Mentally strong people think and act differently. Mentally strong people focus on developing a strong mind to help them navigate the fears, setbacks, experiences and obstacles that come with creating a successful business and life.
If you want to become mentally strong, it’s important to understand that mental strength can be developed , if you incorporate a few habits into your life.
The thing about mentally strong people is that they have healthy habits and high standards. They develop mental strength by learning how to transform past experiences, be they good or bad, and their feelings about them into measurable criteria for future success, happiness and growth.
This mental strength gives them the capability to think, act, overcome challenges and live life on their terms.
If you want to reach your goals, it’s essential to develop the mental strength to deal with the stresses, challenges and obstacles that come up along the path to goal achievement.
We are all strong mentally in some way when things are good and we feel happy. Where mentally strong people act differently, is how they deal with the challenges, failures, setbacks and emotional blocks of business and life.
In this article, I’ll share 10 ways that mentally strong people think differently.
What does it mean to be mentally strong?
Being mentally strong means you the capability to deal with the obstacles, challenges and pressures that you face and still perform at a high level, rather than succumbing to those challenges.
Having mental strength means taking full responsibility for your life and choosing to act and behave in a way that is internally driven. Having this inner mental strength gives you the capability to handle challenges and setbacks with ease and confidence.
Why is mental strength important?
Mental strength is important because it helps you operate at your highest level of performance. When you have a strong mind you can manage your thoughts and emotions. This allows you to stay productive, be more creative and more focused on what matters most. It also allows you to block out distractions and fully focus on what matters.
Learning how to become mentally strong starts with gaining clarity about what you want, what your goals are and becoming confident about your biggest strengths. This knowledge gives you the mental strength, courage and self-confidence to consistently keep moving forward towards your goals.
10 ways mentally strong people think differently
Here are 10 ways mentally strong people think differently.
1. They are future focused
Mentally strong people are future focused. They focus on progress not perfection. They are always making positive progress towards achieving the measurable goal that are most important to them.
In every situation, roadblock or setback they look solutions and focus on the positive and live in a world of abundance rather than scarcity.
2. They have a positive mindset
For mentally strong people there are no failures, there is only success or a learning experience.
This mind-set ensures that they stay confident and positive and look at what they can learn from every experience.
3. They measure progress backwards
Mentally strong people are always growing because they measure their progress backwards from where they started.
They have the mental strength to focus on positive progress, achievements and gains ensures they stay confident, instead of beating themselves up for not reaching an abstract ideal.
4. They are courageous
Mentally strong people have the courage to trust their judgement and stay on their own path, despite what other people may say or think.
They have the mental strength and courage to shoot for bigger and better goals, even though they may not have the capability right now to achieve them.
They are guided by their vision and their choices and believe in themselves to make the right decisions..
5. They take responsibility
‘If it is to be, it is up to me.” – William H. Johnsen
Mentally strong people are internally driven and are in total control of their choices, guided by their vision of a bigger future. They take total responsibility for their choices and hold themselves accountable for making those choices.
When you have the mental strength to choose a specific path, you become responsible for how you react to the challenges and successes you experience along the way.
6. They have clear goals
Mentally strong people understand the importance of time and know how precious it is.
They set specific, measurable goals based on what is most important to them and what their biggest capabilities are.
When you are strong mentally you know that only a small number of activities achieve transformational results so they take control of their time and are far more sensitive about spending time on non-essential activities.
7. They are intentional
Mentally strong people are intentional about everything they say and do. They are clear about where to invest their time and who are the most important people in their lives.
Their focus is having the mental strength to be fully focused and fully present on the task at hand and on the people they’re with. Rather than being distracted, they take control of their environment and circumstances.
8. They take control
Mentally strong people take control of their day, rather than reacting to circumstances and people.
They know what they want to do and want to achieve each day so they create their day based on what is important to them, not what other people want.
This mind-set builds achievement and momentum into every day, which creates more self-confidence.
They understand that they can choose success, self-confidence and happiness, rather than it be created by external forces.
9. They are present in the moment
Mentally strong people don’t live in the past. They don’t let past experiences and results define their present and future.
They focus on being present in the moment and are always being guided by their vision of the bigger and better future they want.
10. They follow their own path
Mentally strong people are guided by the bigger and better future they want for themselves. They have chosen a vision and purpose that is important to them and won’t stray from it, despite any setbacks or roadblocks.
By setting measurable goals that are important to them, they build teams, relationships, networks and collaborators around them to support them on their journey.
Summing Up
Mentally strong people are clear on what success means to them, and set their lives up so they are always winning and moving forward.
Becoming successful takes the mental strength to take personal responsibility and accountability for your life and the choices you make. Use these 10 tips to increase your own mental strength.
About the Author
Mark Pettit is a small business coach to business owners who want to simplify their time, energy and focus so they can multiply their freedom, impact and results.
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A version of this article appeared on the Lucemi Consulting blog.
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