In business, you have to be mentally strong. Direction, focus and strong will are necessities to be successful. How many of these 13 tough habits do you possess?
This post is courtesy of Amy Morin, a Clinical Social Worker. It is one of the best pieces I have read in a very long time. The article appears on her website. A contributor to Forbes Magazine decided to publicize it as well. Since then, it has been shared 575,000 times! I have listed the 13 Tough Habits below and put my own PROSALESGUY Takeaway from her list.
Mentally Strong People: 13 Things They Avoid – by Amy Morin
Mentally strong people have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong people don’t do so that you too can become more mentally strong.
1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves
Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Dry your eyes Princess. You’re in your current situation because you either put yourself there, or decided to stay there. If you don’t like it, focus your actions on doing something about it.
2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power
They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Respond don’t react. React is what your knee does when the doctor tests your reflexes. To respond, you need to make a conscious decision to behave accordingly.
3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change
Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: You’re either part of the problem or the solution. It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you deal with what happens to you that makes the difference.
4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control
You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Give up worrying on what you can’t control to influence what you can.
5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone
Mentally strong people recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: In Sales, it’s your job to please most people, not everyone. Move on from clients who are impossible to satisfy. Have the character to have the tough conversations with your clients when required.
6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks
They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Wayne Gretzky’s quote says it all – You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Wayne had the great ability to skate where he thought the puck would be, not is.
7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past
Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Don’t drive a Porsche down a windy, mountain road at high speed by looking in your rear view mirror.
8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over
They accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Smart Salespeople enjoy making lots of mistakes – one time only.
9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success
Mentally strong people can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: How can you hate something you want? Ask successful people this question – What’s the #1 thing you learned from that experience?
10. They Don’t Give Up After the First Failure
They don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Based on what you learn, success is the journey more than the destination.
11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time
Mentally strong people can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Invest in yourself. Read a book or a blog. Write. Do something creative.
12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything
They don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: Nothing in this world worth anything comes without hard work and sacrifice.
13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results
Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.
PROSALESGUY Takeaway: True success comes in having long term goals. The short term ones keep you on track.
Here’s the link to Amy’s website, complete with social media links. Following smart people just makes sense.
PROSALESGUY TRAINING believes that constant learning is a key ingredient to sales success. Should you have an interest in any of our training programs, please contact us at dave@prosalesguy.ca.
Dave Warawa PROSALESGUY
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