As a young athlete growing up, I was involved with a variety of sports that included; soccer, baseball, volleyball, track and field, basketball, hockey and golf. Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to compete in some prestigious competitions. Some of my accomplishments include; Provincial 100 and 200 meter Champion, Ontario Champion AAA hockey for the Central Ontario Wolves, and most recently playing in the National University/College Championships for golf. What I realized quickly during these experiences was that winners were mentally tough and others, specifically runners up needed to be more mentally tough. So I started reading specialized books on how to think like a world class athlete so I could be as mentally tough and achieve desired success.
For me it was about copying successful people. By adopting their philosophies, thought processes and habits we can all duplicate their success. Think of it as a math formula, if we all plug the same numbers into the same formula, we will all get the same answers! It’s not just about raw intelligence and formal education, but more so about maximizing your potential and manifesting your ultimate life vision. The difference between middle class and world class thinking has proven to be minimal. We all have what it takes to succeed in life; it’s just a matter of finding our formula and capitalizing on it. Quitting is not considered to be tough, but weaker so never quit and never give up.
I consider my parents to be instrumental people in my life, always encouraging me to do whatever I wanted to do growing up because they are convinced that people are meant to make mistakes. Individuals that are tough are the ones that learn from their mistakes. I used to dislike when my Dad used to say “the perfect practice makes perfect”, but the more I matured the more I realized that he was right. Practicing is the only way to perfect your skills!
Mental toughness is certainly correlated with successful people. Believing in your skill sets and abilities coupled with mental toughness will help you achieve desired results. Remember this applies in all aspects of life not just in sports!
If you are interested in reading on mental toughness, particularly in sports I recommend this book. It’s called The New Toughness Training for Sports; Mental, Emotional and Physical Conditioning from one of the World’s Premier Sports Psychologists James E. Loehr.


