Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Mental Toughness for Everyone

Dr. Brent Macdonald is a registered psychologist and educator who has worked with individuals with complex learning needs for over 25 years. He maintains an active psychological services practice with a focus on counselling and assessment. He is also a sessional instructor, adjunct associate professor, and sought-after public speaker who has appeared on CBC TV and Radio, CTV, Global Television, and CITY TV, among other media platforms. Additionally, Brent has also presented and been an invited keynote speaker at local, national, and international conferences. Brent has served as a leader in public education and advocacy with the Psychologist’s Association of Alberta, the Canadian Psychological Association, and the American Psychological Association, among others.Brent has worked extensively with children, adolescents, young adults, their parents, educators, administrators, coaches, athletes, and executives in a wide range of contexts including public, private, and charter schools, universities and other post-secondary institutions, along with corporate teams, and community parent groups. He is a passionate believer in human psychological wellness and the need for public awareness to enhance communities and reduce stigma associated with psychological challenges.

• PreamblePreface and AcknowledgementsAbout the AuthorIntroductionWhat I Hate About Mental ToughnessDefining Mental ToughnessI’m Neither a Navy SEAL nor an Elite AthleteMy Journey with Mental ToughnessWhy Mental Toughness? Self-AwarenessMental Toughness and the Normal CurveJust Do It and Other Bad AdviceWhat Lies AheadCHAPTER 1 Mental Toughness, Mental Sensitivity, and Mental FlexibilityMental Toughness: The 4C ModelThe Evolution of Mental ToughnessContemporary Psychology Theory and Mental ToughnessMental Toughness and ResilienceMental Toughness and HardinessMental Toughness and PsychobiologySelf-Assessment of Mental ToughnessDeveloping Mental Toughness: When Being Special Doesn’t Feel SpecialThe Formation of Mental Toughness—Suffering Not RequiredMental Toughness as a Trait, Not a StateMental Toughness and “Coping” vs. “Working Through” The Power of the Situation and Mental ToughnessToughness, Sensitivity, & FlexibilityMental SensitivityMental FlexibilitySummary and What Lies AheadCHAPTER 2 The 4CsAn Exemplar of Mental ToughnessThe 4Cs of Mental Toughness: Control, Commitment, Confidence, and ChallengeMental Toughness and YouCHAPTER 3 ControlControl and Self-EfficacyThe Language of ControlDo We Really Have Control? Life ControlLearned Helplessness, Negative Cognitive Triad, and Right-Sizing a GymLife Control and MindsetLife Control and the Locus of ControlEmotional Control 85 What Is Emotional Control? Emotional Control as CamouflageEmotional Control and Jedi Mind TricksEmotional Control: An Essential Component of SuccessEmotional Control and the Human ConditionEmotional Control and Collective ConflictEmotional Control and Social MediaEmotional Control and LanguageWrapping UpCHAPTER 4 CommitmentPlans Gang Aft AgleyIdentity Status and DevelopmentThe “C” WordGoal OrientationGööalsGoals and Telephone PolesAchievement OrientationThe Darkness and the Light of the Achievement OrientationThe No-Win SituationKnowing When to StopArrival FallacyWrapping UpCHAPTER 5 ChallengeProblems v. OpportunitiesChallenge and Learning to be Helpless (and Hopeful!) Risk OrientationGo West—But Maybe Plan a Bit Too! Learning to Push Boundaries: Ice Caking and Other MisadventuresRisk in Relationships: Moving Beyond Basic StrategiesWhat Does Your Headvoice Say? How a Noncommittal Grunt Can Start a Fight? Learning OrientationThe Short Path: Heuristics in LearningBeing Open to LearningLearning Through Observation and Experience: The Peanut Butter Sandwich of FrustrationNapster and Moral Risk-TakingLearning Orientation and IdentityRelational LearningWhen Being “Gifted” Isn’t: Learning Orientation and Self-AwarenessCompetition and the Learning OrientationWrapping UpCHAPTER 6 ConfidenceConfidence in BalanceConfidence in AbilitiesConfidence in Abilities and the Self-Fulfilling ProphecyConfidence in Abilities and Social Success“No Really, I’ve Got This” Confidence in Abilities: ChallengesConfidence in Abilities: BalanceInterpersonal ConfidenceInterpersonal Confidence and EmpathyInterpersonal Confidence and Persuasive CommunicationInterpersonal Confidence and Social EngagementInterpersonal Confidence at School and WorkWrapping UpCHAPTER 7 Making Mental Toughness WorkBack to BasicsBasics of Developing Mental ToughnessCoaching, Teaching, Managing, and Leading: Variations on a ThemeMental Toughness at SchoolMental Toughness at WorkMental Toughness in LeadershipDeveloping Mental Toughness: A Counseling ApproachProcess for Developing Mental ToughnessWrapping UpSummaryReferences