MENTAL TOUGHNESS

Mental toughness is developed through a combination of your mindset, attitude, preparation, and experience.

Toughening up your mind requires you to work through adversity.

This adversity can be physical, mental, emotional, etc. There are concepts, tools, and skill sets available that can be learned to help increase your mental toughness and resilience, but only persevering through adversity develops it. 

You have to feel and experience hardship to gain the tacit knowledge needed to become stronger mentally. You have to put the mental skills and tools to use in real-time in the trenches. There are no shortcuts!

Physical conditioning serves two main purposes.

The first objective is to strengthen and properly condition the body for work. This is why we must train smart! 

The second objective is to serve as a tool to induce stress to strengthen the mind.

One of the most effective ways to increase mental toughness is through physical conditioning. 

The proper application of physical stress is a powerful tool for strengthening the mind. This is the process of becoming comfortable being uncomfortable, or developing the ability to suffer well.

Being able to work through uncomfortable situations requires mental grit and fortitude that can be developed through physical conditioning. This mental toughness then translates into other areas of life.

In special operations, being exposed to physical and mental stress is a regular occurrence.

High-risk training, graded full-mission profiles, combat operations, etc. are part of the job. Enduring rigorous selection courses is also essential in becoming a member of elite organizations within the U.S. military.

This was a rewarding but brutal process for me. One that forced me beyond my perceived limits and into a place I previously believed was unfathomable. I learned many valuable lessons throughout these experiences. 

Many of which I still utilize today. One of the biggest lessons is the importance of properly conditioning the body to strengthen the mind for hardship and adversity.

What separates those who make it through SEAL training and into the Teams from those who do not?

It comes down to what was happening between the ears. There are a variety of examples I can use to illustrate this point but I am going to stick with BUD/S for a moment.

When I went through BUD/S training 20 years ago, we were all very capable candidates physically (we had to be to get our foot through the door) but few would possess the mental tenacity, fortitude, and resilience required to graduate the training.

It ultimately came down to mindset, grit, and fortitude (the very definitions of mental toughness in some circles). 

The ability to process difficult situations and then figure out a way to win despite the pain, discomfort, and daily grind was a necessity. 

Our commitment, resiliency, and ability to work with others as part of a team were keys to success and tested to the max each day.

Mental toughness is a skill like any other and must be developed over time through experience.

The type of mental strength and resilience common among many other special operators is the ability to stay in the fight when adversity hits. 

This skill does not happen overnight and is developed through a process of stress inoculation and repeated exposure to hardship. 

Throughout a long career in special operations, this mindset has been finely tuned through years of commitment to training for war and going downrange.

Another valuable way of training mental toughness is to consistently fulfill your responsibilities and execute your duties to the best of your ability. 

Consistency is a massive part of being mentally tough. 

Manufacturing adversity in your life through physical and mental challenges and extreme events is of value but I would argue that each of us is presented with plenty of opportunities to strengthen our resolve through the discipline of doing what needs to be done regardless of how we feel. 

How you show up is just as important as being present to do the work. 

Be reliable, be intentional in your efforts, and let your actions speak. 

This mindset of overcoming adversity is for anybody regardless of goals or profession.

It is not a question of IF hardship and adversity are going to hit, but a matter of WHEN. 

When hardship comes, will you be mentally ready for it? 

Will you be able to stay in the fight and give your best effort?

When adversity hits and you are neck-deep in the 'suck’, your instinct is to allow negative thoughts to creep into your mind. This is the default reality for all of us. 

These thoughts tell us we can’t hold on any longer, they convince us that there is no shame in giving up and that we have had enough. When we accept these thoughts, they shatter our confidence, get us to think about quitting, and ultimately persuade us to look for a way out.

When this happens, it is only a matter of time before we are finished. It is precisely in these moments that we must hold on a little longer and remember why we have chosen to embark on this particular journey in the first place. 

We must prioritize our focus and energy on what is currently achievable in this present moment! 

When the mind goes, so does your will to fight, and when you no longer have the will to fight, you give up.

When evolutions get tough, or life throws you challenges and your back is up against the wall, you only have TWO options. 

Option one is to quit and option two is to adjust to the situation, refuse to give up, and figure out the way forward through constant pressure. In any circumstance, these are your two choices. 

Remember that quitting should NEVER be a viable option.

If you quit today, you can bet that you will quit tomorrow when others need you the most. Find a way to push through and win! This is a mindset that you must develop over years of dedicated and consistent effort. 

When quitting is no longer an option, you WILL find a way to persevere through hardship.

