken your willpower. If
you want to conserve willpower and perform at
your peak, do not ingest or abuse mind-altering
substances.
Strengthening Your Willpower and
Self-Control
If you want to increase your ability to exercise
more willpower and self-control—you must con-
sciously train and develop this mental skill. While
there are many ways to conserve your willpower,
there is really just one way to strengthen it--by
consciously working toward a goal or habit that
exercises (challenges) your self-control.
Remember, developing willpower and
self-control requires that you condition yourself to
push past the initial pull of instinctive emotional
responses. You must learn to quickly override neg-
ative thoughts and feelings that might lead to un-
productive decisions and actions.
The following is a simple process that has
proven itself very effective in helping mental
toughness students improve their willpower skills.
3-Step Willpower Activation Process
The process of consciously activating your will-
power involves the following three steps:
1. Pause
2. Erase
3. Replace
Pause
Before making a decision or taking any action,
you must learn to instantly engage your con-
scious mind and refuse to let emotions drive you
toward unproductive instant gratification.
When faced with a desire to act or decide
on an unproductive impulse, the first thing you
must condition yourself to do is simply pause!
Stop! Take a slow deep breath. Relax
your body and mind. This literally takes only two
to five seconds.
The objective of this power pause is to
quickly reduce the intensity of the unproductive
temptation. In addition, this step is designed to
give you instant physical control.
Erase
Once you have gained physical control, your im-
mediate next step is to erase the unproductive
thought, distraction, or temptation. You must
(visually and verbally) erase the threat to your
willpower with deliberate and confident force!
You can imagine the thought disappear-
ing—or, you can silently shout “NO” to the neg-
ative temptation while erasing it from your mind.
This takes one to two seconds.
Focus on becoming faster and faster
when practicing erasing. As you become more
conditioned—you will find that you can erase po-
tential distractions within a split-second.
Replace
The final step in gaining control over unproduct-
ive thoughts and feelings is to activate your will-
power.
Because you have taken instant control
of your body and mind—and eliminated the un-
productive willpower threat--you will now re-
place the unproductive thought with a productive
thought, such as your primary success goal. This
final step will direct your powerful willpower
muscles to make the right decision and take pro-
ductive action!
Be sure to direct all of your positive
mental and emotional focus to your most relevant
goal. This takes five to ten seconds. You can use
visual imagery, self-talk, or productive action to
reinforce the fact that your willpower and key
goals will win when confronted with unproduct-
ive thoughts, temptations, and distractions.
The replace step is critical because it
validates your personal power and represents the
precise point of willpower strengthening within
the brain.
The motivating strength of your goals,
coupled with the use of this simple process will
maximize your willpower and remove obstacles
to your peak performance.
I guarantee that if you practice this
simple 3-step process consistently, you will start
to feel and see a difference in your willpower
very quickly. Within a few days or weeks, you
will notice that you can instantly apply the will-
power activation process in real-time situations
without even thinking about it.
Willpower and Self-Control Exercises
The following are specific exercises to help
strengthen your willpower brain center for peak
performance. You can use the 3-step willpower
activation process when practicing these self-
control exercises.
In addition to using the exercises within
this book--I encourage you to be creative and
come up with your own unique and customized
ways to challenge and grow your self-control
skills.
Daily Jumpstart
Exercise your willpower by resisting the urge to
snooze or stay in bed upon arising first thing in
the morning. As soon as the alarm goes off, or
you naturally wake up—immediately get up out
of the bed! You can then yawn, stretch, take a
few deep breaths, repeat your key goals a few
times (programming), and ease into your morning
routine.
Deliberate Delay
Practicing the “art of denial” is an effective way
to exercise your willpower. The focal point of
your delay should be something that you value
and view as a motivating reward.
The following are a few examples of de-
liberate delays.
*Food – Consciously wait a few seconds
before eating your first or last bite of food so that
you can really gauge your hunger. Delay going
back for more food or a second plate until you
have waited at least fifteen to twenty minutes,
which is the time it takes your brain to commu-
nicate to your stomach that you may be full.
*Entertainment – Delay before you in-
stinctively reach for your smartphone every thirty
seconds. Delay before you rush to read emails or
social media posts. Delay before you turn on the
TV when you arrive at home.
*Travel – Use your willpower to delay
the instinct to call and chat with a family member
or friend while driving home. Delay turning on
your car radio (if this is your usual pattern). In-
stead, try to drive along with thoughts of your key
goals for a few minutes before turning on the ra-
dio.
Distraction Denial
I have found this simple exercise to be very
powerful in keeping my willpower muscles tuned
up and ready for the bigger, more significant
challenges to self-control.
For the distraction denial exercise, you
can use any smaller decisions throughout your
day to challenge and strengthen your willpower.
For example, let’s assume that you are in
the middle of preparing dinner—but you have to
stop for a bathroom break. On your way back to
the kitchen, you walk pass something that is un-
tidy or out of place and you instinctively want to
pick it up or put it back in place (perhaps cloth-
ing, or a kid’s toy, or a household item).
Another example--you have a thought
about someone you want to call--or a small task
comes to mind that needs to be completed.
Instead of giving in to the im-
pulse—choose to exercise your willpower and go
right back to the preparation of your delicious
and nutritious dinner. It’s not that the potential
distraction would have undermined your ultimate
and ongoing success—but it’s a great opportunity
for you to “flex” your willpower muscles in a
quick and easy way by saying “no” to distrac-
tions. It reinforces the belief and fact that you are
in control of your decisions and actions.
Immediate Action
Learn to exercise your willpower by replacing
unproductive thoughts with immediate action.
When you know you should do something right
now, and you really do have the time—just do it
now!
*You know that you should use part of
your lunch hour to register for that leadership
course or make that important networking call to
an important contact. Just do it now!
* You just arrived at home after a long,
brutal day at work. You want to hit the couch and
grab the remote control to your TV—even though
you planned to exercise upon arriving at home.
Go exercise. Just do it now!
*You just finished eating a very enjoy-
able dinner at home. You don’t feel like washing
the dishes before you turn on the TV. Wash the
dishes. Just do it now!
*You are single and not sure if the at-
tractive single person you’re chatting with at the
fundraiser event will go out on a date with you.
Simply ask. Just do it now!
Priority Push
Stop putting low impact tasks before high impact
tasks. They are not equal. This pattern sabotages
progress and success. Mental warriors, effective
leaders, and respected champions manage their
time and maximize their willpower by working
on higher priority tasks before investing time in
lower priority tasks.
Review your schedule and to-do list
daily. Make sure you are prioritizing tasks that
will have the most impact on moving you toward
significant success. As an athlete or business pro-
fessional, you should always push yourself to
work first on the core skills and activities that will
elevate your performance and deliver results that
move you to the next level of success.
Energy Balance
We’ve discussed the importance of conserving
your willpower energy. Highly motivated ath-
letes, leaders, and self-improvement enthusiasts
will typically have to be careful (or sometimes
monitored) to avoid burnout.
By practicing energy balance, athletes
can “stay in the game” longer and maintain peak
performance over the period of an entire season.
Business leaders can maintain peak execution of
sharp and effective strategies for winning against
the competition.
I understand that sometimes in the midst
of a game or critical event—you will need to
exert the full extent of your mental toughness,
which requires you to push your body and mind
to complete exhaustion in order to win. The pur-
pose of energy balance is to exercise your will-
power muscles and conserve your mental energy.
To practice energy balance, simply use
your willpower to pause or stop a productive
activity before you start to compromise your
mental strength and energy.
If you tend to work without breaks for
extended periods, try using the Pomodoro Meth-
od by scheduling short, regular breaks during
your work or extended training sessions. When
alerted by the timer (on your watch, smartphone,
or computing device)—you will stop working
and take a three to five minute break by doing
something to relax. If you are in the flow, you
will need to exercise your willpower to stop
working and take a break.
For athletics and sports training—the use
of regular, short breaks will help avoid overwork
and prevent injuries. If you have concluded a
satisfying and effective workout—use your will-
power to stop the urge to keep going. Relish the
workout and save that energy—you will most
likely need it for the next game or workout.
The energy balance exercise will sim-
ultaneously strengthen and conserve your will-
power—while improving your overall productiv-
ity and effectiveness. Even superstar athletes and
legendary leaders need “time outs” to recharge if
they want to maintain a peak performance pace.
Behavior Buster
I often advise mental toughness students to in-
clude behavior buster exercises as a way to accel-
erate their willpower development. This exercise
strengthens your willpower by challenging you to
stop and replace unproductive interpersonal pat-
terns.
Start by identifying unproductive inter-
personal or behavior patterns that you would like
to break. You may choose to stop being critical
in your language (to yourself and/or others). Oth-
ers may choose to stop being shy and unwilling
to speak up. Start with one behavior pattern that
you (and others) believe would result in signific-
ant benefits if you were to stop doing it.
Practice using the willpower activation
process to pause, erase, and replace the unpro-
ductive behavior with your desired behavior. Use
your willpower to replace critical language with
encouraging and constructive language. Use your
willpower to replace overly quiet interpersonal
behavior with engaged and talkative social beha-
vior.
Mental Toughness Tip
You must stop believing, saying, or thinking that
exercising willpower is too hard. It really is not.
The willpower development process starts with a
simple choice, but instant gratification condition-
ing may be so strong that it feels daunting and
overwhelming.
You have to start with episodes of con-
scious willpower control, which will naturally
transition into unconscious self-control that will
start to feel easier. If you continue to believe that
willpower is extraordinarily hard or impossible to
maintain--you will not overcome it! Often, the
hardest thing for people to change is the disem-
powering beliefs that are prohibiting progress.
Stop saying or thinking the following: “I
have no willpower.” Instead, start reprogramming
yourself by saying, “I enjoy exercising my will-
power. My willpower is growing stronger every
day.”
Be patient with yourself. You are in the
process of re-training your mind. Focus on con-
sistent progress in strengthening your willpower
and mental toughness. You will start to notice the
noises of negative temptations and unproductive
thoughts growing softer each day--as they are re-
placed by the louder noises of positive decisions
and productive actions!
Chapter 7
Self-Discipline
In this chapter, you will learn how to eliminate
procrastination and acquire the self-discipline
skills that will create new habits, guarantee peak
performance, and deliver continuous improvement
and success.
Would you rather be super intelligent or
highly disciplined? While most people would
probably choose higher intelligence, discipline-
-the ability to work intensely, consistently, and per-
sistently in pursuit of a significant goal--is actually
a much greater predictor of success in life.
Mental warriors, with maximum mental
toughness, are able to succeed more often than
most because they work on their key goals more
effectively, more regularly, and over a longer peri-
od (after most people would have given up).
Whereas willpower is all about taking
immediate control of a moment and saying “no”
to unproductive decisions or actions—self-dis-
cipline is all about taking gradual control of a
habit and saying “yes” to productive decisions
and actions.
The Science of Habits
Habits are formed through a process called
“context-dependent repetition.” For example, ima-
gine that every time you get home each evening;
you immediately take off your shoes upon entering
the door. When you first take off your shoes upon
getting home, a mental link is formed between
the context or trigger (getting home) and your re-
sponse to that context (taking off your shoes).
Each time you subsequently take off your
shoes in response to getting home, this link
strengthens, to the point that getting home comes
to prompt you to take off your shoes automatically,
without giving it much prior thought—and thus a
habit is formed.
Habits are an efficiency tool of the brain.
The automation of frequent actions or decisions
through habit formation allows us to conserve the
mental energy that we would otherwise use to
monitor and control behaviors, and use it on more
complex or difficult tasks.
So, how long does it take to create a
habit? One of the big habit myths is the belief that
it only takes 21 days to form any habit. Recent
scientific research shows that how long it takes
to form a habit depends on the individual and the
difficulty of the desired habit.
In a study, published in the European
Journal of Social Psychology, health psychology
researcher Phillippa Lally and her research team
decided to figure out just how long it actually
takes to form a habit.
The study examined the habit formation
experience of 96 people. Each person chose one
new habit for the study and reported each day
on whether or not they did the behavior and how
automatic the behavior felt.
Some people chose simple habits like
“drinking a bottle of water with lunch.” Other
people chose more difficult habits--such as “run-
ning for 15 minutes before dinner.” At the end of
the study, the researchers analyzed the data to de-
termine how long it took each person to go from
starting a new behavior to automatically doing it.
The answer? On average, it takes more
than 2 months before a new behavior becomes
automatic—66 days based on this study. Exactly
how long it takes a new habit to form can vary
widely depending on the difficulty of the habit,
the person, and the circumstances. In Lally’s
study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days
for people to form a new habit.
Interestingly, the researchers also found
that “missing one opportunity to perform the be-
havior did not materially affect the habit forma-
tion process.” In other words, it doesn’t matter if
you mess up every now and then. Building good
habits is not an all-or-nothing process.
Habits are a process and not an event.
Understanding this from the beginning makes it
easier to manage your expectations and commit
to making incremental improvements--rather
than thinking that you have to do it all at once.
Regardless of how long it takes--you
have to put in conscious work to develop a signi-
ficantly productive habit. The only way to get to
day 21 or day 66 is to start with day 1.
For you, progress in the development of
peak performance habits is likely to come sooner
than average due to your growing motivation,
willpower, self-discipline, and other Mental
Toughness Loop skills--vs. someone who simply
tackles habit formation without first acquiring the
right knowledge or foundation of complementary
mental skills.
The Power of Habits
The great philosopher, Aristotle, once said—“we
are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not
an act, but a habit.”
Those wise words from Aristotle are a re-
minder that great success doesn’t come overnight.
On the contrary, it’s the skill of self-discipline that
will get you from where you are today to where
you want to be in the next few weeks, months, and
years.
The power of self-discipline is directly
connected to the power of habit. You need self-dis-
cipline in order to stick with a behavior until it be-
comes a habit.
A habit is an acquired and almost invol-
untary behavior pattern created over time through
frequent repetition.
By consciously working to create and nur-
ture peak performance habits, you can create the
momentum that will naturally propel you to better
results and more success. Both self-discipline and
momentum are essential for habit formation.
Learning how to use motivation is a skill
that will get you going. Learning how to use mo-
mentum (through the development of self-discip-
line and habits) is a skill that will keep you going.
Wouldn’t it be nice to achieve peak per-
formance, superior results, and lasting suc-
cess—and do all of it on autopilot? Most people
want success habits to be as easy as brushing
their teeth. This is what some proponents of habit
formation promise.
The reality is that nothing significant is
achieved without sufficient time and effort.
Greatness requires sacrifice. It requires doing
things that others can’t or won’t do. However, if
you can develop and exercise self-discipline to
establish strong and productive habits—you can
reach a comfortable state of peak performance
and continuous success that is out of reach for
most people who lack the same knowledge and
skills.
Habits are formed through daily behavi-
or. With a small amount of self-discipline, you
can create life-changing new habits that require
minimal effort to maintain. Of course, this as-
sumes that you will or have put in the necessary
time and work to hone the motivation and will-
power components of your Mental Toughness
Loop. Motivation and willpower must come be-
fore self-discipline and habits.
Habit building is born from routines,
schedules, consistency, and triggers. This can be
productive or unproductive—as it all depends on
your specific goals and the habits considered.
For example, habits can sometimes lead
you to negative outcomes that may conflict (dir-
ectly or indirectly) with your key goals or per-
sonal values. This is why all mental warriors con-
tinuously evaluate their performance--to make
sure their habits are driving progress and deliv-
ering success. If not, mental warriors will adjust
their habits (using their self-discipline skills) un-
til they are back on track to peak performance.
Habits can develop consciously or un-
consciously. Of course—champions and first-
class leaders do not leave habits to chance. In-
stead, like everything else, they are more likely
to seek control and influence over their habits. As
a mental toughness student, you must become a
proactive habit builder if you want to maximum
your self-discipline skills.
Creating New Habits
I enjoy identifying and creating new habits that
will lead me to higher levels of performance and
success. The creation and formation of a powerful,
life-changing habit provides a more secure found-
ation for mental toughness improvement and func-
tioning.
Your goal (as a mental warrior) is not just
to create a new habit. Rather, you will also focus
on developing and mastering the actual skill of
developing a new, productive habit whenever you
want or need to.
Below is a 12-step process for improving
your “new habit creation skills.” Use this process
to boost your self-discipline, jumpstart a new
habit, and make a new habit “stick” faster.
If you have been unable to form product-
ive habits in the past—you can use this proven
process to help identify and implement the missing
steps in your process.
Step 1: Clarify Your Motivation
The first step in creating a new habit is to identify
and strengthen the source of your motivation.
Take the time to identify all motivators, including
intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external)
drivers. Personal goals that align strongly with
your values are great motivators. In addition, ex-
ternal pressures that push you toward needing the
results from the desired habit can act as fuel for
intense motivation.
Don’t hesitate to use the twin motivators
of pleasure and pain to help increase your overall
motivation for the desired habit. The pleasure of
the benefits from the habit will motivate most.
However, the pain of the consequences from not
mastering the habit can be a powerful motivator
for many. It’s okay to use fear to your advantage
if it causes you to take productive action.
Read (or reread) the chapter on Motiva-
tion in this book to gain additional knowledge on
how to increase your motivation.
Step 2: Prioritize The Habit
Creating a new, life-changing habit is not easy. It
takes mental and physical energy. In order to have
sufficient energy to develop a new and signific-
ant habit—you must not overextend yourself with
too many new goals or activities.
The secret is to focus on developing one
significant habit at a time until you build mo-
mentum, and it starts to stick!
