Self Improvement

The Guide to Developing Mental Toughness

Steve Bloom 37 Comments

Mental Toughness

Several years ago I went to a comedy show.  A local amateur comedian got onstage in front of about 400 people to perform his stand-up routine.

About half way through the show, someone in the audience yelled out, “You suck!”

Without hesitation, he laughed it off and told a joke at the heckler’s expense.  I don’t remember exactly what he said, but it was hilarious.

Somehow this comedian had developed the strength and composure to deliver jokes successfully to hundreds of people.

Not only that, but he had the confidence and focus to do it while hecklers tried to undermine his performance.

This is what psychologists call mental toughness.

Mental toughness is when you:

The key component of mental toughness is learning how to condition your mind to think confidently and be able to overcome frustration and negative self-talk.  It’s when nothing can mentally keep you from reaching your goal.
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8 Habits that Make Great Opportunities Happen

Steve Bloom 29 Comments

Just a drop

We all know someone who seems way too lucky.  They’re always stumbling across great new jobs, coming up with new business ideas or meeting the right people.  It seems as if they’re always at the right place at the right time.

How do they do that?

It might be tempting to dismiss it all as luck.

But maybe something else is going on.

If you were to observe these people closely, you’d see that opportunities don’t just come to them; they’ve developed habits that help make them appear more frequently.

It’s about how you interact with the world that determines how many opportunities come to you.

Simply put, you don’t need more luck to make great opportunities happen, you just need the right approach.  If you want better opportunities, you need to watch these eight habits:
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The Dangers of Playing it Safe

Steve Bloom 29 Comments

The Dangers of Playing it Safe

You don’t have to go far to hear the dangers of taking risks.  When I was young, I was taught about “stranger danger”.  As I got older, people told me about the threats to travelers.

We’re reminded of them every day in the news.  Turn on the TV and it won’t take long to find dozens of reasons to be afraid and not take any chances.

But what about the dangers of playing it safe?

Look back on your life and think about all the times you took the safe, easy route.  What experiences did you miss?  What awesome people could you have met?

What seemed so scary and risky at the time now seem like missed opportunities.
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Be Like Water

Steve Bloom 18 Comments

Bruce Lee - Be Like Water

Life is full of resistance.  There are obstacles and barriers all trying to keep you away from reaching your dreams and goals.

My advice to you is this: be like water.

Well, it’s actually not my advice.  The source for this comes from a forty year old interview with martial arts star Bruce Lee.

Most people know Bruce Lee for his fighting prowess, but he was also a big proponent of Eastern philosophy.  Cobbling together various aspects of Taoism, Confucianism and just about anything else he could read, he pulled together a life philosophy that was uniquely his own.

This approach was reflected in his fighting style called Jeet Kune Do.  It relied on experimentation to get results.  Basically Bruce Lee would incorporate any styles or moves into his own that worked.  If they didn’t work, he’d get rid of them.

I find this philosophy fascinating because it works in most areas of life.  Learn what’s useful, leave out the rest.  Don’t waste your time and energy on things that won’t help you achieve your goals.
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8 Reasons to Never Give Up

Steve Bloom 20 Comments

Never Never Give Up

I’ve accomplished quite a few things in my life.  Over the years, I’ve learned to set big goals and take solid actionable steps in order to make them happen.

But as I look back on everything I’ve done, I can’t help notice how many of them I had seriously considered giving up.

In fact, some of my proudest accomplishments were nearly tossed aside simply because I didn’t know if I could keep going anymore.

Yet in each case, I persevered.  I kept going despite the doubts.  I kept pushing past the fear and ultimately reached my goals.

Whatever goals or dreams you have, you’ll inevitably feel like giving up.  It’s a fact of life.  If you pursue something long enough, you’ll give it serious consideration.

As someone who has gone through that doubt, I can honestly relate to how tempting it is to throw away a big goal.

But those who reach the finish line push past that feeling.

Here are eight reasons you should keep going.
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Why Being Rich Is Not Necessary for a Good Life

Steve Bloom 35 Comments

Being Rich Isn't Necessary

What’s the one obstacle holding you back from living the life you want?

Without hearing your responses, I can already tell that money is probably mentioned far more than anything else.

How do I know this?  I hear it all the time.

“If I only had enough money, I could…”

“I could live the life I want, if I had the money…”

“If only I were rich…”

Many people seem to assume that living an amazing life is dependent on how much money you have.  It’s as if being rich is an instant one-way ticket to the good life.

But perhaps by focusing too hard on money as a solution to your problems, you’re missing another possibility:

You don’t need a lot of money to live a great life.
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How to be Disciplined and Focused When Your Dreams Overwhelm You

Steve Bloom 15 Comments

Focus

*Note: This is a guest post by Vishnu of Vishnu’s Virtues.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

As someone who toiled as a courtroom lawyer, survived a dozen political campaigns, is passionate about community organizing and making a difference by working for non-profits, I have had more than a dozen jobs in the last ten years.

Throw in my penchant for reading, writing and blogging: I couldn’t keep up with myself.

You too are brimming with ideas, business and life plans.

Filled with life dreams and countless directions you could run in.

All the options may leave you feeling overwhelmed and purposeless.

You’re likely asking yourself what you should be doing with your life.

What were you sent here to do? How do you find what your “thing” is?
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