Strategies to maintain mental toughness

Mental toughness is often a characteristic of a leader in business, or in life. While your experiences should make you stronger, the right mindset can really help set the stage for success.
Right now, people need to have more mental toughness than ever before. It is easy for people to get by when times are good, but the strongest businesses and people survive during all times.  I love the “E+R=” mindset I learned from Coach Urban Meyer.  Events plus responses equals outcome. You don’t have total control over events that happen during your life, but you do have control over your responses. This will help create the best possible outcome for you or your company.
Here are some strategies I’ve used to maintain a strong mentality.
Never feel sorry for yourself.
Nobody has moved forward by dwelling on the past or feeling down on themselves. It’s easy to think that everyone is watching what you’re doing and that they care about your successes or failures. But the reality is that most people don’t care, and you shouldn’t, either, even if they do.
Don’t shy away from change.
Change is good, as long as it is smart change. People will talk about how big their business is or how many markets they are in, but if the deals are not successful, then it does not really matter.
Stay focused on what you are good at and grow in the right way. We like to focus on mostly high-end suburban developments and have done well in Central Ohio and the other markets we are located in. So many times, people want the sexiest deal in the hottest city, but it could end up being unsuccessful if it is out of your niche.
Don’t resent your competitors’ success.
Mentally strong people don’t care when competitors are successful and they don’t focus on rankings. Stay focused on your customers and your product, which are areas that you can actually affect. Competitors won’t be much competition any more if you work hard on your own company.
Listening to your customers will not only enhance their experience but can help lead to increased sales. Understanding what your customers’ hot buttons are and relating to them on a personal level most likely will win them over.
Listening can also mean understanding what’s going on in the market and having a more innovative product than your competition.
Keep a positive mentality.
I believe an optimistic but realistic outlook will create positive business for any company. Whenever something occurs that might be a roadblock, I look at it as an opportunity. I believe people respond much better to positive thinking, and it can create a lot of momentum for any organization.
Creating a corporate culture where all of your employees understand your goals as one team can lead to satisfied employees, which will create better results.
Change up your routine.
Try to get out of the office and meet new people. Change up your routine and keep an open mind, which will help you stay innovative.
Don’t be afraid to fail.
Failures can lead to many successes. Never give up and always learn from your mistakes.
Brian Schottenstein is President of Schottenstein Real Estate Group