Avoid introducing unnecessary stress or
new activities into your life during the formation
of a significant habit. I understand that this is not
always under your control, but my point is that
you must control what you can so that you can
conserve your energy for the creation of the new
habit. It is a priority—right? If so—you should
not have a problem prioritizing it (even it means
eliminating something else from your life to
make room).
Step 3: Focus on Frequency
Clarify your motivation. Prioritize your habit.
Now, you must focus on frequency of the habit.
This is a critical step because it represents the
essence of the habit formation process—creating
the pattern of repeated behavior.
In order to focus on frequency, you must
not allow yourself to become too concerned with
unrelated factors, such as how long you engage
in the habit or how intensely you engage in the
habit. Remember—focus on frequency. This
means that you should engage in the activity daily
until it becomes a habit.
If this requires you to cut down the activ-
ity time or intensity—do it. You can and will
focus on increasing your conditioning and skill
through higher intensity and duration, but don’t
worry about this for now.
The specific activity that will lead to
the desired habit must be done with sufficient
frequency—in order for the psychological and
physiological patterns to develop in your brain.
Examples of new habit creation activities among
peak performers may include: the habit of exer-
cising regularly; the habit of eating healthier; the
habit of putting in extra work in the gym after
practice; or the habit of reading bestselling in-
dustry books to advance your career education
and accelerate your leadership development.
Step 4: Make It Easy
In addition to focusing on frequency, you must
make sure the new habit activity feels easy and
simple--particularly in the early stages of new
habit formation. If this means only one to five
minutes of the activity—that’s okay.
You know that your habit activity is easy
enough if you finish the activity wanting to do
more or go longer. Resist this temptation! Making
it easy is intentional. It helps accelerate the con-
nections in your brain that accept the new activity
as a pattern--and without internal resistance,
which might happen if you were to push yourself
too hard too soon. Choose to work harmoniously
with your brain—not against it, and it will reward
you.
Mental warriors have the capacity to
withstand significant stress and hardship on their
way to achieving significant goals and success.
However, they are also masters at new habit cre-
ation, which means they understand and value the
effectiveness of conserving energy when possible
and going easy when starting new habits.
Step 5: Use Micro Goals
Most elite athletes and successful leaders need
goals like most people need water. I, too, am a
fanatical goal setter. So, for me, this step was ini-
tially a challenge.
As with most things, goals are effective
for creating a new habit. However, my research
and work with mental toughness students has
convinced me that goal setting must be ap-
proached in a specific manner when trying to in-
still a new significant habit in your life. That
is—you must use “micro goals.”
A micro goal is a very simple and near
term objective. These are not the big vision or
dream goals in the distant future. Big goals are
motivating, but they are not as effective for new
habit creation.
Micro goals are best designed to support
the development of a new behavior pattern. It’s
not about the distant result, but more about the
behavior—or, yes that’s right—the habit!
The micro goal for new habit creation is
always the same--to do the habit activity on as
many consecutive days as possible until it be-
comes a habit. The only metric of success or fail-
ure is the number of consecutive days—period.
Your micro goal for new habit creation should
always be based on the duration of consecutive
days and not based on work intensity or work res-
ults.
Step 6: Schedule It
The next logical step in the new habit creation
process is to schedule the habit activity. Studies
have concluded that scheduling an activity will
double the probability of action.
By scheduling your new habit activity,
you are consciously making time for it--and send-
ing a strong signal to your brain and those around
you that this is a priority. Guard this very small
window of time very closely and do not let any-
thing short of a dire emergency interfere with it.
Write or record your daily habit activity
as a daily appointment or input it as a repeating
task. You can use a smartphone, computer, tablet,
or plain pen and paper. Just be sure to capture
your daily habit activity task somewhere that is
convenient for you--so that you will have a daily
reminder.
Step
7:
Create
Environmental
Support
At this point in the process, most people are ready
to get going on the habit activity. Not so fast.
Trust me, it’s worth working through the steps in
sequential order—even if this means starting the
actual new habit activity a day or two later.
Creating a supportive environment will
be less draining on your willpower and self-dis-
cipline. It enables you in the new habit creation
process.
Consider and address the following dur-
ing this step:
*Inform and gain the support of your im-
mediate family (remind them that it’s not much
time).
*Commit to getting adequate sleep (even
if you have to eliminate a few non-essential activ-
ities).
*Purchase or acquire anything that is es-
sential for your new habit activity.
Step 8: Use Your Willpower
With a supportive environment in place, your
next preparatory step is to eliminate potential
“habit killers” that might threaten to undermine
your new habit creation process.
In this step, you should use your will-
power to erase and replace thoughts and im-
pulses that are counterproductive and detrimental
to your new habit activity. In addition, avoid any
“drain people” that might have an adverse impact
on your ability to create the desired behavior and
habit.
You can reread the previous chapter on
Willpower for additional information or support
as needed.
Step 9: Do It!
Okay—now it’s time to actually start the new
habit. Simply put—it’s time to take action!
This step in the process is precisely
where you will exercise your self-discipline.
Don’t worry--you will be able to take action con-
sistently (daily) if you have followed the previous
steps up to this point.
Some beginning mental toughness stu-
dents use self-talk or internal pep talks to get
themselves going on their new habit activity each
day. Others simply use a command or trig-
ger—such as “let’s go” or “let’s do it.” Use what
works for you.
Ultimately, you will always come to that
exact time in the day where you have to exercise
(flex) your self-discipline in the moment—and
take action to start the activity. Do it!
Step 10: Enjoy The Habit
You have successfully started the activity.
However, we’re not done yet. Although you have
done everything you can to make the habit form-
ation process simple and easy up to this
point—you can create the desired habit more
quickly if you can learn how to enjoy the activity.
Following are some of the ways to
strengthen the “happiness and habit” connection:
*Use your favorite music to help get you
in the flow and keep you going.
*Learn how to relax your body, mind,
and emotions with conscious power breathing be-
fore and during the new habit activity. Relaxation
will promote a positive connection between your
brain and the activity.
*Work on your new habit activity with
an inspiring partner or group.
Step 11: Record It
You are really rolling along now! You’ve started
the activity, and you are enjoying it. Once you
finish the new habit activity each day, you will
record it. Nothing fancy—just quickly note it in
your scheduling tool so that you can keep track of
your consecutive days.
Recording the activity will act as a con-
gratulatory “pat on the back,” and the acknow-
ledgment that you are successful and making pro-
gress toward your micro goal of daily consisten-
cy.
Don’t make the mistake of recording
too much information. Avoid recording unneces-
sary details that may take more time and distract
from the micro goal. A “completed habit activity”
note, or simple checkmark is sufficient. You can
add more detail after you have the habit ingrained
and functioning on autopilot.
Step 12: Program The Habit
The last step in the new habit creation process is
to reinforce the habit. By programming the habit
through additional methods outside of the actu-
al activity—you can further accelerate new habit
acquisition.
Programming the new habit will help
your brain accept the new behavior as a normal
part of your daily life and routine. You may
choose to use one or both of the following self-
programming techniques to help reinforce your
new habit.
*Visualization: Practice imagining and
seeing yourself performing the new habit activity.
*Self-Talk: Regularly tell yourself that
you are achieving your micro goal. You can do
this silently or aloud. “I (insert new habit activity
name here) on a daily basis” is an effective new
habit self-talk statement. You can say this state-
ment multiple times per day, before and after
your new habit activity.
Maintaining Habits
Congratulations. You are now well prepared to de-
velop and improve your self-discipline and new
habit creations skills.
Once you have successfully formed a
new, significant habit—you will find that it’s help-
ful to invest some time in the conscious mainten-
ance of the habit (beyond doing the activity).
In other words, you should review the
habit occasionally to make sure it is functioning
and progressing according to your goals and needs
as a peak performer. I advise my students to review
their key habits weekly or monthly (depending
on the development stage and importance of the
habit).
Below are five tips to help you maintain
your critical success habits.
1. Continue to perform all 12 steps in the
new habit creation process for a few weeks after
forming the habit. This will drive the behavior pat-
tern deep into your subconscious.
2. Once the new habit is sticking—start
to increase the intensity and duration of the activ-
ity. Now is the time to start shifting your focus
toward building performance skills and tangible
improvements. This will also help to keep you
motivated.
3. Review the new habit creation process
(weekly or monthly) to make sure your key habits
are healthy, strong, effective, and not facing any
potential threats. Think of this as a habit check-
up or tune-up. You should be prepared to make
adjustments as needed to continue achieving the
desired peak performance and results.
4. Cut back on the intensity or duration
of your habit activity if you start to compromise
consistency due to energy depletion or burnout.
Also, learn to take advantage of timely breaks
and time off from an established habit activity as
a way to let your mind and body recharge and
prepare for the next phase of development.
5. Learn to manage setbacks effectively.
All champions and leaders experience failures
and unforeseen circumstances—it’s a natural part
of human life. What separates winners from
losers is how they process and react to setbacks.
Whenever you experience temporary failure, you
must learn to “let it go” emotionally. Use your
willpower skills to avoid a negative mental spiral.
Instead, objectively assess your performance and
results. Then, proceed to exercise your self-dis-
cipline by taking corrective action to regain peak
performance!
Self-Discipline Exercises
Self-discipline should be viewed as a positive and
proactive skill that helps you overcome negative
programming, inertia, procrastination—and allows
you to take productive action toward a desired res-
ult or high-value goal.
Like all skills of the Mental Toughness
Loop, self-discipline must be practiced in order to
maximize its strength and potential impact on res-
ults.
To be self-disciplined is to have the skill
of starting something or doing something that is
not already a programmed habit. This is a key skill
because it bridges the gap between willpower (to
resist something that is “anti-goal”) and new habit
formation (a developed behavior pattern that will
lead you directly to your goals).
Self-discipline is freedom! Many people
instinctively disagree with this statement. Average
and below average performers believe that self-
discipline is like undesirable, but effective medi-
cine. They falsely believe that self-discipline rep-
resents restriction, difficulty, pain, and boredom.
In fact, the opposite is true. Famed author
of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,
Stephen R. Covey, once wrote--“The undiscip-
lined are slaves to moods, appetites and pas-
sions.” Researchers have concluded that people
with high levels of self-discipline are more suc-
cessful and happier—reporting more good moods
and fewer bad ones.
Disciplined mental warriors are skilled in
taking actions that help them capitalize on more
opportunities. They are able to prevent small
problems from becoming big problems that could
derail their personal success and happiness.
To exercise your self-discipline—you
have to practice the art of taking action. More
specifically, you must take action on doing
something that has one of the following two char-
acteristics:
1. An action you don’t feel like doing,
but need to do.
2. An action you don’t mind doing, but is
not yet a habit.
Taking action on something you are
already passionate and excited about—or taking
action on something that is already a habit are not
the best methods for developing self-discipline.
The following are simple exercises that
you can practice to improve your self-discipline
skills. I have witnessed positive results with vari-
ous combinations of these exercises. Regardless
if you are an athlete, business leader, career pro-
fessional, or self-improvement enthusiast—you
can adapt and use these exercises to strengthen
your self-discipline for specific tasks and pur-
poses.
Be sure to select exercises that will ef-
fectively challenge your self-discipline. Feel free
to get creative and even come up with your own
unique self-discipline exercises or personal chal-
lenges.
Perform your chosen self-discipline ex-
ercise for two days in a row to start. Then, contin-
ue on for one week. If you want to create a new
habit using the activity or exercise—keep going
for one month or more until the habit is formed.
Just remember that the goal of self-dis-
cipline exercises is not to create a new habit.
Rather, the objective is to cultivate your self-
discipline skills—developing the power that en-
ables you to take consistent and productive action
whenever necessary (despite possibly not being
excited about the activity or having the benefit
of an established habit). With advanced self-dis-
cipline skills—your mental toughness will start to
soar!
Meditation or Prayer
Practice daily meditation or quiet prayer for five
minutes. Schedule it and do it. You can invest
more than five minutes (if you want to and have
the time). However, you can exercise your self-
discipline by starting with just five minutes daily.
Journal Writing
Practice writing or recording your personal
thoughts in a paper or electronic journal. Do this
daily. Set a minimum writing time requirement,
or you can set a minimum word count require-
ment.
Prepare for Tomorrow
The most successful people in life are always
well prepared. “Tomorrow’s success starts with
today’s preparation.” Developing the self-discip-
line to be prepared will provide many benefits
and separate you from the crowd of competitors
who are in a constant state of reaction to the daily
events around them. Start with a simple task--
such as preparing your work clothes, work mater-
ials, calendar, or healthy lunch for the next day.
Household Tasks
Exercise your self-discipline skills by completing
mundane household chores and tasks that are not
typically high on your to-do list. Clean all dishes
daily. Or, pick up and put away all clothes every
day. Simply choose one simple, but productive
task that you can do daily--and start doing it.
Get Organized
I have utilized professional organizers. A skilled
organizer can help you improve productivity and
peak performance in targeted areas of your per-
sonal and professional life.
However, you don’t need a professional
in order to start making progress toward organ-
ization and increased productivity. Exercise your
self-discipline and improve your productivity by
taking daily action to organize your home and
work environment.
Initially, you should avoid taking on a
large organization project that could take months.
You can effectively build self-discipline by start-
ing with five minutes a day on a small organiza-
tion project or task, like cleaning out one section
of a cluttered closet or organizing one drawer of
a cabinet.
Healthy Eating
We all want to eat healthier, but few of us take ac-
tion on this common yet significant goal. Start by
choosing one healthy eating action that you will
follow through with daily. Possible options could
include--drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily; eat-
ing at least two small servings of vegetables
daily; or eating fresh fruit as your daily desert.
Power Breathing
Breathing is obviously a basic and vital human
function. However, conscious and controlled
power breathing is a skill that allows mental war-
riors to control their body and mind during peak
performance competition.
Exercise your self-discipline by practi-
cing power breathing (by inhaling air deep into
your abdomen) before exhaling slowly and com-
pletely. Just one minute of power breathing is
both calming and energizing. Practice your power
breathing multiple times per day.
Physical Exercise
Survey results show that people cite exercise as
the most desired new habit. The health and fitness
benefits of regular, effective exercise are undis-
puted. You can overcome exercise procrastina-
tion by strengthening your self-discipline for
starting exercise.
If you are new to exercise--start slow,
simple, and easy. Initially, don’t focus on your
fitness or weight loss goals. Your micro goal is
to use your self-discipline skills to “get off your
butt” and simply start your physical exercise
each day.
Five minutes daily of convenient, low-in-
tensity exercise (such as walking, stretching, or
easy calisthenics) is all you need to start exer-
cising your self-discipline. To overcome procras-
tination, simply focus on starting each session.
As your self-discipline improves, and your new
exercise habit takes form—you will start to no-
tice an increase in your mental toughness.
Arrive Early
Effective leaders lead by example. If you want to
excel in your business, career, or sport—use your
self-discipline skills to develop the habit of arriv-
ing early. If you do this regularly—you will have
a head start on your competition.
Strive to arrive early and prepared for
your work or training on a consistent basis. This
may require going to bed at an earlier time in
order to maintain energy and effectiveness
throughout the day.
Get Extra Reps
If you are an accomplished athlete—you know
that successful completion of a game-winning
play in a championship game will often depend
on superior execution of fundamentals during
training—like the number of repetitions put in
during practice.
Highly successful business executives
and entrepreneurs know that the best leaders are
those who have a superior base of broad fun-
damental business skills developed and honed
through consistent repetition and application.
If you want to elevate your game, try
exercising your self-discipline by “doing extra
reps” of the exercises that will have the most im-
pact on your (and your team’s) success. If you
are underdeveloped in a key skill or attribute for
your field or sport—welcome the challenge and
opportunity to improve your self-discipline and
performance by increasing your repetitions using
proven practice exercises.
Mental Toughness Tip
Be patient in your training and development of
self-discipline and new habit creation skills. Start
slow and focus on progressively building your
skills. Proven training processes will get you to
peak performance and the achievement of your
goals faster than tempting shortcuts or ill-fated
“too much too soon” methods.
Self-discipline will becomes easier with
time, because your belief and confidence will in-
crease from knowing that you can depend on the
power of self-discipline to blast through procras-
tination, take action, and get things done.
After you have successfully created a sig-
nificant habit—you will naturally start to engage
in “power habit stacking.” Power habit stacking
is the conscious building, linking, and leveraging
of cornerstone habits for achieving peak perform-
ance and significant success. With power habit
stacking, your momentum will become nearly un-
stoppable as you propel toward superior mental
toughness and more consistent winning.
Chapter 8
Focus and Concentration
The ability to focus instantly and intensely is a
hallmark skill of all champion athletes and suc-
cessful leaders. A scattered mind causes slow
starts, hinders effectiveness, and contributes to
mental lapses in performance and training. In this
chapter, you will learn how to develop “hyper-fo-
cus” skills to improve your concentration and enter
a “peak state” of mind more quickly.
Focus for peak performance is the ability
to give your full attention or thought to a single ob-
ject or activity. The act or power of focusing your
attention or mental effort is concentration.
Peak Performance Focus
Focus and concentration are a dynamic duo of
peak performance and mental training. The ability
to focus and concentrate effectively is a skill that is
highly coveted by champion athletes and success-
ful leaders. You can recognize a mental warrior by
their ability to focus—as they will exhibit superi-
or concentration skills during intense projects and
highly competitive events.
As you increase your powers of focus and
concentration, you will notice that actions during
competitive events will appear to happen more
slowly. If you are an athlete, superior focus and
concentration will cause the game to slow down,
and you will perceive the finer details of move-
ment more clearly. This mental state of peak per-
formance focus will allow you to make faster de-
cisions; make better decisions; and execute with
more speed and accuracy.
