Mental Toughness by John Tracy - Byteflix

Byte #1 - Mental Toughness

• Most of the pain we feel is self-inflicted and not external. Negative feelings manifest and breed in our mind and sadly, we allow them to poison our soul. 
• Don't keep the emotions locked up. The weight of it would keep adding and one day, you'll buckle under the pressure. So get it off your chest. 

Qualities of a mentally tough person: 

1. Focused
2. Winning mindset
3. Willpower
4. Calm and Composed
5. Embracing failure
6. Taking responsibility for one's actions
7. Meticulous planner
8. Ready to face uncertainty and challenges
9. Controlling emotions and not let them cloud your vision
10. Set no limits

Byte #2 - Importance of being mentally strong

• The conscious mind is like the RAM of a computer - random thoughts and feelings that cross your mind are temporarily stored here
• The subconscious mind is like the ROM of a computer - stores all the stuff from the conscious mind so that it can be retrieved at a later time

If you keep saying negative affirmations like 'I'm a loser/I'm useless', it gets registered in the subconscious mind. In a crunch situation, your brain will search the hard drive (subconscious) for strength and power. But how would it be able to find that if you keep filling up your hard drive with pessimistic thoughts?

• Whether you're a parent or an artist or an entrepreneur, you need to develop a positive mindset that would help you surmount the challenges associated with your job. 

Byte #3 - Disciplined like a SEAL

Traits of Unbeatable mind:

1. Mental Competency - the ability to make good judgments. Train your mind before you train your body.
2. Emotional Intelligence - the ability to keep one's emotions in check. Learn to have a neutral state of mind (unwavering). Empathize and communicate well.
3. Resilience - the ability to withstand pressure and thrive in unfavorable conditions.
4. Will power - the ability to ignore distractions and disturbances
5. A Winner's mind - establishing a positive mindset and not settling for anything less than what you aimed for.
6. The Ability to Focus - Your focus should be laser-sharp. Whatever comes between you and your goal, you should surmount it and not get distracted by it.
7. Circle - Surround yourself with likeminded friends and people who are mentally tough.
8. Going against the tide - It's not always good to go with the nature's flow. Sometimes, you need to swim against the tide to find your true calling.
9. Expects delayed gratification - Enjoy the process more than the rewards. Don't seek instant/immediate success.
10. Consistency - working day in day out with the same level of passion and excitement you had on the first day.

Picture Courtesy: YLS Network

Byte #4 - Goals & Motivation

• Goal setting: Set a clear, well-defined, measurable, and achievable goal.
• Write down your goals, prioritize work, give them deadlines, and tick them off one by one.
• Make a To-Do list to manage time well.

Byte #6 - Focused mind + action = success

• Meditate every day. Scientific studies show that it improves focus and reduces stress.

Simple meditation posture - Zazen

• The physical aspect of meditation - Zazen posture; Mental aspect - Slow breathing;
• Avoid saying the word 'TRY'.  

Example: 

I'm gonna try to do meditation from tomorrow.

I'm going to do meditation from tomorrow

Building Mental Strength:

• Keep emotions in check - Take deep breaths if you feel stressed or angry. The negative/excess energy (stress) will be relieved from your body
• Untether yourself - Stay detached from materialistic things. Don't hustle just for the sake of 'owning' things. 

Quote by LaoZi | Source: Quotefancy

• Accept the fact that you can't control every aspect of life. 
• Be prepared for the worst during your best days. Be prepared for the best during your worst days.
• Embrace success and milestones, but not too much. Give yourself the credit you deserve.
• Be happy with who you are on the inside and outside.
• Be proactive and not reactive. (Anticipate potential problems and be ready to sort it out when it occurs)
• Think twice before you speak
• Start off the day on a positive note - saying affirmations out loud, dancing to music, walking, etc.
• Take enough breaks. Your mind, body, and soul need ample rest for better functioning.  
• Learn the art of saying 'NO'. 

Byte #6 - Gratification management

Tips to empower our mind:

1. Read plenty of books and expand your knowledge base
2. Have a positive image of your own self
3. Experiment a lot and attempt new things
4. Engage in physical activities (Start lightly and then later on attempt intense workouts)

Byte #7 - Accepting negative emotions

• Practice Mindfulness Meditation, which is like an exercise for the brain. There are a lot of meditation techniques and postures. But as stated earlier, I'd recommend you to start with the Zazen meditation posture.
• It will help you focus on the present and there would be fewer chances of you zoning out in the middle of a lecture or during a long drive in a car.
• Get plenty of sleep. This is perhaps the best option to reboot our mind and body, cleanse the system from toxic entities. 

Byte #8 - Influence of environment

• Take responsibility. If you make a mistake, accept it, learn from it, and try not to repeat the same in the future. Denying it and being ignorant will take you nowhere.
• Compete with yourself and not others. Every day, try to be a better version of who you were on the previous day.
• Don't let others dictate how you should lead your life. Listen to no one but yourself. Accept healthy criticism and reject trash talk.
• Listen to your inner voice/gut feeling.
• Enjoy the process/journey. 
• Be Grateful. Be Humble. 

Byte #9 - 'You aren't a superhero'

Strategies to build mental toughness:

1. Hypnosis - might not work for everyone. But you go for hypnosis sessions and see what it's all about. 
2. Improve your communication skills. Engage in meaningful discussions with your friends about a movie or an incident that happened recently. You'll learn to convey opinions efficiently without beating around the bush. 
3. Meditation - again, he stresses the importance of meditation
4. Healthy habits - Come up with simple, easy to follow habits and stick to it. Example: Start with a target of reading 20 pages a day and then increase it once you get the hang of it.
5. Seek positive influences and keep away negativities.

Byte #10 - Mental Toughness Loop

Picture Courtesy: The Third Man

Direct Quote:

" It is a conceptual vehicle, through which you can effectively isolate the individual parts of the whole to make significant and rapid movements on the sum total. "

MetaData:

Kindle Edition, 110 pages
Published February 16th, 2020Goodreads | Amazon (US) | Amazon (IN)