Mental toughness is about how effectively individuals respond when faced with stress, pressure and challenge. Understanding this concept is essential to improving performance for both the individual and the organization, and this book, one of the first in the field to take a look at mental toughness as a serious discipline, teaches you how to assess mental toughness in individuals and organizations to drive performance, improve your own ability to cope with stress and apply a range of techniques required to recognize, use and develop mental toughness effectively. Full of sample exercises and case studies, this book also features the Mental Toughness Questionnaire - a unique self-assessment tool to determine your mental toughness score and what this means. Tracing its development from sports psychology into the world of health, education and business, Developing Mental Toughness takes a deep look at mental toughness and its application at the organizational level.
Mental toughness is about how effectively individuals deal with stress, pressure and challenge. It is rooted in the notion of resilience but moves beyond this by adding ideas from the world of positive psychology. The result is a complete process which is highly applicable and measurable. Tracing its development from sports psychology into business, health and education sectors, Developing Mental Toughness was the first book to look at applications at the organizational level and to provide a reliable psychometric measure. The new edition of Developing Mental Toughness includes greater coverage of how mental toughness relates to other behaviours and can be applied to leadership, creativity, emotional intelligence, and motivation. It also looks at its applications in employability and entrepreneurship, and has expanded coverage of coaching for mental toughness. Written for anyone coaching individuals and teams for improved performance, the book contains practical guidance and techniques, exercises and case studies, all reflecting the exciting developments in this field over the last five years.
How can individuals and organizations understand and measure mental toughness to deal with stress and challenge, and so improve performance? This fully updated third edition of Developing Mental Toughness provides the answers to unlock this potential. Tracing its development from sports psychology into the business sector, Developing Mental Toughness provides a reliable psychometric measure to apply at the organizational level. With coverage on how mental toughness relates to other behaviours and can be applied to employability, leadership, performance, creativity, emotional intelligence and motivation, the practical guidance and exercises in this book make it essential reading for academics, managers and coaches alike. This third edition includes an expansion of the 4Cs model to include concepts on learning orientation and resilience and new chapters on evidence-based practice and using the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ48) to gain richer self-awareness. Featuring case studies from Deloitte and Ethiad, Developing Mental Toughness is the practical coaching guide for developing capabilities and resilience.
"Ben's ability to develop mental toughness and the approach he shares in Chasing Excellence is a game changer for athletes in any sport." --Javier Vazquez, Major League Baseball All-Star "This book will do for you what Ben has done for me--take you to the next level and show you how to be the best. His insights on the mental game are second to none. You will feel prepared for anything." --Bethany Hart-Gerry, US Olympic Bobsled Team CrossFit trainer Ben Bergeron has helped build the world's fittest athletes, but he's not like other coaches. He believes that greatness is not for the elite few; that winning is a result, not a goal; and that character, not talent, is what makes a true champion. His powerful philosophy can help anyone excel at all aspects of life. Using the dramatic competition between the top contenders at the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games(R) as a background, Ben explores the step-by-step process of achieving excellence and the unique set of positive character traits necessary for leveling up to world-class. The mindset and methodology that have produced some of the greatest athletes in the world's most gruelling sport can work equally well for golfers, lawyers, artists, entrepreneurs--anyone who's willing to commit totally to becoming better than the best. By Chasing Excellence, you'll discover how extraordinary it's possible for you to be.
The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 20 million copies sold! Translated into 60+ languages! Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy); overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; design your environment to make success easier; get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.
High achievers do more than merely cope with pressure they thrive on it! This book has been written for executives in business who wish to achieve consistent, high level performance under pressure. It is underpinned by published research from leading sport psychologist Professor Graham Jones, which shows that high achievers do more than simply cope with pressure - they thrive on it! The vital factor in thriving on pressure and moving to higher levels of business performance is the development of mental toughness. By applying elite sport psychology to the business world, this book highlights the enormous role played by pressure in both business and sport and draws parallels between them. It shows how by developing mental toughness it is possible to manage pressure to such an extent that you are able consistently to deliver extraordinary levels of performance.Together with the necessary skills and competencies you need to perform your role, mental toughness is the vital factor in delivering high performance that is sustainable. It will enable you to: THRIVE ON, RATHER THAN MERELY COPE WITH, PRESSURE; MAINTAIN BELIEF IN YOURSELF EVEN WHEN IT iS BEING SERIOUSLY CHALLENGED; ACHIEVE A LEVEL AND TYPE OF MOTIVATION THAT WORKS FOR RATHER THAN AGAINST YOU; STAY FOCUSED ON THE THINGS THAT MATTER IN THE FACE OF A MULTITUDE OF POTENTIAL DISTRACTIONS.