As a combat sports and martial arts ath-
lete, I have experienced this intense state of focus
where everything seems to slow down. The more
I am able to concentrate and ignore all distrac-
tions during competition--the slower my oppon-
ent appears to move. It’s as if he is moving in
slow motion and I can read his mind and anticip-
ate all of his actions.
The moment at which you become effort-
lessly lost in work or play has been described by
many different names: peak performance focus,
hyper-focus, concentration, KI, flow, or zone. It's
the point where you're able to blur out the world
around you and direct the full power of your brain
to focus on one single thing or task. It's your
“mental sweet spot” for peak performance, and
it’s when you are most effective and efficient.
Training yourself to develop and quickly
access the mental state of peak performance fo-
cus will benefit you in your sport, career, and
daily life. You will perform more effectively--and
deliver improved results with less effort and few-
er mistakes.
The Science of Focus
It's important to know what's happening in your
brain when you are focused on something and
what’s happening when you get distracted. Once
you understand this—you can learn how to minim-
ize distractions and train your brain to focus more
fully.
Selective focus is controlled by the top-
down attention system of the brain. This system
uses two major steps to activate focus. The process
of activating focus using this system is voluntary,
and it is prompted by the question, “What should I
focus on?”
First, your brain uses all of your senses
to take in all available information for processing.
Picture the process as a blurry, spinning photo that
slowly starts to come into focus.
The second step in this process involves
focusing on one single point or aspect. Picture this
step as having the photo come into clear focus, and
then zooming in on one specific small detail in
the picture.
If the top-down focus is broken, it can
take anywhere from a split-second to many
minutes to recover focus. Each time your concen-
tration is broken, you must restart the focusing
process using the top-down attention system.
Whereas voluntary and “selective focus”
is reliant on the top-down attention sys-
tem—“broken focus” comes from the involuntary
bottom-up attention system. This system is
prompted by the question, “What is happening
that needs my attention?" Broken focus resulting
from the bottom-up attention system is a passive,
reactive, and instinctive process. It is part of the
brain’s evolutionary defense mechanism to keep
us safe and free from harm.
Your challenge and goal as a mental
warrior is to learn how to activate and control
the top-down attention system—and learn how to
control and de-activate the bottom-up attention
system. This is the key to training and developing
your focus and concentration skills.
In order to maximize your ability to fo-
cus and concentrate, you will need to incorporate
and address three categories of focus in your
mental toughness training, including:
1. Initiating a fully focused state of mind
instantly.
2. Maintaining a fully focused state of
mind (despite distractions).
3. Recovering a fully focused state of
mind quickly (if distracted).
Managing Mental Distractions
Throughout each day—many different things work
to distract all of us from the present moment. It
might be thoughts about what you're eating for
dinner--or the funny and attractive person you met
at the coffee shop this morning--or that ill-advised
recommendation you made to your boss last week.
Despite the source, nature, or intensity of
a distraction--you can learn to eliminate “brain
wanderings” when you need to focus on a task. It
starts with putting the mental brakes on the distrac-
tion process.
First, you must make a firm decision and
commitment to transition from "there and then” to
"here and now.” Get your mind out of the past and
future—and get your mind into the present mo-
ment!
Having a “present mind” is vital to elim-
inating distractions and entering peak performance
focus. You must be fully “in the now” and “not
concerned about the past or future” if you want to
perform at your best.
Prior to a competitive event, it is natural
to plan, train, and prepare for the future occasion.
However, the actual competitive event can be so
fluid and dynamic in its progression, that you
cannot afford to let unnecessary or disempower-
ing thoughts take up space in your conscious
mind if you want to win. Once the event begins,
it is best to direct 100% of your mental focus to
executing your game plan within the present mo-
ments of the game or event.
In its simplest form, focus is all about
eliminating distractions (maintaining a “present
mind”) and directing attention.
To maximize your focus in any situation,
you should always strive to direct your attention
to the fewest number of variables for winning.
Fewer variables equal greater focus. For ex-
ample, as a coach--it is much better to have three
to five highly effective offensive plays in your
playbook—than it is to have twenty-five plays
that are not developed; not understood; and not
executed well by your team.
Focus and Concentration Exercises
Some of the following exercises may seem tedious
at first. But, if you persist in practicing them
consistently--you will quickly develop greater fo-
cus and concentration.
In addition, you may find that some of
the exercises will make you mentally tired. This
is normal. Just keep at it, and your mental focus
(along with your mental toughness) will improve.
Sitting Still in a Chair
Sit in a comfortable chair and see how long you
can keep still. This is not as easy as it seems. You
will have to center your attention on sitting still.
Try to resist and avoid making any movements.
At first, try sitting in a relaxed position
for one minute. After you are able to keep per-
fectly still for one minute--increase the time to
three minutes--and then to five minutes. With
practice, you will find that you are able to sit still
without movement for fifteen minutes or longer.
Do not strain or press yourself to keep
still. Just relax and focus on maintaining stillness
of your body and mind.
Fix Gaze on Fingers
Sit in a chair with your head up, your chin out,
and shoulders back. Raise your right arm from
the right side of your body until your right arm is
on the same level with your right shoulder. Turn
the palm of your outstretched right hand down-
ward.
Now, look to your right (turning only
your head) and fix your eyes on your fingers. Fo-
cus on maintaining a steady right hand. Try to
keep your right arm perfectly still for one minute.
Do the same exercise with your left arm.
As you become more focused and capable of
keeping your arms and hands steady--increase the
time until you are able to do this exercise for five
minutes with each arm.
Clock Watching
Sit in a chair and place a clock or watch with a
second hand on a table in front of you. Follow
the second hand with your eyes as it goes around.
Keep this up for one minute, thinking of nothing
else but the second hand.
Your goal in this exercise is to maintain
focus on every single movement or tick of the
second hand. If you lose your focus during any
tick of the second hand, you should start over.
I know there isn’t much about the move-
ment of a second hand on a clock that is particu-
larly interesting, but the required proactive focus
makes this an effective exercise.
Shadowboxing Point Focus
This is a great drill for developing your visual fo-
cus and ability to maintain focus on an object dur-
ing movement. This drill will improve your abil-
ity to focus in sports, business, and daily life. It
can be a fun drill if you really get into it. I typic-
ally use music with this drill.
You will need a sheet of blank paper and
a pencil, pen, or marker. Mark the paper with
many dots, spacing the dots about one inch apart.
Tape the paper to a wall at face level.
Stand about six feet from the paper and
begin to shadowbox while keeping your eyes fo-
cused on a predetermined dot of your choice.
The object is to bob, weave, punch, and move--
without losing eye contact with the dot you have
chosen to focus on.
Move slowly at first and speed up as your
focus skills improve. Also, you can make this
drill more challenging by moving farther away
from the paper, or increasing the number of dots
on the paper.
Relaxation and Kinesthetic Perception
In order to perform at your peak, you must learn
to use your muscles economically. All too often,
I see beginners pressing and straining in their ac-
tions only to find themselves getting less effect-
ive in their performance. They do this because
they lack relaxation skills. Elite athletes and lead-
ers understand the power of relaxation and it’s
impact on peak performance.
The ability to perform at your peak and
in a relaxed manner begins with the development
of neuromuscular awareness skill, which can be
broken down as follows:
1. Acquire the feeling of relaxation as
compared to tension.
2. Practice acquiring this feeling of re-
laxation in solitude until it can be produced at
will.
3. Practice reproducing this feeling of
instinctive relaxation in controlled training situ-
ations (with training or team partners).
4. Finally, practice reproducing this feel-
ing of instinctive relaxation in uncontrolled com-
petitive situations (during actual games, events,
or competition).
The ability to feel contraction and relax-
ation, to know what a muscle is doing is called
kinesthetic perception. It is developed by con-
sciously placing your body parts in different posi-
tions and getting the “feel” of each one. This feel-
ing of balance or imbalance, grace or awkward-
ness, serves as a constant guide to your body as it
moves and performs.
Peak performers in sports will develop
their kinesthetic perception to such a high degree
that their body feels uncomfortable unless it per-
forms each motion with minimum effort to pro-
duce maximum results. You can exercise your
kinesthetic perception by practicing conscious
physical
relaxation
during
training
and
throughout the day as you complete various daily
tasks.
Relaxation is a physical state, but (like
many things) it is controlled by your mental state.
Relaxation in competition depends on the cultiv-
ation of mental focus and emotional poise in the
midst of potential confusion.
The kind of relaxation you are seeking to
develop is that of the body, not the mind. Dur-
ing competition, your mind should be intensely
focused and aware while your body should be re-
laxed, supple, and ready to perform at its peak.
The following exercises will help train
you to relax your body while focusing your mind.
Meditation
There are many schools of thought on the science
and art of meditation, but the goal is always the
same: the simultaneous achievement of a relaxed
body and a focused mind.
Meditation is a simple exercise. First,
you should find a comfortable position. This can
be lying down, sitting, or standing. Close your
eyes. Now, tense your whole body, from the top
of your head to the bottom of your feet, as hard
as you can. Hold like this for about 5-10 seconds,
and then relax.
Next, take three deep breaths. Be sure
to breathe slowly and naturally. Inhale deeply
and exhale slowly, while pursing your lips. Dur-
ing the first exhalation, softly say, "Legs relax,"
and think and feel your legs relaxing. During
the second exhalation, softly say, "Arms relax,”
and think and feel your arms relaxing. During
the third exhalation, softly say, "Body relax," and
think and feel your entire body relaxing.
If any part of you remains tense, go back
and relax it by softly telling that part of your body
to relax. Concentrate on keeping your breathing
slow, deep, and rhythmic until you feel totally re-
laxed from head to toe.
At this point, you can begin to use self-
programming. You can do this by repeating the
following suggestion at least ten times: "My fo-
cus and concentration continue to improve every
day."
If you want to hone in on improving one
particular Mental Toughness Loop skill, you
could build your statement around that. For in-
stance: "My self-discipline continues to improve
every day." Or, “my willpower continues to im-
prove every day.” Alter the self-programming
statements I suggested to suit your current needs
and goals.
The best times to practice self-program-
ming are just before falling asleep and immedi-
ately upon arising in the morning. At these times,
you are in a natural state of acceptance, and the
suggestions will sink in without resistance more
easily. The goal is to input the suggestions into
your subconscious. Once there, the suggestions
will start to materialize through your thoughts
and actions.
Practice meditation once or twice a day.
After you become proficient at relaxation, you
will not need to practice as often. In the begin-
ning stages, you can meditate while lying down.
Once you become proficient at relaxing your
body and focusing your mind, you can meditate
anywhere.
Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management
method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late
1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down
work into intervals traditionally 25 minutes in
length, separated by short breaks. The word po-
modoro is Italian for "tomato."
The pomodoro method is based on the
idea that frequent breaks can improve mental fo-
cus and performance effectiveness. There are five
basic steps to implementing the technique:
1. Decide on the task to be done.
2. Set a timer to 25 minutes.
3. Work on the task until the timer rings;
record completion of each pomodoro period.
4. Take a short break (3-5 minutes).
5. After four pomodoros, take a longer
break (15-30 minutes).
As pomodoros are completed, they are
recorded, adding to a sense of accomplishment
and providing raw data for subsequent self-obser-
vation and improvement. For the purposes of the
technique, "pomodoro" refers to the interval of
time spent working. Regular breaks are taken to
encourage recharging and new habit creation. A
short (3–5 minute) rest separates consecutive po-
modoros. Four pomodoros form a set. A longer
(15–30 minute) rest is taken between sets.
The essential aim of the pomodoro tech-
nique is to reduce the impact of internal and ex-
ternal interruptions on focus and flow. I consist-
ently use this time management and focus tool
with great success in my business, writing, and
martial arts training.
Since implementing this technique in
various areas of my life, I have become much
more productive and consistent in my work and
training. Consequently, I am now able to achieve
my goals faster and develop skills faster.
Word Counting Exercise
This is a simple and convenient exercise for im-
proving concentration skills, and it can be done
almost anywhere.
You will need a book (either a physical
book or ebook is okay). Open the book and
slowly count the words in any one paragraph.
Then, count the words again (going faster) to see
if you can count the number of words quickly and
correctly. You can practice counting and recount-
ing words (in different paragraphs) for up to five
minutes.
Be sure to count the words silently
(without sounding out the number of words). Do
not use your finger to point at the words. Use
only your eyes to count the words. Lastly, don’t
worry about counting punctuation marks (peri-
ods, commas, etc.)—just count the number of
words in the paragraph.
As your concentration skills improve,
you can try counting (and recounting) the number
of words on the entire page of a book.
Number Counting Exercise
Counting numbers is a simple and effective way
to improve mental focus and concentration.
Practice counting backward in your
mind, from one hundred to zero. Say the numbers
aloud as you are counting. For example, start with
counting backward by one—100, 99, 98, 97, etc.
until you get to zero.
Now, practice counting backward, from
one hundred to zero--but, this time skip every
other number. For example—100, 98, 96, 94, etc.
until you get to zero.
Then, try skipping to every third number
as you count backward. For example—100, 97,
94, 91, etc. until you get to zero.
Word Focus Exercise
For this exercise, start by choosing an inspiring
or motivating word (e.g. success, champion, or
winner). Now, slowly repeat the chosen word (si-
lently in your mind) for one minute without inter-
ruption or allowing any other thoughts into your
mind.
As your focus improves, increase the
word repetition time, until you can maintain word
focus for up to five minutes or more without los-
ing your concentration.
Fruit Focus Exercise
Take a small piece of fruit and hold it in your
hands (you can choose any available fruit, such
as an apple, orange, banana, peach, strawberry,
grape, etc.). Examine the fruit from all of its
sides, while keeping your full attention focused
on it. Do not get distracted by other thoughts.
Now, just look at the fruit. Focus your
full attention on the fruit without thinking about
anything else. Examine its shape, size, smell, and
texture. Do this for one minute to start. You can
increase the time to five minutes as you improve
your ability to maintain focus and ignore distract-
ing thoughts.
To increase the difficulty and challenge
of this exercise, try visualizing the fruit in your
mind’s eye instead of actually looking at it. Close
your eyes--and try to see, smell, taste, and touch
the fruit. Use your powers of imagination to make
the sensations clear and real to your senses.
If the image or sensations of the fruit are
not clear--open your eyes, look at the fruit for a
few seconds, and then close your eyes and contin-
ue the exercise. Do this exercise for one minute
to start. Increase the time to five minutes as your
focus and concentration improves.
Empty Mind Exercise
A focused mind, without distracting thoughts, al-
lows you to leverage maximum mind power and
perform at your peak during intense competition
and important events.
Learning how to quiet your mind on com-
mand will improve your focus and mental tough-
ness.
It takes advanced skill to keep your mind
“empty” of distractions and “flowing in the mo-
ment” so that you can make correct split-second
decisions and appropriately time your actions for
successful results.
For this exercise, the objective is to
empty your mind of all thoughts. You can prac-
tice this anytime and anywhere---sitting, stand-
ing, or lying—in a quiet place of solitude, or in
a loud and crowded place. Start with one minute
and increase the empty mind time as your skill
improves.
Eventually, as your ability to focus and
maintain focus improves--you will learn to im-
pose silence on your thoughts within a split-
second, and maintain the empty mind for a longer
time.
You will also notice that your ability to
recover focus on the empty mind will improve
as distraction lapses during this exercise become
shorter and less frequent.
Audible Exercise
Part of learning how to focus and concentrate is
learning how to use your senses to help you fully
grasp all elements of a situation, activity, or ob-
ject. Using multiple senses to interpret incoming
information and cues is a proven way to improve
decision-making and performance execution.
Most people first think of their eyes
when they think about focus and the senses.
However, the reality is that, in sports and busi-
ness, critical listening with your ears is an invalu-
able skill. Learning to improve your audible fo-
cus skills will enhance your competitive perform-
ance.
For this exercise, simply focus in on
the sounds around you in your daily life for one
minute or more. It is best to close your eyes for
this exercise.
You might choose to sit outside and listen
to the natural sounds of nature and life around
you. Or, you may choose to sit in a crowded place
and listen to the constant hum of people talking
and various machines buzzing.
As you listen to the noise from multiple
sources—your goal is to focus on one specific
sound. Your focal point sound can be the sound
of birds—or the sound of wind blowing—or the
sound of a particular conversation between two
people—or simply listening to the noise of a spe-
cific machine.
Mental Toughness Tip
Focus and concentration are the starting points of
applied mind power and peak performance initi-
ation. This is true in sports, work, and daily life.
You must learn to turn off the “multi-task-
ing obsession” that is so prevalent and pervasive
in our society. Multi-tasking is a valuable skill in
some instances, but it is a proven focus and con-
centration killer.
For people who are new to the concept
of mental training and peak performance, learning
how to stop multi-tasking--and learning how to fo-
cus fully on one thing at a time is an important
early lesson and skill to develop.
Focus and concentration on one important
task (not multi-tasking) is what leads to consistent
peak performance, effective results, and faster suc-
cess. Remember, fewer variables equal greater fo-
cus.
Chapter 9
Mental Stamina
In addition to learning how to initiate your focus
and concentration, you must learn how to increase
your mental stamina and ability to maintain focus.
With increased mental stamina, you can stay in the
game longer, finish stronger, outlast the competi-
tion, and capture more wins.
Most people have the ability to focus fully
and intensely. However, most people lack the men-
tal stamina to maintain their focus intensity for
more than a few seconds or a few minutes with
their best effort.