This is a matter of shifting your perspective concerning your current circumstances. For example, during BUD/S training I remember thinking to myself how miserable the grueling Log PT sessions and boat races were. Boat crew races consisted of running miles with a rubber boat bouncing on your head. 

Amid these brutal evolutions, I couldn’t wait to get back into the cold Pacific Ocean to freeze again. 

The surf torture evolution (sitting in the cold surf zone of the Pacific Ocean for minutes at a time) would at least allow me to rest my muscles from the physical pain and exhaustion of Log PT.

Conversely, when freezing my balls off in the Pacific Ocean, I would think to myself about how much I desired to get right back under the log or boat again so that I could get moving and warm up. 

It was this constant state of adjusting my mindset to the current evolution that afforded me the ability to endure. I had never given myself the option of a way out! You have to find a way to mentally adjust to the pain but NEVER QUIT. 

Hardship and the proper mindset come down to attitude and perspective! I have taken this mentality with me throughout my 22-year career in special operations.

Stress is stress, no matter physical, mental, or emotional.

The ability to break down overwhelming pain or stress into smaller more digestible bites is an art form. 

I remember from when I was serving in the Marine Corps some of the more painful experiences from both Marine Recon and Scout Sniper School. 

Throughout portions of the field training, we would move long distances over multiple days at a clip with little food and limited sleep while under constant stress from the instructor cadre. This stress would include enduring tear gas at regular intervals, patrolling long distances under heavy loads, and having to move equipment and simulated wounded teammates over rough terrain for long periods while exhausted.

Introduction to stress inoculation 

The physical, mental, and emotional rigors associated with the harsh realities of combat lay a heavy burden on the mind and body. 

Environmental factors like extreme temperatures and rugged terrain also play into the mix. These brutal training evolutions during the various selection courses and the realistic training experienced in the operational teams throughout the arduous work-up cycles serve as adequate preparation for the stresses of combat operations overseas.

Some training missions and real-world operations were more challenging than many aspects of selection. This is precisely why our preparation is so valuable! We MUST train and prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for the worst-case scenarios, yet pray for the best.

Below are some of the tools I have learned through experience over a long career in special operations to properly manage adversity:

Actionable Step # 1 - Rely upon your spiritual strength (faith). 

I would pray and remember that my God is bigger than all of my current challenges and that his love and faithfulness endure forever (Psalm 117.2). 

My spiritual strength was/ is the source that would feed my mental and physical strength. Without this source of strength, I would be crushed!

My faith rests in The Lord Jesus Christ. This faith has kept me grounded and focused in the tough moments throughout my career. 

You may not share the same faith I do however, I have come to realize that our deepest level of commitment and purpose comes from a belief in a cause greater than ourselves. 

When times get very difficult, what do you hold onto to keep you focused and in the fight?

Actionable Step # 2 - Break the seemingly impossible task down into smaller digestible chunks (chunking). 

This is the process of honing in on what is directly in front of you in the fight and concentrating your efforts on what is currently achievable. 

Take it one step at a time, one moment at a time, and one evolution at a time. Focus on what you have to control over! 

Do not burn energy on the factors you cannot control and do NOT allow yourself to get lost or overwhelmed by the big picture.

Actionable Step # 3 - Be mentally prepared to go for much longer than anticipated (energy management).

This mindset will allow you two things: it will help you manage your energy more efficiently during long and arduous events, and it will keep your head in the game long enough to endure the evolution.

This concept for me translated directly to combat operations overseas. You have to be mentally switched on and “ready” at all times. My first platoon chief in the SEAL Teams would always remind us that “the op isn’t over until you are back at the forward operating base washing your nuts”. This lesson among others taught me to mentally “rig for pain” and to “keep the mind ready at all times” until it was safe to relax and decompress.

Actionable Step # 4 - Control your emotional response to stress (emotional regulation). 

This is a perfect time to use positive and realistic performance statements to reign in the crushing thoughts associated with pain, hardship, and negative outcomes. 

Remember to slow down and breathe! Allow the situation to develop and choose to respond rather than react emotionally.

Actionable Step # 5 - Keep a solid perspective on the big picture. 

Understand why you have chosen to endure the process and ensure that your purpose is identified. Wait until you are in a calm place to make important life and career decisions. Do not make life-changing and career-altering decisions under stress!

Actionable Step # 6 - Revisit your commitment. 

Understand who and what you are committed to and what you are willing to give to succeed in this endeavor. Know who or what you put your faith in and drive forward with intention.

Get Ready! Stay Ready!