3 Mental Strength Steps To Bouncing Back
Often in my coaching I work with clients on what they perceive to be as failures. Once we discuss that there are not failures only feedback, many will look at some of the situations as a potential temporary setback.
I’m sure at one time or another we have all experienced a setback. That is, something occurred, not planned, that caused us to stop and regroup in the quest for our personal goal.
In life and especially in the pursuit of personal success, the difference between the top achievers and everyone else is how they respond to the setbacks.
If you’ve never watched the movie ‘Invincible’ I highly recommend it. This the inspiring true story of Vince Papale, an ordinary guy who, against extraordinary odds, gets a one-in-a-gazillion shot at living every sports fan’s wildest fantasy.
Like the city he lives in and his beloved hometown NFL team, the down-an-out Vince (Mark Wahlberg), has seen better days. But then the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach Dick Vermeil calls an unprecedented open tryout, and the 30-year-old bartender who never played college ball makes the team.
Every morning before he went to practice, he had a habit of looking at a note in his locker. The note seemed to inspire him to perform at a higher level. He did this every morning without fail.
The note was a letter from his ex-wife informing him of the fact that she was leaving him and that he would never accomplish anything in life.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1hSXTDtNw8[/youtube]
Often it’s the simplest things that produce the best results. So to help you create the mental strength and bounce back from any set back here are three simple steps..
Step 1- Recommit to Your Goal: I’m going to presume that in order to have a setback you first have to a goal, otherwise what is the setback compared to? If you don’t have a goal but a wish, then get a personal goal.
I have discussed many, many times the importance of goal setting that all you have to do is search this blog and you’ll find several posts. So I’m not going to go into the importance of personal goals here.
I will however say that when you do encounter a setback this is time to recommit to your personal goals. Take it out look at it, read it out loud and ask is this setback bigger than my dream and my mental strength?
If the answer is ‘yes’, the goal wasn’t big enough and inspiring enough. Set a new inspiring personal goal.
If the answer is ‘no’, that is, this goal is motivating and inspiring, think about what it’s going to feel like once you have achieved this personal goal and recommit to it.
Step 2 – Intention and Attention: When you recommit to your goal you are setting your intention. In this step you are aware of this intention. Intention helps you focus our attention on what needs to take place to reach your goal.
Your attention should be on the process of practice and preparation, not necessarily on the end result, i.e. your personal goal.
The Olympic Gold Medalist’s do not win the medal during the games. The medal was really won during their time in isolation when they were practicing. It is during the practice where they hone their skills and abilities. It is during the competition where they execute these skills.
What are the skills you need to give your attention to in order to reach your goal?
Step 3 – Mental Strength Attitude: Winston Churchill defined success as the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. If you have an inspiring goal, set your intention and focused your attention, you can see that each setback is really feedback and is really bringing you closer to your personal goal.
Let me illustrate this with a story and help to clarify what you need to bounce back from your setback.
This person was born into poverty, and lacked a formal education. He joined the Militia and obtained the rank of Captain. His leadership skills were so questionable that he was demoted down to the rank of Private.
He met a nice young lady and was engaged to be married. She died of a sudden illness. This event caused him to have a nervous breakdown. He recovered and decided to open his own business. The business failed. He then decided that he would pursue a career in politics. He ran for a seat in his state legislature and lost.
He ran for a seat in the US Congress and lost. He ran for a seat in the US Senate and lost. The individual that I am introducing you to you is Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States.
In addition to an inspiring goal, setting his intention and focusing his attention, he demonstrated he mental strength attitude required to surmount all of those setbacks.
In life, a knockdown is not the same as a knockout.
By following the above steps you’ll be able to get back up, dust yourself off and charge!
Remember “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” – George Washington Carver