Highly successful athletes and leaders
have the ability to maintain their focus during in-
tense and prolonged competitive situations. Just
as your heart and muscles can develop increased
endurance and capacity to continue exercising for
increasingly longer periods of time—your brain
can be trained to achieve higher levels of stamina,
which will allow you to maintain focus and con-
centration for increasingly longer periods of time.
Can you sustain your focus and over-
come mental fatigue in a competitive situation?
Can you “lock in” on your focus and maintain it
until you physically finish the job?
Don’t worry if the answer is currently no.
This chapter will provide you with knowledge
and solutions to increase your mental stamina for
peak performance.
The Science of Self-Talk
Self-talk is what happens when you make yourself
the target of your own comments, advice, or re-
minders. Experts consider self-talk a subset of
thinking. You're having a conversation with your-
self. Our ability to talk to ourselves and think in
words is a major part of the human experience of
consciousness.
There are two basic types of "self-talk."
1. Positive self-talk that improves your
mental toughness and physical performance.
2. Negative self-talk that weakens your
mental state and hinders your physical perform-
ance.
Self-talk allows you to stimulate your ac-
tion, direct your action, and evaluate your action.
Self-talk includes what we say to psych ourselves
up and stay focused: "Come on!" "Let's go!" "You
can do this!"
Researchers have discovered that the way
you address yourself during self-talk matters.
Studies have shown that people who speak to
themselves as another person would—using their
own name or the pronoun "you"—performed bet-
ter under stress than people who used the word
"I." Those performers using "you" or their own
names were less nervous, more confident, and
more persuasive.
When people think of themselves as an-
other person, "it allows them to give themselves
objective, helpful feedback," says Dr. Ethan
Kross, Associate Professor of Psychology and
Director of the Self-Control and Emotion Labor-
atory at the University of Michigan.
Instructional self-talk walks us through
a specific task. Instructional self-talk is helpful
when learning or practicing a new sport or task.
For example, a baseball player can remind him-
self to use his hips to generate power during bat-
ting. Or, a golfer can remind himself to relax his
grip and pivot his foot during his swing. Before
giving a speech, a presenter might remind himself
to "speak slower" or "make eye contact."
When carrying out a solo activity for a
long period, the mind can easily wander. Solo
sports such as running, golf, cycling, boxing, and
tennis are without the benefits of a team sport
such as football, baseball, basketball, or hockey
where your teammates help spur you on and keep
you focused.
When your mind begins to wander--in-
ternal dialogue (or self-talk) will increase. Al-
ways keep your self-talk positive and productive.
Negative self-talk causes you to lose focus and
breaks your flow or rhythm, which will have an
adverse impact on your physical performance.
Be aware when you start to feel the first
signs of fatigue in your training or during com-
petition. You can use positive and productive
self-talk to increase mental stamina.
The most accomplished athletes and
leaders use self-talk as a personal mental tough-
ness coach, who metaphorically sits on their
shoulder and provides constant instruction and
motivation to help maintain focus and peak per-
formance during training and competition.
Visualization
Today’s top athletes and business leaders routinely
use visualization to enhance their focus and mental
toughness for improved performance. When com-
bined with effective self-talk, clear visualization
can provide you with an effective method for
maintaining focus and peak performance.
It is very difficult to achieve something
that you don’t believe. Seeing is a big part of
believing! If you really can’t see or visualize a
successful outcome—you are much less likely to
achieve it. You must see it to believe it and achieve
it!
The subconscious mind cannot distinguish
between what is real and what is imagined or visu-
alized. Your subconscious will act upon the images
you create within, regardless of whether those im-
ages reflect your current reality or not.
Mental warriors use visualization as a
mental rehearsal for success.
Visualization is not easy for those who
have never used it before. But, as with
everything, it becomes easier with practice. Visu-
alization does require imagination.
To start using visualization to improve
your focus and performance—start using your
imagination to mentally project into your suc-
cessful future. Visualize yourself performing
with excellence. See yourself achieving key
goals, getting results, and enjoying the rewards of
your superior performance. With consistent prac-
tice, your images of success will become stronger
and clearer within a few weeks.
I suggest practicing success visualization
for three to five minutes each day. Use visualiza-
tion when you feel yourself starting to lose focus
during training or competition. Imagining peak
performance will help you maintain focus.
Distraction Drills
Winners and champions understand the import-
ance of training themselves to maintain focus
longer than most in their sport or field. As your
overall mental focus skills improve, you should
begin to practice exercises or drills to improve
“sport-specific” or “job-specific” focus and con-
centration.
For example, if you are a runner—you
should practice and train yourself to run effect-
ively despite adverse climate conditions. If you are
a quarterback—you should practice and train your-
self to throw a football with precision despite hav-
ing large linemen attempting to tackle you. If you
are a basketball player—you should practice and
train yourself to shoot the ball with accuracy des-
pite having a defender’s hand in your face. In all
of these situations, you may also have to contend
with elevated noise levels from fans and activities
at the game.
To practice distraction drills, start by
identifying the most important “actions for suc-
cess.” Then, introduce increasingly more challen-
ging distractions while you perform the key ac-
tion repeatedly.
For example, you could have someone
shouting at you while you practice the key action.
Or, you could have someone occasionally throw
water on your back while you practice the key ac-
tion. The goal of the distraction drill is to main-
tain your concentration and to complete the key
action successfully—despite the distraction.
Career professionals and business lead-
ers can also practice distraction drills by learning
how to create, write, speak, solve, and present
while dealing with various physical distractions
or noise distractions. Get creative with the dis-
traction drill and come up with effective ways to
challenge your ability to concentrate in the midst
of your key actions.
Be sure to make your distraction drills
challenging, but not so difficult that the distrac-
tion breaks your concentration every time. If the
distraction drill is too hard, find ways to make it
easier. Conversely, if the drill is too easy—find
ways to increase the challenge so that your focus
and mental toughness skills continue to improve.
Focus Maintenance Exercises
To develop your mental stamina and ability to
maintain focus—you can use exercises from the
previous chapter on Focus. Simply extend the dur-
ation or time for each focus exercise. The extended
time will exercise and challenge your mental stam-
ina.
For example--if you typically do one of
the focus exercises for one minute—try increasing
the time to two minutes. If you typically do one of
the focus exercises for five minutes—try increas-
ing the time to ten minutes.
With consistent practice of the focus exer-
cises in this chapter and the previous chapter--you
will improve your ability to maintain concentra-
tion long enough to finish crucial games and pro-
jects with power and precision!
Mental Toughness Tip
The previous chapter primarily covered the subject
of how to initiate your focus. In this chapter, you
learned how to maintain your focus. In chapter 11,
we will advance your mental training to the specif-
ic skill of mental toughness—which includes the
ability to recover your focus.
Too often, beginning mental toughness
students make the mistake of jumping ahead to the
specific mental toughness exercises and training.
My hope is that you are at this point because you
have mentally digested the previous chapters that
will lead up to the mental toughness chapter.
If you want to maximize your mental
toughness, you must develop your entire Mental
Toughness Loop. Be sure to invest adequate time
in training and understanding every component
skill of your Mental Toughness Loop. Ultimately,
your applied mental toughness will only be as ef-
fective as your weakest link (or component skill).
Chapter 10
Self-Confidence
Belief in your personal power, talents, and skills
is a basic requirement for mental toughness, peak
performance, and long-term success. In this
chapter, you will learn how to increase your self-
confidence, expand your courage, and prevent fear
from affecting your ability to take productive ac-
tion and get winning results.
Self-confidence is a feeling of belief and
trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment.
Confidence is generally described as a state of be-
ing certain that a prediction is correct or that a de-
cision or action is the best or most effective. Self-
confidence is having confidence in oneself.
Surprisingly, lack of self-confidence is not
necessarily related to lack of ability. Instead, it is
often the result of focusing too much on the un-
realistic expectations or standards of other people
or society in general.
The way you view yourself has a huge
impact on how others will ultimately perceive
you. When it comes to building self-confidence,
self-perception is very important.
Self-confidence is an attitude that allows
you to have a positive yet realistic view of your-
self and situations. Self-confident people trust
their own abilities, have a general sense of con-
trol in their lives, and believe that, within reason,
they will be able to do what they wish, plan, and
expect.
Having self-confidence does not mean
that you will be able to do everything. Self-con-
fident people have realistic expectations. Even
when their goals are not achieved--self-confident
people continue to have a positive attitude about
themselves and their future.
People who lack self-confidence depend
on the approval of others in order to feel good
about themselves. They tend to avoid taking risks
because they fear failure. They generally do not
expect to be highly successful. They often put
themselves down and tend to discount or ignore
compliments given to them.
By contrast, self-confident people are
willing to risk the disapproval of others because
they generally trust their own abilities. They tend
to accept themselves, and they don’t feel they
have to conform in order to be successful and
happy.
Psychologists have found that people
with low self-confidence are more likely to have
lower levels of willpower and self-discipline vs.
those who are comfortable and secure with their
own values, goals, abilities, and interests. Confid-
ence can be a self-fulfilling prophecy--as people
without it may fail or not try because they lack
it--and people with it may succeed because they
have it (despite not having superior natural tal-
ent).
So, how is self-confidence initially de-
veloped? According to psychologists--it starts in
childhood. Parents’ attitudes are most crucial to
children’s perceptions about themselves. When
parents provide acceptance, children receive a
solid foundation for good feelings about them-
selves.
If one or both parents are excessively
critical or demanding, or if they are overprotect-
ive and discourage moves toward independence,
children may come to believe they are incapable
or inadequate. However, if parents encourage
children’s moves toward self-reliance--and ac-
cept and love their children when they make
mistakes--children will learn to accept them-
selves and will be on their way to developing
self-confidence.
Self-confidence helps connect you to
people around you. You've probably seen a dy-
namic business executive or professional athlete
who is a commanding leader or consistent game
closer even though he is not physically impress-
ive or very attractive. He exudes a kind of self-
assurance that makes him seem much more cap-
able and captivating than his outward appearance
indicates. This is an example of self-confidence,
where an individual has managed to use his self-
perception, energy, and skills to develop personal
confidence and achieve success and influence.
Self-confident people inspire confidence
in others: their team, their employees, their fans,
their audience, their bosses, their customers, their
peers, and their friends. In addition, gaining the
confidence (and support) of others is one of the
key reasons self-confident people achieves suc-
cess.
Building your self-confidence will in-
crease your mental toughness because it allows
you to place enough trust in yourself, your cap-
abilities, and your value to exercise skills such
as motivation, willpower, self-discipline, and fo-
cus—all of which have a direct effect on your
performance and results.
Self-Confidence Toolkit
You can increase self-confidence more quickly
and thoroughly by using the following tools and
strategies.
Experience
There is no substitute for practicing or doing a
critical success activity. In order to gain skill and
achieve mastery, you must put in time and
work—by practicing and doing the activity. This
will naturally lead to increased self-confidence.
Risk Taking
Highly successful people approach new experi-
ences as opportunities to learn and grow. Taking
calculated and measured risks—you can increase
your self-confidence and open yourself up to new
levels of success. The “always play it safe” leader
or athlete will never maximize their self-confiden-
ce, potential, or results.
Modeling Behavior
Find inspiring examples of successful peak per-
formers in your industry, sport, or self-improve-
ment activity. By modeling or emulating other
highly skilled athletes, leaders, or mental warri-
ors—you can increase your confidence, because
you will gain greater insight into the essential
skills and habits required to perform at a higher
level.
Vicarious Learning
This is the process of learning and gaining con-
fidence through the experiences and success of
others. A more simple way of explaining vicari-
ous learning would be, "Well if he can do it, then
I know I can!"
Positive Self-Talk
To display self-confidence—you must think, talk,
and act with self-confidence. How you talk to
yourself influences how you think and act. All
mental warriors use positive self-talk as a pro-
gramming tool for increasing self-confidence.
When you experience the “butterflies” in your
stomach or tremble in your knees during a crucial
game or event—use positive self-talk to calm
your nerves and help re-establish your self-con-
fidence.
Self-Praise
You can increase self-confidence by consistently
emphasizing your strengths. Start giving yourself
more credit or self-kudos for everything you try
and succeed in doing. By focusing on what you
can do, you will learn to “applaud yourself” more
frequently for trying and taking action.
Social Support
All of us can benefit from positive reinforcement.
We all need encouragement, and in many in-
stances a few positive words of support are some-
times all you need to bolster self-confidence and
keep you going.
The 7 Habits of Self-Confidence
Extensive studying, training, and coaching has led
me to identify the following seven key habits of
highly self-confident people.
1. Being Optimistic
Self-confident people tend to have a positive and
hopeful view of their future outcomes.
2. Being Knowledgeable
Knowledge (gained through a variety of means) is
a proven path to increased self-confidence.
3. Being Prepared
Roman philosopher, Seneca, is quoted as say-
ing—“Luck is what happens when preparation
meets opportunity.”
4. Being a Doer
Consistent action is a cornerstone habit for build-
ing self-confidence. Thinking, talking, and plan-
ning cannot substitute for actually doing
something to cause a result and make tangible
progress toward your goals.
5. Being Supportive
Genuinely self-confident and secure people tend
to be objectively supportive and consistently en-
couraging to others.
6. Being Healthy
There is a strong and direct correlation between
physical fitness and increased self-confidence.
7. Being Grateful
A strong sense of gratitude is a common trait
among confident champions and leaders.
Managing Fear
Fear is an unpleasant feeling of anxiety or appre-
hension caused by the presence or anticipation of
danger. Fear is a natural biological function that
can undermine peak performance and success if
not controlled effectively.
Mental warriors must learn to manage
fear—and ultimately, learn how to use and direct
the energy of fear to elevate mental toughness and
performance.
You can use the following 5-step process
to help control performance anxiety:
1. Acknowledge the fear. Ignoring fear
will not make it magically disappear (remember
the reality principle). Fear is your body’s way of
sending a signal that you need to prepare for
something. Don’t ignore this. Instead—accept it
and identify its source.
2. Relax. You can perform at a very high
level and achieve continuous success despite ex-
periencing fear on a regular basis—but, only if you
can learn to relax under pressure. In order to do
so—you must practice relaxing your body and re-
directing your mind in response to feelings and
thoughts of fear or anxiety. The “relaxation re-
sponse” will eventually become part of your peak
performance instincts.
3. Know your motivation. Use your
most powerful and compelling goals and desires
to help override your fear. Elite mental warriors
can use the right motivation sources to smash
through fear because they want to achieve the
goal or desired outcome more than they want to
avoid the fear!
4. Trust your skills and training. Once
you are in the big moment of an important game
or event—it is pointless to question or second-
guess your skills or training. To keep fear at bay
and perform at your best—you must let go of
any disempowering thoughts and simply believe
in your skills and training.
5. Stay in the present. Fear is a future-
oriented emotional response. In order to maxim-
ize performance and results, you must train your-
self to let go of fear by focusing intensely on
making the right decisions and taking the right
actions in the present moment of any event or
situation.
Self-Confidence Training
Nothing builds self-confidence like achieving suc-
cess that requires you to push beyond your emo-
tional comfort zone. Doing something consistently
in spite of fear builds self-confidence, mental
toughness, and leadership capacity.
Use the following tips and suggestions to
help build your self-confidence.
Watch Your Body Language
How you present yourself communicates a lot to
other people--so make sure you're telling them that
you're confident and in charge. Practice the body
language of self-confidence, peak performance,
and success. Keep your chin high, your shoulders
back, and your spine straight when sitting or stand-
ing. Practice walking and moving with purpose
and confidence.
Challenge Yourself
Have you ever dreamed of doing something that
evokes instant fear--such as public speaking; or
parachuting; or becoming a team leader; or start-
ing your own business; or simply singing and
dancing in public? Trying new activities will
strengthen your confidence in your ability to
overcome fear in order to learn a new, valuable
skill. Facing fear and having self-confidence does
not guarantee success, but it can increase your
mental toughness, elevate your performance, and
improve your odds of success.
Dress for Success
Practice dressing for confidence and success in
your field or industry. You don't have to buy an
entire new wardrobe or purchase expensive
clothes. Choose affordable clothing options that
make you feel confident, comfortable, and at-
tractive. Strive to maintain excellent grooming
and hygiene habits, as both habits are effective
self-confidence boosters.
Make Eye Contact
Practice establishing comfortable and confident
eye contact with people. You cannot convey self-
confidence and mental toughness to others if you
are not self-assured enough to look them in the
eye during critical conversations or intense com-
petition.
Celebrate Strengths and Success
All of us have weaknesses and opportunities for
improvement that help keep us grounded and
grateful. However, in order to maintain self-con-
fidence—you must take the time to recognize
your strengths and accomplishments.
True mental warriors are not egotistical
or narcissistic, but they are comfortable with (and
proud of) their strengths, unique skills, and
achievements. Practice recognizing and acknow-
ledging your personal strengths as an individual.
Practice congratulating yourself for attaining
goals (both big and small).
Help Others
Helping others achieve their goals is a very sat-
isfying experience. By helping others, you will
boost your own confidence and feeling of suc-
cess. Commit regular time to volunteering and
mentoring as a way to help others in need of your
knowledge or expertise.
Say No
Practice saying “no” to people and activities that
do not support or align with your significant
goals and values. Life is too short to waste time
on things that add no meaningful value to your
life. Having the self-confidence to politely, but
firmly say “no” is an essential time management
skill of successful leaders.
