3 easy ways to build mental stamina

Imagine that everyone criticizes you and evaluates your every step, and at this time you are trying to do something that you have never done before. In a similar situation, Jordan found himself. He made a lot of efforts, but everyone condemned him and said that he had acted stupidly. In the end, Jordan dropped the case, but he didn't break down. In one interview, he said:

I wasn't upset that I didn't make it to the big league. I just wanted to see if I could succeed and enjoyed the process.

The psychology of invincibility: the process is more important than the result

Modern culture places too much emphasis on results. We all love success stories: how motivated, ambitious people overcome all difficulties and reach heights. We are obsessed with celebrities. We treat people who have achieved success as gods.

But in reality, most successful people don't focus on getting results. When we only think about the outcome, we begin to imagine what could go wrong, and as a result, we allow fear to control our behavior. We procrastinate and don't start new.

This happens in different areas of our life. We are dissatisfied with our work, but out of fear of the unknown, we do not try to find another place. We receive little, but we are afraid to ask for a raise, because we may damage our reputation or make ourselves look unfavorable. We do not take on something new because we are afraid that we will fail and will only waste our time. This is where the difference between psychologically hardy people and everyone else is manifested.

Psychologically tough people value intention more than result, and most people, on the contrary, value the result above intentions.

This is why Michael Jordan always smiled when he played baseball, even though he knew he wasn't playing very well. For him, success is not about winning, but about trying to win.

Here are three tips to help you develop mental stamina.

1. Use external and internal rewards as a stimulus

The vain one recognizes other people's activities as his own good, the voluptuous - his experience, the rational one - his own deed.

Marcus Aurelius "Reflections"

Of course, there is nothing wrong with ambition. It's okay to want to make more money or gain recognition and respect.

Just remember that you have no control over the external reward of your actions. You can write the best resume in the world, send it and never get an answer. You can think carefully about the conversation with your boss, but never get promoted. You can prepare for an interview for several days, get excited during a conversation, blurt out something stupid and not get a job.

This is why the most effective and successful ones think more about internal rewards than external ones. For example, you get up early and go to workout. The outer reward can be a great figure, and the inner reward is the thought that you are developing self-discipline.

If you're training a skill to get your dream job, the outer reward is the new job, and the inner is the thought of showing respect for yourself while pursuing your dreams.

When all your actions are connected with both external and internal rewards, you have two paths to victory. Then, even if you lose, you still win.

2. Forget about "bad" and "good"

There is nothing good or bad; this thinking makes everything so.

William Shakespeare "Hamlet"

In 1914, a big explosion occurred in New Jersey and the laboratory of Thomas Edison, where he conducted experiments, burned to the ground, and with it all his works. At this time, Edison was 67 years old.

Any inventor in such a situation would feel destroyed. But Edison had surprisingly developed psychological stamina. He just looked at his son and said, “Call your mother and friends. They are unlikely to ever see such a fire. " And to the objections of his son, he replied: “It's okay. We just got rid of a lot of rubbish."

When asked later what he would do next, Edison replied: "Tomorrow I will start all over again." The next morning, he took up work again, and did not fire any of his employees.

Psychologically tough people know that objectively there is no “good” or “bad”. What makes a situation good or bad is how we react to it.

Even emergencies and tragedies are an opportunity to train what the Stoic philosophers called virtues: generosity, humility, self-control and discipline.

3. Be humble

We often think that all successful people are very selfish. In reality, most of them are extremely modest.

Self-conceit is the voice that whispers to us that we are better than others, because we drive an expensive car. Or because we have a lot of money. Or because we are good at something.

But that same voice makes us upset when we see someone posting travel photos on Instagram while we are in the office. It is conceit that makes us judge others and criticize ourselves even more.

Psychologically tough people are not very self-important. Of course, you can't get rid of it at all. Just try to notice when it goes too far, and don't let it stop you.

conclusions

Psychological endurance is not only confidence in victory or the notorious belief in yourself. Psychologically tough people associate success not with the end result, but with the road to the goal. They know that even if they lose, they have won at the same time. After all, they tried and enjoyed the process.