4.

Become a master of self-awareness

Developing your mental toughness happens in tough times, not easy ones. Great sailors aren’t
made when the weather is perfect, they’re made when they weather the storms.

Remember when you feel shitty, or rough, or depressed, or sad, or lost, or confused, or lazy
— NOW IS THE TIME!

If you demonstrate perseverance and grit and bravery in times of fear or doubt or loss, you’re
building your mental toughness muscle.

If you let it sink you over and over again, you are building the helplessness muscle.

It’s that simple.

Fight back.

Stop letting your ego dominate you, step in and tell it to shut the fuck up once in a while.

5. Cultivate the acceptance of criticism

When I played pro and collegiate hoops, I got criticized by fans, media, coaches, players, and
even my agent.

I took my lumps in the professional sports world and had to choose how I’d respond to them.

Remember this saying: “This too shall pass.”

Know that these negative isolated events and words can be erased by a good performance or a
hard day’s work.

What you don’t want is one bad day to spread to the other 364.

Don’t take insults or negative feedback personally, just ignore them and move on.

This is mental toughness 101.

6. Stand up for yourself

Defend your boundaries.

SATORP-Internal Use
Don’t let any negative people or thoughts or ideas into your inner sanctuary unless they help you
find a better path.

Being accepting, kind, compassionate, and passive aren’t the same thing.

You can kindly say no to someone that crosses your emotional boundary.

It’s also okay to tell your ego, “Hey man, shut the fuck up, I got this.”

7. Be Here
The next time you interact with someone that isn’t present with you, watch how you respond or
how the other person interacts with you.

Most of the time, you’ll notice humans aren’t present in life.

Try to be here.

Set the phone down.

Lean into this conversation, this moment, and you’ll start to grow from the inside out.

SATORP-Internal Use