Start a Conversation
If starting a conversation with a stranger is dif-
ficult for you, force yourself to do this when the
opportunity presents itself. The more you practice
starting up conversations, the more confident you
will become.
Mental Toughness Tip
To maintain a healthy level of self-confiden-
ce—you must always choose to like and love your-
self right here, right now—without any conditions.
Ultimately—self-confidence comes down
to how you feel about you. If you commit to choos-
ing self-confidence and self-acceptance every-
day—you can more easily withstand external fail-
ures and criticism.
Regardless of your past failures or future
fears—right now you have the immeasurable gift
of being a unique and breathing human being, who
has the power to make decisions and take ac-
tions—to be confident, happy, striving, mentally
tough, knowledgeable, skilled, and successful.
Chapter 11
Mental Toughness and
Strength
Motivation, willpower, focus, and self-confidence
can weaken in the midst of extremely difficult
challenges and circumstances—or against a talen-
ted and determined competitor. In this chapter, you
will learn how to acquire the mental toughness
skills that allow champions and winners to deliver
outstanding results in the face of extreme pressure,
obstacles, or pain.
You will learn how mental warriors devel-
op and use mental toughness to maintain peak per-
formance and control psychological doubts, dis-
empowering emotions, and physiological stress
during a game or event.
Mental toughness is your last line of de-
fense against being broken down by an opponent
or situation—or being reduced to a “softie.”
Mental toughness can help you compensate for a
lack of natural talent.
Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about it
in the movie Pumping Iron--“You just go on, go
on...and say, I don’t care what happens.” Flu-
stricken basketball legend, Michael Jordan, ex-
emplified it in the 1997 NBA finals by hitting the
Game 5 winning shot after nearly collapsing from
exhaustion.
This critical trait is what a triathlete
needs to survive and excel in the last mile of an
Ironman contest, and it often means the differ-
ence between success and failure in sports, busi-
ness, and life. We all know what it is—whether
you call it guts, will, intestinal fortitude, or back-
bone—it is mental toughness.
The Science of Mental Toughness
Coaches, sports psychologists, sports commentat-
ors, and business leaders commonly refer to men-
tal toughness as the ability to perform with peak
effectiveness regardless of circumstances.
Many case studies have shown a strong
link between mental toughness, coping skills,
emotional control---and an athlete or leader’s abil-
ity to perform at a superior level compared to com-
petition and peers.
A recently published study focused on as-
sessing mental toughness in a number of areas out-
side of sports—including education, health, busi-
ness, and social services—in order to explore the
relevance of mental toughness and its impact on
success.
The results of the study showed that senior
managers within any given industry possessed
higher levels of mental toughness than junior man-
agers. The key takeaway is this: If you want to join
the top 5% in your industry or sport, you must de-
velop the skill of mental toughness.
Please do not confuse mental toughness
with pure stubbornness. All mental warriors and
highly successful people place a high value on
the attribute of adaptability and the principle of
reality. Stubbornly clinging to something that is
simply not working, without making adjustments
to deliver improvements and better results is not
mental toughness.
Research has shown that people with
highly developed mental toughness are able to ef-
fectively initiate, maintain, and recover their fo-
cus during the most crucial moments of a game,
project, event, or situation.
Some people are able to focus quickly.
Some people are able to focus quickly and main-
tain their focus when operating under ideal cir-
cumstances where little pressure exists. However,
when confronted with internal and external dis-
tractions—most people lose focus and struggle to
recover their focus.
Your goal is to become part of the elite
few who are able to recover focus instantly and
automatically--even under the most difficult and
challenging circumstances. Focus recovery for
advanced mental toughness students is so seam-
less—that the casual observer may often miss the
split-second transition from focus loss to focus
recovery.
Mental Toughness Training
Mental warriors view extreme challenges as op-
portunities to exercise their mental toughness. For
some people, this perspective may seem mas-
ochistic. However, champions and leaders under-
stand that achieving significant success cannot
happen without enduring significant challenge.
The notion of applied mental toughness is
quite simple for mental warriors. You can use the
pain of significant challenges to become mentally
stronger and more successful—or, you can allow
the pain of significant challenges to weaken your
mind and desire for success.
In order to exercise and improve your
mental toughness, you must experience and over-
come one or more of the “five stressor conditions.”
The five stressor conditions can be created by you-
-or they may be caused by external factors or cir-
cumstances.
The five stressor conditions include:
1. Mental confusion
2. Mental fatigue
3. Emotional distress
4. Physical fatigue
5. Physical pain
It’s relatively easy to perform at your
peak when everything within you and around you
is optimal. It’s quite a different challenge to per-
form at or near your peak when you are moment-
arily confused, fatigued, distressed, or experien-
cing pain.
To have mental toughness is to have the
ability to perform effectively despite experiencing
one or more of the stressor conditions.
Your mental toughness level is determin-
ed by how close to your peak you can perform
when experiencing one or more of the stressor
conditions.
Can you perform at a high level in your
work or sport when faced with one or more of
the stressor conditions? If not, don’t worry—the
following exercises will improve your mental
toughness and ability to perform well under any
circumstances.
Warning: Before performing any of the
exercises or activities, physical or otherwise, you
should first consult a medical doctor for advice
on whether you are healthy enough to perform the
exercises and activities.
The Plank Challenge
The Navy SEALs are a special military oper-
ations team of the United States Navy. Navy
SEALs are famous for their superior physical and
mental toughness.
Although most people will never need to
show the degree of physical and mental strength
and endurance needed by the Navy SEALs, train-
ing like them can help you improve your mental
and physical toughness.
SEAL training is extremely rigorous,
having a reputation as some of the toughest in the
world. SEALs need strong cores to run longer,
conserve energy, and prevent injury while carry-
ing heavy loads or maintaining strenuous combat
positions during critical missions.
The Plank is an exercise used by Navy
SEALs and recommended by the American
Council on Exercise. In addition to building men-
tal toughness, the plank is a great way to build en-
durance in the abs and back, as well as the stabil-
izer muscles.
Following are simple instructions for
performing The Plank exercise.
1. Get into a push up position on the floor.
2. Bend your elbows 90 degrees, resting your
weight on your forearms and toes.
3. Ensure that your elbows are directly be-
neath your shoulders.
4. Your body should form a straight line from
head to toe.
5. Hold the position for as long as you can.
Here is a link to an image of The Plank
exercise--
.
During this exercise, you will want to
quit once the burn kicks in. But, if you can keep
going after the burn starts--you'll be rewarded
with increased core strength and mental tough-
ness.
To make the plank exercise more chal-
lenging and fun, try competing against a team
member or colleague. The person who can hold
their plank the longest wins the title of mental
toughness champion.
Pushups
Practice doing pushups until you are unable to
continue. Don’t focus on the number of pushups
completed. Instead—just keep going until your
muscles give out and you are unable to complete
another pushup.
You are training yourself to “push past
the burn” by learning how to fight against the ini-
tial stages of physical fatigue and pain. Having
the ability to push yourself to the point of muscle
failure in training will help develop your mental
toughness for competitive situations.
Extended Cardio
An Ironman Triathlon is a series of long-distance
races consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim,
a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride, and a
26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon run--raced in that
order and without a break.
The Ironman Triathlon is widely con-
sidered one of the most difficult one-day sporting
events in the world. Ironman Triathletes must be
well trained and mentally tough in order to com-
pete and finish the series of grueling races.
Training for and competing in endurance
races is a great a way to develop your mental
strength and physical endurance. You can choose
from a variety of options depending on your
health and fitness level--including 5K, 10K, half-
marathon, marathon, and triathlon.
If competitive racing is not for you—try
doing extended cardiovascular exercise sessions
that push you closer to the point of fatigue. If
your typical cardio workout is thirty minutes, try
pushing yourself to go for forty-five minutes, or
even sixty minutes.
Extended cardio sessions will help you
become mentally strong and more physically fit.
Make sure you allow for sufficient rest
and recovery between extended cardio sessions,
and always consult a medical doctor if you have
any health problems or concerns.
Interval Training
Interval training is any physical workout that al-
ternates short, high intensity bursts of speed--
with slower, recovery phases, throughout the
workout. Athletes have used interval training for
years to increase fitness levels and build resist-
ance to fatigue and pain.
Lactate threshold has been shown to be
a significant factor in determining performance
for endurance related sports. Interval training is
an effective means of enhancing your lactate
threshold—or that point at which you cross the
line from aerobic (with oxygen) exercise to high-
intensity anaerobic (without oxygen) exercise.
An example of interval training would be brisk
walking interspersed with bouts of full sprinting.
Walking is aerobic—whereas sprinting is the an-
aerobic interval.
Interval training takes advantage of the
body being able to temporarily exceed the lactate
threshold, and then recover while operating be-
low the threshold and continuing with lower in-
tensity physical activity.
Start incorporating interval training into
your current cardiovascular exercise sessions.
You can use interval training with any cardiovas-
cular exercise to help boost physical fitness and
mental toughness.
Contact Sparring
I recommend contact sparring as a mental tough-
ness exercise for all aspiring mental warriors,
dedicated athletes, and promising leaders.
Sparring is a form of training that is com-
mon to all martial arts and combat sports. Essen-
tially, it is “practice fighting” with varying de-
grees of rules designed to develop a fighter’s skill
while preventing injury. As a martial artist and
combat sport enthusiast—I am a proponent of
controlled contact sparring using various forms
of non-lethal boxing, kicking, and wrestling.
Legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee, said
that martial artists who train without contact spar-
ring are “dry land swimming.” At some point--if
you want to learn how to swim--you will even-
tually have to jump into the water. Similarly, I
don't believe you can actually learn how to fight
effectively--unless you experience the emotions
and force of a fight (or controlled fight) first
hand.
Occasionally, I will host combat sparring
camps with small teams or company leaders. The
goal is to drive rapid improvements in mental
toughness and performance capabilities. The con-
sistent result of these intense, but invigorating
events is the emergence of tougher leaders and
stronger teams.
Contact sparring will train you to per-
form effectively while experiencing emotional
distress, mental misperception, physical fatigue,
and physical pain. When practiced realistically,
contact sparring will quickly develop your mental
toughness—as there is nothing like having to en-
gage in hand-to-hand combat with a difficult op-
ponent. It will challenge every single element of
your Mental Toughness Loop.
When sparring with a partner, you should
both take safety precautions such as establishing
rules and wearing protective equipment, which
could include: headgear, boxing gloves, mouth
guard, support cup, (along with chest guard, spar-
ring shoes, and shin guards if you will be using
kicks in addition to boxing and wrestling).
If you are new to combat sparring, I sug-
gest you start with three two-minute rounds and
one-minute rest between each round. If one spar-
ring partner is clearly superior to the other—he
should fight less intensely to make sure the less-
experienced partner is able to last for three rounds
and avoid injury.
For additional information on spar-
ring—you can research and visit local boxing
gyms or martial arts facilities in your area.
Competitive Simulations
A simulation is the operational imitation of a
real-world process or system over time. Dynamic
competitive simulation exercises can provide
strategic and conditioning advantages for indi-
viduals and teams in business and sports.
Most sports already include competitive
simulations as part of their normal workout
routines. Other names for competitive simulation
in sports include scrimmage games or practice
games. You have to practice competing against
skilled opponents in order to develop and hone
your skills—this includes physical skills and psy-
chological skills such as mental toughness.
In business schools, dynamic competit-
ive simulation games are often used to replicate
the uncertainty and interconnected effect of mak-
ing continuous strategic and tactical decisions
with limited information.
Militaries and law enforcement agencies
use realistic war game simulations to help train
their personnel on making split-second decisions
while experiencing the performance hindering ef-
fects of emotional distress and mental confusion.
Most elite champions and superior lead-
ers continue to use competitive simulations as
part of their continuing education and training.
Make sure you are putting in quality time with
competitive simulations, practice games, or
scrimmage games for your specific industry or
sport.
During competitive simulation drills in
your industry or sport--try to practice with others
who have a skill level that is equal to or superior
to your own. You will develop faster and prepare
yourself for real-world execution if you face
stronger competitors during practice--versus
routinely facing weaker competitors in practice
who can’t effectively challenge your physical and
mental skills.
Distraction Denial Drills
One of the functions and benefits of mental
toughness is that it allows you to “snap back” into
focus and peak performance instantly after an at-
tempted interruption by an internal or external
distraction.
Mentally tough people get distracted.
However, their mental training allows them to
stay distracted for only a fraction of a second--as
opposed to the untrained who may be distracted
for a few seconds or more, which is long enough
to cause a drop in performance and a potential
loss.
Distraction denial drills will condition
you to do the following:
1. Maintain focus despite interruptions.
2. Snap back into focus faster after inter-
ruptions.
3. Maintain peak performance despite in-
terruptions.
To start incorporating distraction denial
drills into your mental toughness training—I sug-
gest you work with a team member, partner, or
coach. Their goal is to attempt to disrupt your
focus, concentration, and performance effective-
ness during training sessions.
Use the following ideas for distraction
denial drills to get your creative juices flowing.
Cold Water Dumps
Have a partner or coach stationed with multiple
cups of cold water behind you during a skills or
conditioning drill. He will periodically throw a
cup of cold water at your back. Your goal is to
continue with your drill without letting the cold
water disrupt you.
Loud Sounds
Have a partner or coach randomly shout or
scream at you during a skills or conditioning drill.
He can also bang something against the floor that
will make a very loud noise. Your goal is to con-
tinue with your drill without letting the loud noise
disrupt you.
Lighting Changes
Have your partner or coach randomly flicker
room lights on and off at random intervals. Your
goal is avoid letting your senses’ perception of
change distract you from effectively completing
your specific skill drill.
You can apply the same “mental denial
of distractions” approach whenever you start to
experience fatigue or pain during rigorous train-
ing or intense project work. As soon as you start
to feel initial fatigue or pain—refocus instantly
on your key action and objective to help ease the
discomfort. Continue to use this refocusing tech-
nique for as long as you can comfortably ignore
the fatigue or pain and perform effectively.
Sleep Deprivation Challenge
Sleep deprivation is the condition of not having
enough sleep; it can be chronic and long-term or
episodic and short-term.
As we discussed earlier in this chapter,
mental toughness is the ability to maintain per-
formance execution at or near your peak despite
experiencing one or more of the five stressor con-
ditions.
Sleep deprivation has an adverse effect
on the brain and cognitive function. A relatively
small amount of sleep deprivation can cause
physical fatigue, loss of focus, memory lapses,
and impairment of your willpower and self-dis-
cipline.
You can use sleep deprivation episodes
in your life to help strengthen your mental tough-
ness.
To practice this exercise—start by setting
your alarm clock to wake you up two hours earli-
er in the morning. Now, simply continue with
your workday.
Do not leave work or practice any earlier
than you would normally. Also, do not consume
any more caffeine than you would on a typical
day.
Apply your mental toughness skills to
perform well on key tasks and activities despite
the inevitable effects of sleep deprivation and fa-
tigue. It will be very challenging, but do your
best. As your mental toughness increases, you
will be able to perform well despite the stress of
short-term sleep deprivation.
I suggest you practice the sleep depriva-
tion challenge on days that are not critically im-
portant. Don’t consciously deprive yourself of
sleep before game day or before an important
customer presentation. Also, make sure you go to
bed at your regularly scheduled time after practi-
cing the sleep deprivation challenge so that your
body and mind can recover.
Project Marathons
We’ve all experienced the anxiety, rush, and ful-
fillment that comes from logging long hours to
complete an urgent or important project or as-
signment.
There is a real mental benefit to these
marathon project sessions. You are exercising
your mental toughness when you have to sustain
focus, ignore all distractions, endure minor dis-
tress, and push through fatigue to complete a cru-
cial assignment on schedule.
Occasionally, I will challenge myself to
a project marathon when faced with an urgent
and important task. I suggest you do the same.
However, do not make it a regular habit to engage
in mentally draining project marathons, because
you must conserve your mental toughness capa-
city for when you need it most—during the actual
event, presentation, or game.
Tough Decision-making
Effective decision-making is a must-have skill
for leaders and mental warriors. Quality decision-
making on very important matters in your work
and life requires mental toughness.
Practice using your willpower and self-
discipline skills to reject bad decisions and act on
the best decisions--in spite of the short-term dis-
comfort or pain it causes for you or your team
members.
Avoid making tough decisions when
your emotions are running high. This will lead
to bad decisions. When making tough decisions
about crucial plans, strategies, or actions—you
will be more effective if you leverage your men-
tal toughness to initiate and maintain a calm and
focused state of mind.
Emotion Channeling
Whenever you start to experience intense emo-
tions in your daily life—fear, anger, sadness, ex-
citement—practice rapid redirection of your
emotional energy. Command your mind to take
control by redirecting the emotion until you are
relaxed, focused on your goal, in the present mo-
ment, and prepared for peak performance.
Your goal is to learn how to control and
channel intense emotions within seconds. By
practicing this regularly, you will have easier ac-
cess to peak performance focus—even during
those times when others around you are perform-
ing poorly due to the presence of various stressor
conditions.
Cold Selling
In any business—active selling (of yourself, your
product, or your service) is an essential skill that
separates great leaders from good leaders.
Regardless of your industry—you (or someone)
must sell something in order for significant suc-
cess to be possible.
Active cold selling is a great exercise for
developing the mental toughness necessary for
long-term success in your career or industry. To
be successful at selling, you must learn how to
perform at your peak for every individual sales
pitch, despite emotional distress and potential re-
jection.
Depending on your product, service, or
industry--there are two traditional methods of
cold selling, including face-to-face and phone.