The Brave Athlete solves the 13 most common mental conundrums athletes face in their everyday training and in races. You don’t have one brainyou have three; your ancient Chimp brain that keeps you alive, your modern Professor brain that navigates the civilized world, and your Computer brain that accesses your memories and runs your habits (good and bad). They fight for control all the time and that’s when bad things happen; you get crazy nervous before a race, you choke under pressure, you quit when the going gets tough, you make dumb mistakes, you worry about how you look. What if you could stop the thoughts and feelings you don’t want? What if you could feel confident, suffer like a hero, and handle any stress? You can. The Brave Athlete from Dr. Simon Marshall and Lesley Paterson will help you take control of your brain so you can train harder, race faster, and better enjoy your sport. Dr. Marshall is a sport psychology expert who trains the brains of elite professional athletes. Paterson is a three-time world champion triathlete and coach. Together, they offer this innovative, brain training guide that is the first to draw from both clinical science and real-world experience with athletes. That means you won’t find outdated “positive self-talk” or visualization gimmicks here. No, the set of cutting-edge mental skills revealed in The Brave Athlete actually work because they challenge the source of the thoughts and feelings you don’t want. The Brave Athlete is packed with practical, evidence-based solutions to the most common mental challenges athletes face. Which of these sound like you? Why do I have thoughts and feelings I don’t want? I wish I felt more like an athlete. I don’t think I can. I don’t achieve my goals. Other athletes seem tougher, happier, and more badass than me. I feel fat. I don’t cope well with injury. People are worried about how much I exercise. I don’t like leaving my comfort zone. When the going gets tough, the tough leave me behind. I need to harden the f*ck up. I keep screwing up. I don’t handle pressure well. With The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion, you can solve these problems to become mentally strong and make your brain your most powerful asset.
“10-Minute Toughness is a solid mental training program. In fact I feel it is the best of its kind. . . . [It's] what the title says: ten minutes a day that connects your talents and abilities to the outcome you're seeking. As a retired NFL player looking forward, I can see as many applications for the toughness Jason Selk's program brought out of me in the business world as there were on the football field.” --Jeff Wilkins, Former NFL Pro Bowl Kicker “The mental side of the game is extremely important. 10-Minute Toughness helps the players develop the mental toughness needed for success; it really makes a difference.” --Walt Jocketty, General Manager of the 2006 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals “Jason Selk has spent a tremendous amount of time and energy developing effective mental-training programs and coaches workshops. He is truly committed to helping individuals and teams to perform at their very best, when it really counts.” --Peter Vidmar, Olympic Gold Medalist Mental training is a must for high performance both on the field and off. But simply hoping for mental toughness isn't going to build any mind muscles. You need a proven routine of daily exercises to get you where you want to go. 10-Minute Toughness is your personal coach for boosting brainpower and achieving a competitive edge in whatever game you play. With quickness and ease, you'll learn how to master your own mind and psych out your opponents using personalized techniques from one of America's most successful sport psychology consultants. Like no other program available, the 10-Minute Toughness (10-MT) routine gets you ready for the competition in just ten minutes a day.
Mental toughness is one of the most common terms used in sport – by athletes, coaches, spectators and the media. However, it is also one of the least understood terms. This book provides a definitive and readable overview of the area, and presents the cutting-edge research in the field of mental toughness. The book introduces the historical and conceptual arguments behind this research, and looks at the characteristics and development of mentally tough sport performers. It suggests that mental toughness is a personality style and mindset, presenting a case for its inclusion within the positive psychological paradigm. The book also explores various measures of this concept and their psychometric properties, and considers cultural and national perspectives as well as the possibility of mental toughness heredity. Sheard exposes the development and maintenance of mental toughness as a factor for successful sport and life performance, and discusses the possibilities for future research on the subject. This book is unique in considering the idea of mental toughness as an 'achievement mindset' and is an invaluable resource for sport and exercise psychology and science students and lecturers. It also provides an important reference for sport participants, coaches, and enthusiasts.
Come back from every setback a stronger and better leader. If you read nothing else on mental toughness, read these ten articles by experts in the field. We've combed through hundreds of articles in the Harvard Business Review archive and selected the most important ones to help you build your emotional strength and resilience--and to achieve high performance. This book will inspire you to: Thrive on pressure like an Olympic athlete Manage and overcome negative emotions by acknowledging them Plan short-term goals to achieve long-term aspirations Surround yourself with the people who will push you the hardest Use challenges to become a better leader Use creativity to move past trauma Understand the tools your mind uses to recover from setbacks This collection of articles includes "How the Best of the Best Get Better and Better," by Graham Jones; "Crucibles of Leadership," by Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas; "Building Resilience," by Martin E.P. Seligman; "Cognitive Fitness," by Roderick Gilkey and Clint Kilts; "The Making of a Corporate Athlete," by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz; "Stress Can Be a Good Thing If You Know How to Use It," by Alla Crum and Thomas Crum; "How to Bounce Back from Adversity," by Joshua D. Margolis and Paul G. Stoltz; "Rebounding from Career Setbacks," by Mitchell Lee Marks, Philip Mirvis, and Ron Ashkenas; "Realizing What You're Made Of," by Glenn E. Mangurian; "Extreme Negotiations," by Jeff Weiss, Aram Donigian, and Jonathan Hughes; and "Post-Traumatic Growth and Building Resilience," by Martin Seligman and Sarah Green Carmichael. HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.
