Does mental toughness help you accomplish your goals? Rahul Doshi says focus and power of the mind is the secret to success
Reflecting back on the years as a cosmetic dentist has given me much insight of what goes into creating a successful practice. I have discovered that indeed certain things are needed such as intelligence; without which success can never be achieved. However, there is something that is even more important in order to remain focused and on track. This special something is the secret power to accomplishment. It facilitates how you build valuable habits into your every day work life to overcome inevitable obstacles and complications on your journey to success. So what is so invaluable that it literally makes the wheels of fortune turn your way?
It’s simply ‘mental fortitude’. I say ‘simply’ yet this is the very thing many have found unconquerable. Those that have it or have acquired it will know that it is mental toughness that helps you to stay committed to your vision. Those that are oblivious to it will almost inevitably find more struggles and challenges along the way.
Mental fortitude motivates you to remain true to your goals and gives you the power you need to force any issues your way. As Napoleon Hill stated in his book, The Law of Success, ‘Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve’. But you need the mental fortitude to believe in what you can conceive. Mental fortitude enables you to conceive successful ideas and then have the tenacity to fulfil them.
It is well known that how you respond to a certain situation influences the outcome of that situation. So if you are reactive then you are likely to face some serious challenges. Alternatively, if you are proactive and a solution-seeker then you are more likely than not going to solve your way out of the crises. However, sometimes it’s the ‘becoming’ proactive part where the greater challenge lies. This is where mental fortitude enables you to push through with minimum consequences.
Strength of mind also facilitates your recognising opportunities that may present themselves in various phases of business life. Sometimes, smaller opportunities pave the way to bigger successes. Mental fortitude can propel you right onto the frontline (usually this is where all the action is) helping you to overcome any reservations you may have.
Building mental fortitude
To develop the kind of mental perseverance needed to create success requires you to keep yourself in what I call a positive zone. This means you cannot allow negativity of any sort to invade your thoughts and self-talk. You cannot allow energy vampires to drag you down. This will keep you positive and allows you to build up positive energy required to be mentally tough. Once you are mentally strong you will create a self-perpetuating cycle of increased belief in yourself and your vision. This in turn propels you in the correct direction.
However, like the flutter of butterfly wings in one part of the world causing tsunamis in another, even the slightest of negativity from those around you can created profound tsunamis in your mind dragging your mental accuracy of thought and direction down. So you will need to develop some habits that will help you create that strength of mind and attitude.
Ten tips on developing mind power
1. Remain objective at all times and deliver the same level of performance when it comes to Leadership. Your emotional stability is very important as it has a direct impact on your mental strength.
2. Keep a realistic perspective on your troubles. Decide what is truly important and what is not really the end of your world. Mental fortitude allows you to march forward when everything seems to be going against you. Hence being able to see what is really important helps you to remain focused on the correct priorities.
3. Change is a part of life. So, if this is going to be the only one predictable thing in your life then you need to develop the flexibility of mind that needs to accompany it. This will help you to prepare and plan in advance to develop protection strategies into your business plan. You need to develop a chameleon attitude and adapt yourself to the change at hand.
4. Being able to be objective about situations can be very helpful in developing mental grit. You need to remember that often it’s not about you personally but simply the situation. So deal with it with a certain level of detachment and don’t waste brainpower on thinking why me?
5. Develop a vision and goals and keep your mind focused on the road ahead. Do not get distracted or swayed off your path.
6. Develop habits that help you to have mental clarity and focus like meditation, goal review and strategy planning.
7. Know what you stand for and what are your values. Then remain true to them. Don’t try to please everyone – that’s an impossible proposition for anyone. Just remain true to yourself and make a concentrated effort to do what is right.
8. Don’t worry about things you have no control over instead simply focus on the things you can do something about – starting with you.
9. Do not give away your mental power to other. Avoid giving other people power over you. You are in control of your actions and emotions; your strength is in your ability to manage the way you respond to what is happening to them.
10. And finally, learn to develop unwavering positivity in all that you do. This maybe a case where you need to act it before you become it. This will help you to develop a strong inner compass and hence you will never feel lost.
Remember the strongest people are often not those that show strength in front of us but those that fight battles we never get to see. Develop mental fortitude and let it bring you the success you deserve.
Rahul Doshi is the director and founder of The Perfect Smile Studios and The Advanced Training Institute, where he teaches nationally and internationally on interdisciplinary comprehensive cosmetic dentistry including smile design, occlusion, treatment planning and full mouth rehabilitation via a seven-day hands-on course. He also works as a consultant business strategist for Dental Wealth Builder. He is on the board of directors for the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentists (BACD) and also the clinical director for the British Institute of Laser Dentistry (BILD). www.theperfectsmile.co.uk