Both forms of cold selling are effective for
strengthening multiple Mental Toughness Loop
skills.
*Face-to-Face: Volunteer to work trade
shows for your company. When working a trade
show, get out in the aisles with the sales team to
pitch the product or service to anyone who walks
by. If your organization does not participate in
trade shows, just try promoting or selling your
product or service in a crowded area—such as a
busy downtown street or heavily shopped mall
during lunch hour. The mental toughness skills
you gain from active face-to-face selling will be-
nefit you throughout your career.
*Phone: If your product or service is
more business-to-business—make phone calls
and sales pitches to prospective customers. Keep
calling customer leads until you can convince
someone to purchase, or at least agree to a
demonstration of your product or service.
Online selling or promoting through so-
cial media is not active selling. These methods of
selling and marketing can be effective, but they
are passive and don’t develop mental toughness
because there is minimal interaction and limited
impact from rejections.
Mental Toughness Tip
Highly successful champions and leaders do not
make excuses, because they know there is no prac-
tical need for excuses. There are always factual
reasons for every success or failure in life. Some
reasons for success or failure are truly beyond your
control. However, most reasons for success or fail-
ure are firmly within your control.
Excuses are common among those who
lack mental toughness. Excuses are falsely identi-
fied random reasons for failure that are actually
within your control. Excuses do not align with the
reality principle of mind power and peak perform-
ance. Therefore, excuses are not acceptable or ne-
cessary among mental warriors.
Mental toughness superiority demands
100% commitment to the reality principle. You
must learn to distinguish between “real reasons”
and “false excuses.” Do not let unproductive ex-
cuses (from yourself or others) undermine your
performance, progress, and success.
Consider taking the Mental Toughness
Pledge by committing to the following “no ex-
cuse” behaviors:
1. Never complain.
2. Never criticize.
3. Never resent.
4. Always respect reality.
5. Always take responsibility.
6. Always focus on solutions.
7. Always use results as a guide.
8. Always learn from mistakes.
9. Always celebrate success as a team.
10. Always appreciate what you have.
Chapter 12
Advanced Peak
Performance and
Leadership Skills
If you have read this far, you know that elite ath-
letes and highly successful leaders are able to
achieve success due to their combination of ex-
perience, talent, and breadth of mental toughness
skills.
Winners who consistently separate them-
selves from the average players in a sport or in-
dustry also have additional competencies and
knowledge that help them maintain their success.
In this chapter, you will discover six ad-
vanced skills for peak performance and leadership
development. By adding these additional skills to
your Mental Toughness Loop, you can fine-tune
your performances for winning results in sports,
business, and life.
Technical Skill Mastery
The beginning player or entry-level career pro-
fessional very often fails to grasp and understand
the technical mastery required to perform at the
highest level of an industry or sport.
If you are serious about reaching the up-
per echelons of your sport or industry, you must
learn and master the core technical skills of your
sport or business.
Too often, beginners and intermediate
players or professionals will prematurely shift
their focus from fundamentals to advanced tech-
niques before they have completely mastered the
requisite skills. This common, yet problematic
tendency will guarantee failure if the goal is to
reach the apex of a sport or industry.
As a mental toughness student, you are
much more likely than most to understand and
possess the level of patience required to achieve
mastery of basic skills for your sport or industry.
This differentiation between you and others in
your field will almost guarantee you a spot in the
top 5% of performers (provided you have aligned
your goals with your natural talents).
First, focus on identifying and prioritiz-
ing the few basic skills that every elite and well-
rounded competitor in your sport or industry
must have.
Basic skills will vary by sport
or industry, so I suggest you work with a coach,
supervisor, mentor, or team member to help
identify and prioritize the foundational skills.
For your benefit, I have provided a few
examples of basic skills below.
*American Football: Blocking; tackling;
running with the ball; catching the ball; and
throwing the ball.
*Basketball: Dribbling the ball; shooting
the ball; passing the ball; catching the ball; re-
bounding the ball; and defending.
*Baseball: Catching the ball; throwing
the ball; batting the ball; and running the bases.
*Business Leadership: Planning; project
management; decision-making; communications;
and analysis.
If an identified skill or technique is con-
sidered too advanced for you at this current time
in your development, do not prioritize it over a
more vital skill or technique. Don’t let ego, impa-
tience, or social pressure compel you to look for
unproven shortcuts or ignore the scientific laws
of skill development and peak performance.
Strategic Skill Mastery
Once you have attained mastery of basic technical
skills—you can proceed to learn advanced
strategies for winning. Your mastery of founda-
tional skills will allow you to learn and apply ad-
vanced strategies and techniques more easily and
quickly.
When technical skill, mental toughness,
and physical execution are combined with a super-
ior strategy—winning becomes easier and more
certain. You will find that consistently successful
leaders and athletes are often superior strategists as
well as skilled doers.
Start by studying and evaluating effective
strategies from today’s top players, coaches, and
leaders in your field.
To become a superior strategist in your
field or sport, you must constantly learn, test, ad-
apt, and evolve your strategies for winning. Like
any skill—maximizing your strategic skills re-
quires consistent practice, regular application,
and objective feedback.
Flow
Flow, also known as the “zone,” is a described
mental state of functioning in which a person per-
forming an activity is fully immersed in a feeling
of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoy-
ment in the process of the activity.
Flow is hyper-focused and single-minded
motivation. It represents the ultimate experience
in harnessing the energy of intense emotions for
achieving peak performance. In flow, the emotions
are not just controlled and channeled—but intensi-
fied, transcended, and completely aligned with the
immediate goal or task.
In essence, flow is characterized by com-
plete absorption and is evident by the presence of
peak performance.
Originally proposed by psychologist Mi-
hály Csíkszentmihályi, the concept of flow has
been widely referenced and accepted across a vari-
ety of fields. Flow received its name after Csík-
szentmihályi's 1975 interviews of several people
who described their "flow" experiences using the
metaphor of a water current carrying them along.
The following five key factors will con-
tribute to and create an experience of flow during
an activity. In parenthesis, I have highlighted the
foundational attribute, skill, or result for each
flow factor.
1. A strong sense of personal control
(mental toughness).
2. A loss of conscious thinking or self-
consciousness (sixth sense).
3. Intrinsically-driven enjoyment and re-
ward from the activity (motivation).
4. Distortion of time perception (killer
instinct).
5. Merging of skilled physical action and
heightened psychological awareness (peak per-
formance).
The five factors of flow can happen inde-
pendently of each other—but all five factors must
be happening simultaneously in order to achieve
the flow experience.
During training, games, events, and daily
situations—you can practice trying to get into
the flow of the activity or moment using the five
factors of flow. The more familiar and comfort-
able you are with accessing and functioning in
this enhanced state, the more likely you will be to
perform at your peak and achieve winning results
more consistently.
The opposite of flow is a state of con-
scious anxiety, which is a proven barrier to peak
performance. Having the ability to relax and re-
main calm under pressure is critical to overcom-
ing conscious anxiety and accessing flow in a
high-stakes competitive situation.
Learn to relax quickly by concentrating
on breathing slowly and deeply while simultan-
eously clearing your mind of all thoughts. Ex-
perienced champions and effective leaders reg-
ularly practice and use instant relaxation tech-
niques to avoid “choking,” and deliver outstand-
ing performances in “clutch” time.
Killer Instinct (KI)
As a mental toughness student, you must learn to
control the natural rush of adrenaline that surges
through your body during an intense game, event,
or situation. This is an essential skill for winning
in sports, business, and life.
Combat sport participants and enthusiasts
often refer to this intense state of concentration
and physical climax as a moment of “killer
instinct”--when you are going for the winning
strike, combination, throw, or submission. In this
mental state--you are free from fear, anger, appre-
hension, and ego. You are simply in a heightened
performance state with intense focus on finishing
the fight.
Killer instinct can be described as a cold,
detached, primal, and intense mentality that totally
consumes your mind and transforms you into a
highly capable “closer” or “finisher.” Simple
knowledge of the fundamentals of a sport or busi-
ness will not make you a superior performer or
champion. To become a feared competitor who
is capable of consistent and decisive wins--you
must learn to harness, sharpen, and manage the
killer instinct mentality.
Ever notice how wide open a champion’s
eyes are when he is executing a finishing or win-
ning play or move? His eyes may even look
somewhat maniacal as if he is in the midst of a
controlled rage. Your goal is to develop the same
level of intensity. However, just as with a cham-
pion’s killer instinct state—your fury during a
finish or close must be focused and controlled.
Elite champions, leaders, and mental
warriors have the ability to switch instantly from
a calm and rational human being into an unstop-
pable force who is determined to win at all costs!
Having control of your killer instinct allows you
to manage and direct your highly potent adren-
aline flow.
In order to fully optimize your killer in-
stinct, you must become very familiar with the
adrenaline rush. The initiation of adrenaline in a
stressful situation is sometimes referred to as the
“fight or flight” response. I believe the control
and use of the adrenaline rush is, in fact, the same
inner power that is known in martial arts circles
as Ki or Chi.
KI principles recognize the truth that ef-
fectively competing in sports and business (at
advanced levels) is more about controlling your
mind and emotions than controlling your body.
High-functioning killer instinct will
provide you with the following benefits in com-
petition:
1. Emotional Control – Killer instinct
helps you override fear and fills you with unshak-
able confidence despite the situation or potential
odds against you.
2. Mental Control – Killer instinct allows
you to instantaneously take control of your mind
and focus it like a laser on the singular objective
of defeating an opponent (or group of opponents).
Killer instinct will expand your consciousness--
and it supports very rapid, creative problem-solv-
ing (heightened flow) to eliminate the obstacle
and achieve a winning outcome.
3. Pain Control – Killer instinct allows
you to temporarily block out pain and fatigue
in order to finish the task at hand (in this
case—achieving a successful result).
An additional benefit (or bonus) of fully
functioning killer instinct is that it tends to have a
negative effect on your opponent. You will notice
that when you compete against opponents with
lower levels of killer instinct—and less control of
their adrenaline rush—you will be able to control
the game mentally and emotionally, which makes
it easier for you to achieve a win. This applies in
sports, business, and nearly all instances of direct
competition.
Highly developed killer instinct (backed
up with superior skills) will allow you to “break
down” your opponent’s confidence and impose
your will. Once you can do this, you are almost
assured a victory—because the body will always
follow the mind (for better or worse).
The controllable components of killer in-
stinct are breathing, mental focus, emotional con-
trol, and physical relaxation. It is not natural to
have controlled breathing, sharp focus, emotional
calm, and a relaxed body during an intense con-
frontation or competition. Quite the contrary.
More typically, untrained warriors will experi-
ence uncontrolled breathing, confusion, extreme
stress, and heightened muscular tension during an
important game or event.
When it comes to killer instinct—you
must train yourself to do the unnatural. Advanced
mental toughness students are comfortable in the
realm of highly charged adrenaline rushes and
extreme stress. With proper knowledge and
training--you will quickly learn to activate and
de-activate the killer instinct switch!
With KI, humans are capable of uncanny
feats of strength, absorbing great punishment, en-
during extended periods of high stress, and a host
of other seemingly "amazing" physical feats.
To instantly turn your KI or killer instinct
on, try this: Open your eyes as wide as you can.
Begin taking slow and deep breaths. Now relax
and concentrate on the energy flowing through
your body. Try to really feel the energy. It's just
the oxygen that you're breathing in. It is oxygen
that fuels the adrenal response.
Next, speed up your breathing as fast as
you can, still breathing very deeply. Conjure up
feelings of extreme fear or anger by using past
experiences or unpleasant images. This causes
electricity to surge through the brain and begins
the adrenaline rush.
To instantly cut your KI off, try this:
Close your eyes. Slow your deep breathing.
Relax your mind and body. Conjure up a feeling
of peace and happiness. This will stop the adren-
aline rush.
Practice cutting your killer instinct on
and off during your training sessions.
Visual and Mental Reflexes
Activation and controlled management of your KI
or adrenaline will allow your visual and mental
reflexes to function at a much higher level. This
adrenaline-induced increase in your visual and
mental reflexes will enable you to leverage the ad-
vanced skill of "speed-retardation.”
You have probably already experienced
the "speed-retardation" sensation and phenomen-
on. It occurs during a highly stressful situation,
and it can happen in seconds. First, the adrenaline
rush kicks in. Your eyes bulge, and your heart
starts to beat faster. You get butterflies in your
stomach. In this state, you may have noticed that
the fastest actions appear to be happening in slow
motion.
Understand this: An action is as fast as it
appears to the person viewing it. To the untrained
player, a basic action or fundamental technique
may appear to be very fast. On the other hand, that
same action may appear quite slow to an ad-
vanced player with heightened visual and mental
reflexes.
An example of this would be a major
league baseball pitch, which can travel in excess
of 90 miles per hour. To an untrained eye, the
baseball is moving so fast that it appears to be
unhittable—but, for the professional hitter, the
baseball appears to be moving slower due to
heightened and trained visual and mental re-
flexes.
The professional baseball hitter has
learned how to respond appropriately to the speed
of the pitcher’s action. In addition, he is able to
manage his KI as an additional means of increas-
ing his reflexes.
You can adapt and use KI management
and consistent “speed response training” to in-
crease your visual and mental reflexes for any
sport or situation.
Sixth Sense
The sixth sense is a power of perception that is
seemingly independent of the five senses. The
most memorable performances by champion ath-
letes and captivating leaders will often involve the
power of the sixth sense. Another name for this
mysterious power of perception is “instinct” or
“intuition.”
Is there really a sixth sense within all of
us? I believe there is, but not in the way that most
people perceive its existence. I believe that the
state we are in when the so-called sixth sense is
functioning is simply a state of heightened subcon-
scious functioning.
All that you have learned, observed, and
sensed can come together in a split-second the
moment we need the information. Everything you
have experienced and perceived can serve you on a
very sophisticated and complex level that appears
to be extrasensory perception.
Unlike animals, humans have an under-
developed sixth sense because we don’t typically
acknowledge it—or we don’t work to develop
it. Too often, we are so distracted by everything
around us—that we often miss the subtleties and
messaging from our subconscious.
We have been trained by a modern, tech-
nological society to look outward for answers
rather than paying attention to the refined sources
of information that exist within us. The result of
this for most people is a sixth sense that has at-
rophied or stagnated.
Those who have not made conscious use
of the sixth sense may have been unaware or
skeptical of its existence. Whether the “sixth
sense” or extrasensory perception can be ex-
plained by science or not, there is plenty of exper-
iential evidence to suggest it exists to some de-
gree in all of us.
Extrasensory perception or E.S.P. should
more appropriately be labeled D.S.P., because it
is really “developed” sensory perception—not
“extra” sensory perception. Everyone possesses
this amazing sense to some degree. The differen-
ce is that some have nurtured its power, and some
have not.
If you work to develop your sixth sense
and use it in combination with your other five
senses—you will improve your chances of har-
nessing the full power of your natural abilities
and skills for peak performance. When your sub-
conscious is functioning unobstructed, you are
capable of perceiving events and actions before
they actually happen.
For mental warriors, the sixth sense is
used to develop and hone "anticipation skills."
This is the ability to anticipate something hap-
pening before the actual movement occurs. It is
really a mental phenomenon. In the midst of com-
petition, you are connecting your mind with the
opponent’s mind, so that you can sense his inner-
most thoughts and intentions before they are ini-
tiated.
The following drills were developed for
the purpose of improving your anticipation skills
and reflexes. Most of these drills come from mar-
tial arts. However, they can benefit mental warri-
ors from any sport, as well as anyone in business
seeking to gain an edge in competitive perform-
ance.
For athletes, I suggest you work with
your coach to identify and incorporate sport-spe-
cific anticipatory drills into your training.
TV Response
In this drill--you may use punches, kicks, blocks,
or defensive ducking for your responses. Full
power should not be used because you will only
be striking air.
A TV will be needed for this drill. Stand
about eight feet from the TV. Turn on a program
that has a lot of action, such as a fast-paced car-
toon or action movie.
Turn the volume all the way down. You
only want to see the show—not hear it. You
should notice the picture changing constantly
from one camera shot to another. Every time the
picture changes, strike, block, or duck as fast as
you can in response to the change. Immediately
resume your starting position and respond to the
next picture change. You can use something as
simple as a jab punch or front kick.
React every time the camera shot
changes. Do not think about it, or try to anticipate
it—just react! Your goal is to reduce the lag time
between the camera change and your physical ac-
tion.
Eventually you will notice that it seems
as though you are striking or blocking at the same
time the camera shot is changing. This reflexive
skill is vital to success in physical competitions.
Keep your mind clear and try to stick
with every change of the scene. You should keep
your body relaxed and your movements as
smooth as possible. Practice this drill for as long
as you can maintain the constant reaction to the
scene changes.
Hand Snatch
For this drill, you will need a partner. You can
use a bare hand or a focus mitt (striking pad).
Be particularly careful if using your bare hands.
Ask your partner not to strike your hand with full
power.
As your partner attempts to strike your
hand with a jab punch, you will attempt to jerk
your hand away before the punch can land on
your hand.
Tell your partner to go for speed rather
than power. He should not try to fake you out in
order to hit the pad. That is not the purpose of this
drill. Your partner should just stand calmly, and
try to beat you to the punch by hitting your hand
before you can move it. After each attempt, both
of you should resume starting positions.
To increase the challenge for you (the re-
ceiver), allow your partner to keep his hands in
constant motion prior to striking (like a boxer
looking for an opening). If your partner keeps
hitting your hand (or the pad), take a step back.
As your response time improves, you can move
closer.
