The 4 C's Of Mental Toughness

Have you ever wondered if you can measure someone’s mental toughness?

Athletes desire it, coaches want their players to have it, fans respect it. Mental toughness is a valuable asset not only for athletes, but for people in general.

Well, you CAN measure it. I actually did my dissertation on Mental Toughness in Athletes. There are different assessments and measures out there, but I want to break it down as simply as possible.

When you study the world‘s toughest individuals, they all seemingly have a few things in common. More specifically there are four things that continue to show up time and time again. We call them the 4 C’s. Here we go.…

COMMITMENT 

Commitment is your ability to stick something out till the very end. How long are you committed to finishing what you started? Are you committed to finishing no matter what? Many people start projects, start seasons, and start new routines… but they do not finish.

Finishing what you start, and following through is truly a lost art. Some of the world‘s most mentally tough people are finishers. They are committed to the very end.

CONTROL 

Some of the world‘s most mentally tough people are in control of their emotions. They are in control of their reactions and their responses. They are able to emit emotions of victory, vitality, and power. At the same token, they are also able to inhibit feelings of disgust, anger, and frustration. They impose their will on the competition, and are not subject to their environment.

Some of the world‘s most mentally tough people are like thermostats (they set the tone). They are not like thermostats, who simply read the temperature of what is going on around them. Emotions come in a wide assortment, and for athletes to perform at high intense levels, it is important to be able to manage and direct emotion.

CONFIDENCE 

Confidence is the level of certainty that you have in someone or something. The higher your level of certainty, the higher your level of confidence. The world‘s most mentally tough people have high levels of confidence.

Not only do they have high self-confidence, but they are also ranking high when it comes to interpersonal confidence (their confidence with others). Confidence is a byproduct of several things, including body language, affirmations, preparation, physical conditioning, past success, and the list goes on…

CHALLENGE 

Lastly, the world’s most mentally tough people see challenging situations as opportunities, and not as problems.

Most individuals will look at a difficult situation as problematic, and will focus on the negative aspects of the situation.

Mentally tough individuals, on the other hand, will look at challenging situations as opportunities to solve problems. They will identify the positive aspects of what could possibly come about once the problem is solved.

How do you view challenging situations?

Is there an athlete that you know that meets all of these criteria?

How do you stack up?

A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN: JESUS CHRIST

When I look at this list, I’m reminded of Jesus Christ. He was the ultimate example of what it meant to be mentally tough.

Even though he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane to have the cup removed from him …”Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done”… he still followed through with the mission and committed until the very end.

There are multiple times in the Bible, where Jesus could’ve lost his temper because of man’s ignorance, peoples’ unbelief, and other instances. Jesus even underwent abuse through mockery, beatings, and being spit on.… yet he refused to retaliate, and showed the ultimate poise and control.

Time and time again, Jesus showed us his confidence through the miracles he performed, the words that he spoke, and the hope that he inspired in the masses.

He took some of the most challenging situations, such as lack of food, deafness, blindness, lameness, and even death, and healed and provided for people in amazing ways.

Your Friend,

Josiah