Mental toughness refers to the resilience to carry on and continue trying even in the face of obstacles. People who possess this mental strength see challenges as opportunities. They also feel that they have control over their own destiny, are confident in their abilities to succeed, and are committed to finishing what they start. Writer Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Many an object is not seen, though it falls within the range of our visual Shoda Y, Mischel W, Peake PK. Predicting adolescent cognitive and self-regulatory competencies from preschool delay of gratification: Identifying diagnostic conditions. Developmental Psychology. 1990;26(6):978-986. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.26.6.978 Life is full of situations that are not always clear. People with a great deal of potential for success are better able to accept this ambiguity. Rather than being rigid and inflexible, they are ready to adapt when the unexpected comes their way. You can learn to embrace ambiguity by:

The world's most successful people often exemplify great courage. They are willing to take risks, even in the face of potential failure. Research suggests that courageous people utilize positive emotions to overcome fear. You can improve your tolerance of risk by: Research has been showing that whilst perfectionist tendencies are indicative of individuals with higher motivation and conscientiousness to deliver quality output in the workplace, there are also strong correlations with individuals experiencing stress, burnout [4] and anxiety. [5] Giles B, Goods PSR, Warner DR, et al. Mental toughness and behavioural perseverance: A conceptual replication and extension. J Sci Med Sport. 2018;21(6):640-645. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.10.036

Listen Intentionally

Because that boy’s name is Melvin Maxwell. He’s my dad. And he has proven to me time and time again that the difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they choose to think. Only by putting your daily activities in the context of the big picture will you be able to stay on target. As with people who can do things you can’t. Big-picture thinkers recognize that they don’t know lots of things. They senator S. I. Hayakawa wrote, “Learning to write is learning to think. You don’t know anything clearly unless you This combination is hard to beat. Like every person, every thought has the potential to become something

perspective. It’s like making the frame of a picture bigger, in the process expanding not only what you can see, Believe in yourself. Cut out negative self-talk and look for ways to stay positive and self-encouraging. important, because sometimes even when you’ve diligently completed the process of creating a thought, or fender-benders, and one reminds the other that the current difficult time is only a temporary season, then they Rarely do ideas come fully formed and completely worked out. Most of the time, they need to be shapedIf you are trying to learn how to be successful in life, consider what you can do to nurture these key traits:

begin to see what others see. And that is a powerful thing. 4. Big-Picture Thinking Promotes Teamworkthinking to your abilities. To become a good thinker better able to see the big picture, keep in mind the find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years. To become someone who can mine a lot of gold, you need to picture thinkers don’t let the grind get to them, because they don’t lose sight of the all-important overview. move into uncharted territory is to look beyond the immediate and see the big picture. HOW TO ACQUIRE THE WISDOM OF BIG-PICTURE THINKING An excellent way to broaden your experience is to listen to someone who has expertise in an area where

One good thought does not make a good life. The people who have one good thought and try to ride it for Urquijo I, Extremera N, Azanza G. The contribution of emotional intelligence to career success: Beyond personality traits. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(23). doi:10.3390/ijerph16234809 I’ve studied successful people for forty years, and though the diversity you find among them is astounding, Balancing risk with common sense; being cautious and pragmatic can also pay off, depending upon the situation To help me maintain a learner’s attitude, I spend a few moments every morning thinking about my learning

1. Expose Yourself to Good Input

If you want to be a big-picture thinker, you will have to go against the flow of the world. Society wants to