How to develop mental strength: 13 things you should avoid

Executives are concerned about physical strength and health all the time, when it comes down to it, mental strength can mean even more. In particular, for entrepreneurs, numerous articles talk about the essential characteristics of mental toughness: tenacity, optimism, and unerring ability.

This is one of those lists that leave us thinking a lot about our way of being and acting. People who are highly competitive either as an employee or as an entrepreneur, live worried that the pace of demands can affect their physical and emotional health, and therefore mental health. When that happens, mental health means much more than we previously thought.

However, we can also define mental strength by identifying things that mentally strong individuals don’t do. In the case of entrepreneurs, numerous articles talk about the critical characteristics of mental toughness (tenacity, optimism, resolution) and an ability to reverse failures.

Some psychology specialists find that mental strength is easier to determine by things that mentally strong people avoid doing rather than what they do.

I was impressed by this list compiled by Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and clinical social worker, who has shared it on her website.

1. Wasting time feeling sorry for themselves:

You don’t see mentally strong people feeling sorry for their circumstances or the way they’ve been mistreated. They have learned to take responsibility for their actions and results and have an innate understanding of the fact that life is often not fair.
They can get out of difficult circumstances with self-awareness and gratitude for the lessons learned. When a situation ends badly, they respond with phrases such as “Oh, good.” Or maybe, just with a “Next! ”

2. Give away your energy:

Mentally strong people avoid giving others the power to make them feel inferior or inadequate. They understand that they are in control of their actions and emotions. They know that their strength lies in their ability to manage how they respond.

3. Avoid the Change:

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy

Mentally strong people accept change and welcome the challenge. Their greatest “fear,” if they have it, is not the unknown, but falling into complacency and stagnating. An environment of change and even uncertainty can energize a mentally strong person and act in the best possible way.

4. Wasting your energy on things you can’t control:

Mentally strong people do not complain about traffic, lost luggage, or especially about other people, as they recognize that all of these factors are generally beyond their control. In a bad situation, they realize that the only thing that can always be controlled is their own response and attitude, and they use these attributes thoroughly.

5. Worry about pleasing others:

Do you know some people they like? Or, conversely, to people who are dedicated to disliking others as a way to reinforce an image of strength? Neither position is good. A mentally strong person strives to be kind and to please others but is also not afraid to speak loudly. They can bear the possibility of someone getting angry and will deal with the situation, whenever possible, with grace.

6. Be afraid to take calculated risks:

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg

A mentally strong person is willing to take calculated risks. This is a totally different thing from jumping headfirst over stupid risks. But with mental strength, an individual can weigh the risks and benefits thoroughly, and the potential disadvantages and even the worst-case scenarios will be carefully evaluated before taking action.

7. Living in the past:

There is strength in acknowledging the past, and especially in recognizing things learned from past experiences, a mentally strong person can avoid filling his mental energy with mud in past disappointments or fantasies of past “glory days.” They invest most of their energy in creating an optimal present and future.

8. Make the same mistakes over and over:

We all know the definition of insanity. It is when we take the same actions over and over again, hoping for a different and better result than we have come before.
A mentally strong person accepts all responsibility for past behaviour and is willing to learn from mistakes. Research shows that the ability to be self-reflective in a precise and productive way is one of the greatest strengths of executives and entrepreneurs with spectacular success.

9. Be resentful of people’s success:

Strength of character is needed to feel real joy and excitement at the success of others. Mentally strong people have this ability. They are not jealous or resentful when others are successful (although they may take the first few notes on what the individual did well). They are willing to work hard for their own chances of success, without relying on shortcuts.

10. Quit after an error:

“Losers quit when they fail. Winners fail until they succeed.” – Robert Kiyosaki

Every failure is an opportunity to improve. Even the greatest entrepreneurs are willing to admit that their first efforts invariably brought many failures. Mentally strong people are willing to fail again and again, if necessary, as long as the learning experience of each “failure” can bring them closer to their ultimate goals.

11. Fear of being alone time:

Mentally strong people enjoy and even treasure their time alone. They use their downtime to reflect, plan, and be productive. The most important thing is that they do not depend on others to increase their happiness and moods. They can be happy with others, and they can also be happy alone.

12. Feeling that the world owes them something:

Especially in today’s economy, executives and employees at all levels are winning by recognizing that the world does not owe them a salary, a benefits package, and a comfortable life, regardless of their preparation and education. Mentally strong people enter the world prepared to work and succeed on their merits, in all phases of the game.

13. Expect immediate results:

Whether it’s a training plan, a diet, or starting a business, mentally strong people are “in the long term.” They know that they should not expect immediate results. They apply their energy and time in metered doses and celebrate each milestone and increasing success along the way. And they are conscious and perceive the significance that true changes take time.

Given all these points, the question falls out of maturity. How much mental strength do you have?

I really liked this article because I have realized that I am missing enough to reinforce many of these attributes and abandon others, I really hope you use it as an exercise for the remaining months of this year and the beginning of next, have a happy day.