Pet Snatch
You can enhance your reaction speed with the
help of a pet. Simply hold a rag slightly above a
playful dog or cat. When your pet tries to jump
for the rag, jerk it away. As you do, simultan-
eously respond with a quiet "ugh." (Definitely do
not try this with an unfamiliar animal, no matter
how fast you become!)
In the initial stages, you can hold the rag
high. As your reaction time improves, you can
lower the rag closer to your pet for a greater chal-
lenge.
Video Games
Many athletes use video games to enhance their
reaction speed. There are many sophisticated
video games on the market today. Do some re-
search by going online and/or visiting your local
video game retailer. After testing a few games,
choose those that are enjoyable and challenging
to your reflexes.
Chess
Playing chess is a favorite pastime for many
highly successful leaders and business people.
Playing chess regularly will develop your anti-
cipatory and strategic skills because you have to
consider your opponent’s moves on the board be-
fore you make your moves—just as you would do
in a competitive business situation.
I suggest you find a skilled and patient
player who is willing to teach you. You can also
find books and online articles that cover the ba-
sics of the game.
Some chess players use a physical board
and others play digitally using online applica-
tions. Choose the playing method that works best
for you. As you improve, seek out more advanced
chess players to compete against in order to con-
tinue developing your perception and anticipat-
ory skills.
Chapter 13
Mental Toughness Training
Program
I’m sure you are eager and ready to start your men-
tal toughness training. I applaud you! A strong de-
sire to take action and implement knowledge is es-
sential to success.
In this chapter, you will find a framework
for successful mental toughness training. Using
simple and convenient tools—you will learn how
to plan, execute, and adapt your training activities
and strategies for faster results and continuous
mind power improvements.
After reading this chapter, you will know
how to create a personalized program for accel-
erated mental development. Your comprehensive
mental toughness program will include the follow-
ing four phases:
1. Planning
2. Preparation
3. Training
4. Reviewing
Knowing how to manage all four phases
of your program is the key to maximizing your
innate mind power potential. World-class leaders
and athletes understand the importance of man-
aging and optimizing their training programs
through consistent planning, preparation, train-
ing, and reviewing.
Planning
The first step in planning is to decide on the object-
ives. Specific objectives provide you with a destin-
ation and bring focus to your training.
Objectives
Having clear training objectives allows you to
track and measure your progress. Without clear
objectives, your training will be less productive.
With clear objectives, you will see and feel pro-
gress—and real growth provides added motivation
to continue growing. Don’t underestimate the
power of clarity!
I recommend using the S.M.A.R.T. meth-
od of goal setting to help bring clarity, power, and
inspiration to your objectives. The S.M.A.R.T. ac-
ronym is broken down as follows:
S–Specific (focus the goal on a specific
area; for example—self-discipline or willpower)
M–Measurable (quantify the goal or at
least clarify the key indicator of progress; for
example--the number of consecutive days of exer-
cise—or the number of times throughout the day
that willpower was successfully exercised to res-
ist unhealthy diet thoughts and impulses)
A–Actionable (an action-oriented goal is
more effective because you can actually do
something to achieve it)
R–Realistic (make sure the goal is attain-
able with reasonable, consistent action)
T–Timed (quality goals typically specify
when the desired result will be achieved)
Use the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method
to fine-tune your objectives. It is worth the small
investment of time.
I have two tips when it comes to goal set-
ting.
1. Avoid having too many goals at one
time. Strive for 1-3 specific training goals. I have
found that having fewer goals allows me to focus
and progress much faster. If my goal is to in-
crease my self-discipline and one other basic
technical skill related to my field--I will be 100%
committed to this until I reach my S.M.A.R.T.
goals.
2. Use “Skill Stacking.” Don’t try to de-
velop all of your Mental Toughness Loop skills at
the same time. Instead, focus on improving one
specific mind power skill until you start gain-
ing momentum—and then move on to developing
the next skill. Use power skill stacking and habit
stacking to ensure consistent progress. Focus on
creating the building blocks that will ultimately
lead to a strong and well-rounded Mental Tough-
ness Loop.
Commitment
The planning and achievement of a worthy goal
is very fulfilling. In order to achieve your
S.M.A.R.T. goals, you will need more than
knowledge--and something more powerful than
momentary motivation.
You will need to apply the commitment
principle! Let’s revisit it now. A sincere commit-
ment to your goals and training will drive you to
take consistent action to improve. A strong com-
mitment is far from a “wish” or “hope.” It is more
like an internal fire that incessantly pushes you
to stay positive, focused, and moving forward to-
ward your goals.
My belief is that you not only “want” to
have mental toughness. My belief is that you are
absolutely 100% “committed” to doing what it
takes to have mental toughness! Please re-read
the last sentence. Do you feel the same way? If
so, you are committed and your results will show
it.
Personalization
As you develop your training program, be sure
to personalize it in a way that works best for
you. No single program works for every individu-
al. Your ultimate mental toughness program must
balance your aspirations, available resources,
personal strengths, current weaknesses, and life-
style constraints.
Be prepared to adjust your goals as you
progress. You may have to get more or less ag-
gressive on your goals based on results and cir-
cumstances. It’s okay for your goals to adapt and
evolve as long as you stay committed to making
consistent improvements.
Time Management
Living in the 21
st
century has many benefits. It
can also be overwhelming sometimes. For most
people in developed nations, daily life continues
to get more busy and complicated. We have pre-
viously unimaginable technology available to us-
-which should help us simplify our lives.
However, more often than not—technology has
the opposite effect.
In today’s hyper-connected world of
technology—it’s easy to lose control of your time
and schedule. The harder (but more satisfying)
thing to do is use technology to help free up your
time and manage your schedule--in a way that
supports your S.M.A.R.T. goals and keeps your
priorities in balance.
One of the most useful and transferrable
skills for success (in anything) is time manage-
ment. Developing superior mental toughness is
no different. To become a more capable program
planner, you will need to manage your time and
schedule. Technology advances have provided
very effective tools for time management.
You don’t need to go “high-tech” to man-
age your practice or training calendar, but if you
have a mobile time management tool available to
you—I suggest you take advantage of it. Above
all else--I recommend keeping it simple.
If you want to make time for mental
training--schedule time for mental training on
your calendar! This simple action demonstrates
commitment (to you--to team members—to co-
workers--to friends--and to family members).
Preparation
When devising your training program, you will
realize that some things require preparation prior
to the training session. These include training loc-
ation, training tools, and training partners.
Location
Decide on where you will train a specific skill and
use specific exercises and drills. Many of the re-
commended exercises in this book are mobile and
can be used anywhere.
You may choose to train at one or more
of the following places: home, work, school, local
recreational facility, professional facility—or more
unconventional locations such as in a car or in a
hotel room if you travel frequently. All are viable
options depending on the exercise and level of
equipment or support needed.
Tools
After deciding on location options for training,
you should identify and secure any required tools,
gear, or equipment—based on your current goals,
skill emphasis, and specific exercises. However,
be careful not to let having the best tools become
an excuse for not getting started on your mental
toughness training.
Partners
Solo training is a viable solution for developing
your mental toughness. However, in order to
maximize your applied leadership skills or athlet-
ic skills--you will need capable training partners
and coaches who are willing to help you.
Effective training partners can be equally
skilled—more skilled—or even less skilled than
you are. They do not (necessarily) have to share
your specific goals, but a good training partner
will respect and support your goals. Of course,
you should reciprocate by providing training as-
sistance and encouragement to your partners.
When I refer to training partners, I am
also including coaches, mentors, and instructors
(the best will consider themselves lifelong stu-
dents and willing training partners). An experien-
ced and caring coach can help you identify and
solve the “gaps” in your training program.
Training
You have completed the planning and preparation
phases—and you are ready to create the specific
training program that will produce your superior
mental toughness and mind power.
Programs
For starters, I suggest you document your training
program. You can choose to use a digital or paper
solution. I keep my training program information
on a cloud storage server--so that I can conveni-
ently access it anytime from my smartphone. For
me, this works because I can easily capture new
training ideas and review or change my program
as needed.
Ultimately, you (and your coaches) will
need to create your specific (ideal) mental tough-
ness training program. To help you get started--
I will provide a framework that has proven itself
helpful as a tool for many mental toughness stu-
dents. The toughness program framework consists
of the following three categories:
1. Fitness
2. Skills and Attributes
3. Application
1. Fitness
This category focuses on health, fitness, and nu-
trition. Cardiovascular conditioning, strength
training, and weight control are foundational and
should be areas of emphasis for any athlete or
leader. A nutritious diet is important for optimal
health and energy to maintain peak performance
and a successful training program.
2. Skills and Attributes
Mental toughness attributes refer to the qualities
and fundamental capabilities of the participant.
Some players, leaders, and professionals (with
superior attributes) are able to compensate for a
lack of technique, strategy, or experience.
For example, I recall one unique martial
arts student who had naturally high levels of both
speed and power. Despite his very limited tech-
nical skills and experience (he was new to combat
sports)--he was consistently winning against
some of the more advanced students in the class
because of his superior fighting attributes.
Because your goal is to maximize your
overall mental toughness skills for peak
performance--I recommend viewing mental
toughness as the macro skill and attribute in your
training. All other skills and attributes should be
considered micro skills or attributes that form
the vital support network for your Mental Tough-
ness Loop. You are simply clarifying that mental
toughness is the primary skill and attribute.
The micro skills and attributes of mental
toughness include the following:
*Ambition
*Knowledge
*Belief
*Persistence
*Adaptability
*Motivation
*Willpower
*Self-Discipline
*Self-Confidence
*Mental Focus
*Mental Stamina
Every one of these attributes and skills
has a specific role--and will contribute to the de-
velopment of your total mental toughness. In
your training, I encourage you to continuously
identify and use the most effective tools, drills,
and partners for maximizing your skills and at-
tributes.
3. Application
The third category of the mental toughness train-
ing program framework is application. This in-
cludes practicing, simulations, and competitive
events.
Skill drills with partners or team mem-
bers and actual games or events will develop your
ability to synthesize and apply your mental attrib-
utes and skills in competitive situations.
Reviewing
You have just finished a great mental training ses-
sion. Your training partners are starting to take no-
tice of your increasing mental toughness and im-
proved performance. So, what’s next? Well, for
starters--don’t simply disengage until the next
workout. Between training sessions--you should
review your progress and make necessary adjust-
ments to your program.
Regular performance reviews are an integ-
ral part of all world-class sports training and lead-
ership development programs. Superstar profes-
sional athletes have access to sophisticated equip-
ment and dedicated personnel for this phase of
their training program. You really don’t need ex-
pensive tools or a bevy of assistant coaches—but
you do need to review your mental toughness pro-
gram regularly for continuous improvement.
I have watched many people break
through previous plateaus and elevate their mental
skills and attributes to new, higher levels after get-
ting serious about program reviews. I’m sure you
will do the same. It only requires ten to fifteen
minutes of your time.
Training Journal
A training journal is an indispensable tool for
any athlete, leader, or self-improvement enthusi-
ast. With the help of a training journal--you can
eliminate unproductive activity--and increase the
focus on activities and tools that are delivering
the greatest improvements and results.
What you actually record in your training
journal is up to you. It depends on your
S.M.A.R.T. goals and the specific skills of the
Mental Toughness Loop that you are concentrat-
ing on developing. I suggest keeping your notes
simple and short--so that you will actually do it
(record progress) regularly.
Program information in my training
journal includes the following: date of the
workout, skill or attribute focus, training dura-
tion, training tool or activity, progress on key
metrics, training partners, and relevant comments
(suggestions for improvement, general observa-
tions, etc.)
You can choose to use a paper journal
or digital journal on your smartphone (or com-
puter). The key is to be consistent and accurate in
your program reviews. Personally, I like to con-
duct my program reviews immediately after each
workout. I have found that this works best for me
because the training outcomes are still fresh in
my mind—and I can preview and prepare for the
next training session.
Video
Occasionally, I will record videos of my training
or practice sessions. The feedback provided by
video is very helpful. It can provide a coach’s
perspective. Video reviews of your training will
help you validate areas of improvement and
identify areas of opportunity.
To start, you can record short videos of
your training when you are working on specific
drills or components of mental toughness. You
can use a smartphone, camera (with a video fea-
ture), or a video recorder. After reviewing your
training videos—I suggest you capture any key
observations in your training journal.
Body Awareness
In addition to using training journals and video
recordings--you must tune into your instincts for
subconscious training guidance. I am always
amazed by the breakthrough solutions and an-
swers I receive when I am attuned to my body,
mind, and emotions.
Always listen closely to your body and
mind for signals to push harder or hold back in
your training (this applies to physical and men-
tal training). Develop heightened body and mind
awareness. You will improve faster and avoid set-
backs due to injuries or burnout.
Sample Program
A comprehensive mental toughness program is
built on four distinct category pillars. The first
three program categories are fitness, skill, and ap-
plication.
The
fourth
category
is
educa-
tion—which includes knowledge, principles, in-
spiration, and program management (planning,
preparation, and reviewing).
To assist you in the creation of your men-
tal toughness training program--I have provided
a sample program. It is simply a starting point. I
strongly recommend that you adapt and personal-
ize the program to align with your goals, needs,
and schedule.
Fitness
*Cardiovascular Training (3-4x weekly)
*Strength Training (1-3x weekly)
*Nutrition--Healthy Diet and Supple-
ments (daily)
*Meditation (3-6x weekly)
*Power Breathing (3-6x weekly)
*Light stretching (3-6x weekly)
Skills Training (Single Skill Focus)
*Motivation
*Willpower and Self-Control
*Self-Discipline
*Self-Confidence
*Focus and Concentration
*Mental Stamina
*Mental Toughness and Strength
Skills Application (Multi-Skill Focus)
*Contact Sparring
*Competitive Practice
*Simulations
*Competitive Events
I suggest you revisit the exercises and
drills from each skill chapter after you have es-
tablished your current mental toughness training
goals. This chapter review will help you create
a balanced and effective program based on your
skill level and experience.
Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that
training itself must become a consistent habit if
you want to develop advanced mental toughness.
Take active steps to avoid boredom and maintain
your commitment.
Champion athletes and transformational
leaders use a variety of strategies and tools to stay
engaged in their training and development, in-
cluding: music, new learning opportunities, new
tools and equipment, new drills, new partners,
and planned breaks to help rejuvenate their minds
and bodies. Do what it takes to keep your training
program optimized and productive.
Mental Toughness Tip
Try to maintain weekly balance in your mental
toughness training by investing time in every pro-
gram category (physical fitness, mental skills, ap-
plication, and education). If your training time is
limited during a hectic week, try to plan that lim-
ited time so that you can make progress (or at least
maintain progress) in all program categories.
Try to avoid regressing in any of your
skills because it could have a negative impact on
your overall mental toughness and competitive
performance.
During particularly busy weeks, you may
find that you only have fifteen minutes for each
training category. Don’t stress. Just make sure
your available training time is always productive
and motivating. Also, create a plan and schedule
for the following week that allows more time for
training and improvement.
Chapter 14
Mind Power Inspiration
In this chapter, I will provide examples of high
achievers who have leveraged mental toughness
to maximize their performance, results, and hap-
piness. In addition, you will learn how to benefit
from a mind power team—how to increase your
peak performance IQ--and how to maintain your
motivation for mental toughness training.
Mental Toughness Masters
The following is a sample of peak performers re-
cognized by most as having excellent mental
toughness. In addition to the talent they possessed-
-these famous mental warriors demonstrated and
leveraged the skills of motivation, willpower, self-
discipline, focus, mental stamina, and overall men-
tal toughness to reach the pinnacle of success and
recognition in their fields.
I encourage you to research and study
these (and other) champions, leaders, and high-
achieving mental warriors—all of whom fully em-
braced the principles of mind power--and consist-
ently exhibited the attributes of mind power.
Identify and use a mental toughness mas-
ter in your field or industry as inspiration and mo-
tivation to help you maximize your mind power
and peak performance.
Joe Montana
Voted the #1 quarterback in NFL history, “Joe
Cool” is known for being cool under pressure.
Montana threw for 40,551 yards and 273
touchdowns in his storied career, making the Pro
Bowl eight times and winning back-to-back
MVPs in 1989 and 1990. But, he really elevated
himself from the pack with his postseason play.
Montana began earning a reputation for mental
toughness with a game-winning, 92-yard drive
in Super Bowl XXIII, and he would proceed to
go four-for-four in the big game (including three
MVPs) with a QB rating of 127.8.
The game seemed to slow down for Joe
Montana; the moment was never too big. His
throwing “touch” is still something quarterbacks
at all levels aspire to emulate.
Jim Brown
Voted the #1 running back in NFL history, Brown
was an eight-time NFL All-Pro and three-time
MVP.
Brown could just as easily run over de-
fenders as around them, with a scary combination
of size and speed that helped him lead the league
in rushing in all but one season of his career, and
rush for over 1,000 yards seven times—in sea-
sons that lasted just 12 or 14 games.
Brown averaged more than one touch-
down per game in his career and averaged 5.2
yards per carry, the highest in NFL history. Des-
pite his bruising running style and the relative
lack of sophisticated training methods and med-
ical technology in his era, Brown never missed a
game in his career.
Babe Ruth
Regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes
in American culture, Babe Ruth is widely con-
sidered the greatest baseball player of all time.
Ruth is statistically the greatest offensive
player and power hitter we have ever seen in
baseball. He is first for all-time slugging per-
centage with .690, and first for all-time OPS (on
base plus slugging) with 1.164. His single-season
home run record (60) was not broken for 34
years, and his career home run record (714) stood
for nearly forty years.
Most people know Babe Ruth because
of his home run record, but along with all of
the home runs came a substantial amount of
strikeouts as well (1,330). In fact, for decades
he held the record for strikeouts. When asked
about his strikeouts, Ruth once said, "Every strike
brings me closer to the next home run."
Michael Jordan
Considered the greatest all-around basketball
player of all time, “Air Jordan” is a six-time NBA
champion and NBA Finals MVP.
Michael Jordan was famous for being a
brilliant and formidable clutch performer--and
his competitiveness was visible in his prolific
trash talking, no-quit attitude, and well-known
work ethic. Jordan holds the NBA record for
highest career regular season scoring average
(30.12 points per game) and highest career play-
off scoring average (33.45 points per game).
Most people wouldn't believe that Mi-
chael Jordan was actually cut from his high
school basketball team. Luckily, Jordan didn't let
this setback stop him from playing basketball. He
has said--"I have missed more than 9,000 shots
in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On
26 occasions, I have been entrusted to take the
game-winning shot, and I missed. I have failed
over and over again in my life. And that is why I
succeed."
Sugar Ray Robinson
The original “Sugar” Ray is widely considered
the #1 boxer of all time.
Sugar Ray Robinson was the most com-
plete boxer in history. He had it all: speed, power,
accuracy, endurance, and great technique. He
won the world welterweight title in 1946 and was
a five-time world middleweight champion.
Robinson stepped into the ring 200 times
as a professional. He had an unmatched record
of 173 victories with 108 knockouts. As an am-
ateur, Robinson was 85–0 with 69 of those vic-
tories coming by way of knockout (40 in the first
round).
Robinson's
performances
prompted
sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rank-
ings, where they compared fighters regardless of
weight. He was a model of peak performance
consistency and mental focus in one of the
toughest sports.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee is a pop culture icon and widely con-
sidered the greatest and most influential martial
artist of the 20
th
century. His speed and power
(despite his relatively small stature) was le-
gendary.
Bruce Lee conceived and developed an
innovative and practical method of self-defense
(Jeet Kune Do). He was one of the first well-
known martial artists to adopt modern training
methods, tools, and nutrition for peak perform-
ance in combat sports.
Dana White, President of UFC, calls
Bruce Lee “the father of mixed martial arts.”
In addition to his martial arts prowess--
Lee was a skilled actor, director, and film pro-
ducer who helped change the way Asians were
presented in American films. As his popularity
grew, some of America’s most famous actors, dir-
ectors, and athletes who wanted to learn his Jeet
Kune Do concepts sought out Lee.
Lee’s significant accomplishments were
realized before his death at age 32—and in spite
of his being a college dropout and working as a
dishwasher and dance instructor for years before
landing his first American acting role.
Wayne Gretzky
Known simply as "The Great One," Wayne Gret-
zky is the greatest hockey player in NHL history.
The fact that he captained the Edmonton
Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories is just the
start of Gretzky’s long list of achievements. He’s
the only player in NHL history to rack up 200
points in a single season; a feat he accomplished
four times.
Wayne Gretzky holds over 60 NHL re-
cords, including most career goals, assists, and
points—as well as most goals, assists, and points
in a season. His number, #99, was retired by the
entire NHL league. When he retired, he had 2,857
career points--over 1,000 more than the next
highest player. To this day, no other NHL player
has reached 2,000 career points.
Gretzky was not the most physically gif-
ted athlete, but he did possess unmatched mental
capabilities and dedication. A case can be made
that no athlete in professional sports has ever
done what Gretzky accomplished in hockey.
When you consider the broad impact of one play-
er's career upon a sport, only Babe Ruth and Mi-
chael Jordan rank with Gretzky.
Bill Gates
America’s richest person and philanthropist (ac-
cording to Forbes’ 2014 richest people list) is one
of the most well-known entrepreneurs from the
early days of the personal computer revolution.
Gates didn't seem like a shoe-in for suc-
cess after dropping out of Harvard and starting
a failed first business with Microsoft co-founder
Paul Allen called Traf-O-Data. While this early
idea didn't work, Gates' later work did, leading to
the creation and growth of the global empire that
is Microsoft.
Bill Gates is known as a fierce competit-
or and highly focused leader. One executive co-
worker recalled that he playfully showed Gates a
new game and proceeded to defeat Gates 35 of 37
times. When they met again and played the game
a month later, Gates "won or tied every game.”
He had studied the game until he mastered
it—and he refused to lose.
Learning to adapt and grow after failure
is an essential mental skill of highly successful
leaders and business people. Bill Gates is quoted
as saying, “It's fine to celebrate success, but it is
more important to heed the lessons of failure.”
Henry Ford
The founder of the Ford Motor Company was an
American industrialist and the most famous spon-
sor of the assembly line technique of mass pro-
duction.
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile
or the assembly line, but he developed and man-
ufactured the first automobile that many middle
class Americans could afford. In doing so, Ford
converted the automobile from an expensive lux-
ury item into a practical and cost-effective form
of transportation that would profoundly impact
the landscape of the twentieth century.
The introduction of Ford’s Model T auto-
mobile revolutionized transportation and indus-
trial manufacturing in America.
Although Ford is now known as an in-
novator and pioneer in business, he wasn't an in-
stant success. In fact, many of his early busi-
nesses failed—leaving him financially broke
many times before he founded the successful
Ford Motor Company.
One of Henry Ford’s most famous
quotes is the following: “Whether you think you
can, or you think you can’t—you’re right.”
Walt Disney
Walt Disney is regarded as a cultural icon, known
for his influence and contributions to entertain-
ment during the 20
th
century. Despite his death in
1966, Disney’s genius and enormous impact on
the American animation industry is still visible
and continues to expand throughout the world.
What most people don’t know is that
Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start.
One of his former bosses, a newspaper editor,
once fired him because "he lacked imagination
and had no good ideas."
Following this pivotal event in his life,
Disney started a number of businesses that didn't
last and ended up financially broke and in bank-
ruptcy. Despite this and other numerous setbacks,
Disney kept plugging along and eventually he
and his brother (Roy Disney) founded The Walt
Disney Company.
Walt Disney and his staff created many
famous fictional characters including Mickey
Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Disney himself
was the original voice for Mickey.
Today, the Disney companies generate
billions in sales annually from movies, mer-
chandise, and theme parks around the world.
On the subject of success, Walt Disney
once said, “The difference in winning and losing
is most often…not quitting.”
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the
United States, serving from March 1861 until his
assassination in April 1865.
Lincoln led the United States through its
Civil War—its worst war and its greatest moral,
constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so,
he preserved the Union, abolished slavery,
strengthened the federal government, and mod-
ernized the American economy.
In surveys of scholars ranking Presid-
ents, Lincoln is consistently ranked in the top
three. A 2004 study found that scholars in the
fields of history and politics ranked Lincoln num-
ber one, while legal scholars placed him second
after George Washington.
While today he is remembered as one of
the greatest leaders of our nation, Lincoln's life
wasn't easy. In his youth, he went to war as a cap-
tain and returned as a private (if you're not famil-
iar with military hierarchy, a private is the lowest
ranking).
However, Lincoln didn't stop failing
there. He started numerous failed businesses and
was defeated in numerous elections for public of-
fice—all before eventually working his way to
(and succeeding in) the highest elected office and
position in the country.
Lincoln once said, “The best thing about
the future is that it comes one day at a time.” Sim-
ilarly, winning and success also come one day at
a time.
General George Washington
No list of top historic generals should exclude the
first president of the United States, George Wash-
ington.
Though often underrated as military tac-
tician and strategist, Washington was a masterful
and highly effective leader of individuals and
groups. He knew how to build an army from
nothing. He knew how to keep that army together
when it started coming apart—and he was smart
enough and aware enough to surround himself
with superb officers (both American and allied).
Washington was famous for his unwaver-
ing tenacity and willingness to take calculated
risks. His physical and moral courage were un-
matched. Many experts cite these core qualities
as crucial factors in Washington’s success in lead-
ing his troops to victories during the historic
American Revolutionary War.
George Washington often said, “It is bet-
ter to be alone than in bad company.” Surround
yourself with winners and success will be much
easier.
J.K. Rowling
Joanne (J.K.) Rowling is the author of the seven-
book Harry Potter series, which has sold nearly
five hundred million copies worldwide. The film
series adapted from her novels is the highest
grossing in history, with over $8 billion in reven-
ue worldwide. The Harry Potter brand--including
books, movies, and merchandise is worth an es-
timated $15 billion.
Rowling may be rolling in a lot of Harry
Potter dough today--but before she published the
series of novels--she was nearly penniless,
severely depressed, divorced, and raising a child
on her own while attending school and writing a
novel.
Through determination and focused
work, Rowling went from being unemployed and
depending on welfare to survive--to being one of
the richest women in the world in a span of only
five years.
Rowling told the graduating class of
2008 at Harvard University that she felt like a
total failure, but the feeling helped her succeed.
She was quoted as saying the following
during her commencement speech at Harvard:
"Failure meant a stripping away of the inessen-
tial. I stopped pretending to myself that I was
anything other than what I was, and began to dir-
ect all my energy into finishing the only work
that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at
anything else, I might never have found the de-
termination to succeed in the one arena I believed
I truly belonged. I was set free, because my
greatest fear had been realized, and I was still
alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored,
and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And
so rock bottom became the solid foundation on
which I rebuilt my life."
Oprah Winfrey
Most people know Oprah as one of the most icon-
ic faces on TV, as well as one of the richest and
most successful women in the world.
Oprah faced a tough road to get to that
position, however, enduring a difficult and often
abusive childhood as well as numerous career
setbacks.
At age 23, Oprah Winfrey was fired from
her job as a television reporter for a local news
station in Baltimore. Her bosses told her that she
was “unfit for television.” Of course, she would
ultimately prove her former bosses wrong—by
eventually becoming a billionaire through the
creation and building of a media empire that star-
ted with The Oprah Winfrey Show—a television
show which lasted for twenty-five years.
In her 2013 commencement speech to
Harvard graduates, Oprah said, "If you're con-
stantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the
law of averages predicts that you will at some
point fall. And when you do, I want you to re-
member this: There is no such thing as failure.
Failure is just life trying to move us in another
direction. Now, when you're down there in the
hole, it looks like failure. When that moment
comes, it's okay to feel bad for a little while. Give
yourself time to mourn what you think you may
have lost. But then, here's the key: Learn from
every mistake, because every experience, partic-
ularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and
force you into being more (of) who you are. And
then figure out what is the next right move. "
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist and
philosopher of science. He revolutionized mod-
ern physics with the development of his theory of
relativity, one of the two pillars of modern phys-
ics.
Einstein is best known in popular culture
for his mass-energy equivalence formula E = mc
2
(which has been dubbed "the world's most fam-
ous equation").
Einstein was the most popular scientific
genius of the 20
th
century, but he didn’t always
show such promise. Einstein did not speak until
he was four and did not read until he was seven,
causing his teachers and parents to think he was
mentally handicapped and suffering from anti-so-
cial anxiety.
Part of the problem was that Albert ex-
pressed no interest in learning languages and
learning by repetition and memorization, which
was popular at the time. Eventually, he was ex-
pelled from school and was refused admittance to
the Zurich Polytechnic School.
It might have taken him a bit longer, but
most people would agree that Einstein eventually
found his way and path to success through math
and science. At the age of 12, he picked up a
book on geometry and read it from cover to cov-
er. He would later refer to it as his “holy booklet.”
He became fascinated by math and taught him-
self—ultimately becoming knowledgeable in the
great scientific discoveries of the time.
In 1921, Einstein received the Nobel Pr-
ize in Physics "for his services to theoretical
physics, and especially for his discovery of the
law of the photoelectric effect.” Study of the pho-
toelectric effect led to important steps in under-
standing the quantum nature of light and elec-
trons.
The following is one of my favorite suc-
cess quotes from Albert Einstein: “You have to
learn the rules of the game. And then you have to
play better than anyone else.”
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was a prolific inventor and suc-
cessful businessperson. He held 1,093 U.S. pat-
ents and over the course of his life, developed
many devices that substantially influenced and
enhanced daily life for people around the world-
-including the phonograph, the motion picture
camera, and the modern light bulb.
In his early years, teachers told Edison
he was "too stupid to learn anything." His early
work life and career was not much better, as he
was fired from his first two jobs for not being
productive enough.
Even as an inventor, Edison made more
than 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the
modern light bulb (his most famous invention).
Of course, all of the unsuccessful attempts finally
resulted in the design that worked.
Thomas Edison provided one of the best
quotes on persistence and adaptability, saying at
one point in his quest to invent the modern, elec-
tric light bulb, “I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light
bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
Mind Power Team
Becoming a successful mental warrior and cham-
pion (in sports, business, or daily life) requires
dedication and consistent training. My true belief
is that you are a self-motivated person (as eviden-
ced by the fact that you are reading this guide).
The greatest gains in self-improvement
are achieved when internal motivation and con-
sistent action is complemented with a strong sup-
port network. If you want to maximize your mental
toughness--you should actively work to build and
maintain a network of people who can aid you in
developing your mind power attributes and skills.
Your mind power team can include the fol-
lowing:
*Team members
*Training partners
*Coaches
*Instructors
*Mentors
*Consultants
*Role models
*Online communities (forums, blogs, so-
cial media groups)
*Family
*Friends
*Fans
*Sponsors
Don’t underestimate the power of having
a capable and caring team to help you achieve
your goals. You don’t need a large or formal
team. However, your mind power team members
must be supportive and (hopefully) provide clear
benefits--such as knowledge, inspiration, critical
feedback, tools, or monetary support.
To get the most value from a mind power
team--be sure to reciprocate by regularly thank-
ing and supporting helpful team members.
As your knowledge, skill, and level of
success increases--you will gain more opportun-
ities to mentor and educate other mental warriors.
Don’t miss these opportunities. It is really true--
“teaching is one of the best ways to learn.”
Mental Toughness Student
The most accomplished and respected performers
and leaders in any field are typically students of
success and mental training. The best of the best
in sports, business, medicine, science, military,
teaching, and entertainment are typically the most
fervent students.
Commit yourself to continuous education
and improvement. If you are not already--I encour-
age you to become a committed lifelong student of
mental toughness training.
Investing in continuing education within
your field will help you stay informed and motiv-
ated. By staying engaged and connected, you will
learn about game-changing discoveries, new tools,
and new sources of inspiration.
Don’t let newly acquired knowledge stag-
nate. Invest in more learning tools--such as in-
structional books, videos, seminars, and courses.
Advanced mental warriors continuously adapt
their training methods and performance strategies
(based on the latest science and results).
Superior learners are superior per-
formers!
Conclusion
Final Thoughts on Mental
Toughness
Congratulations! You have completed the study of
mental toughness for peak performance, leader-
ship development, and success.
For fast results, start incorporating the in-
formation in this book into your training, work,
and daily life. Apply the principles of mind power
and utilize the Mental Toughness Loop concept.
You will be delighted by the increase in your
skills—the transformation in your performance--
and the improvement in your results.
Reading this book will not turn you into
the greatest athlete, leader, or mental warrior on
earth. However, if you use the information, exer-
cises, and principles as instructed--you will signi-
ficantly increase your mind power for sports, busi-
ness, fitness, and daily living. Consistent applica-
tion of the information contained in this guide is
guaranteed to double your mental toughness and
help you become the best performer, leader, and
achiever you can be.
By covering one specific success skill,
mental toughness, in detail--my goal is to keep
this book distinguished and highly regarded. My
mission is to maintain the highest standard of
quality by offering specialized success training
information that is simple, innovative, affordable,
and highly effective in helping you achieve your
goals.
“Train Hard. Win Easy.”
J. Barnes
Connect with J. Barnes
If you have questions or comments on mental
toughness training, please feel free to contact me.
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Document Outline
- Mental Toughness for Peak Performance, Leadership Development, and SuccessHow to Maximize Your Focus, Motivation, Confidence, Self-Discipline, Willpower, and Mind Power in Sports, Business or Health
- FREE Bonus
- Legal Notice
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Getting Started With Mental Toughness Training
- Chapter 1
- Peak Performance, Leadership, and Success
- Chapter 2
- Mental Toughness Loop™
- Chapter 3
- Mind Power Principles
- Chapter 4
- Mind Power Attributes
- Chapter 5
- Motivation
- Chapter 6
- Willpower and Self-Control
- Chapter 7
- Self-Discipline
- The Science of Habits
- The Power of Habits
- Creating New Habits
- Step 1: Clarify Your Motivation
- Step 2: Prioritize The Habit
- Step 3: Focus on Frequency
- Step 4: Make It Easy
- Step 5: Use Micro Goals
- Step 6: Schedule It
- Step 7: Create Environmental Support
- Step 8: Use Your Willpower
- Step 9: Do It!
- Step 10: Enjoy The Habit
- Step 11: Record It
- Step 12: Program The Habit
- Maintaining Habits
- Self-Discipline Exercises
- Mental Toughness Tip
- Chapter 8
- Focus and Concentration
- Chapter 9
- Mental Stamina
- Chapter 10
- Self-Confidence
- Chapter 11
- Mental Toughness and Strength
- Chapter 12
- Advanced Peak Performance and Leadership Skills
- Chapter 13
- Mental Toughness Training Program
- Chapter 14
- Mind Power Inspiration
- Conclusion
- Final Thoughts on Mental Toughness
- Connect with J. Barnes
- More Books by J. Barnes
- Thank You
- Share Your Opinion
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