Watching Mental Toughness in action

This weekend, I'm volunteering at a bottle passing station at the Door County Triathlon.  

When being a triathlete was part of my life, the thing I enjoyed the most was being surrounded by all types of athletes. 

The swimmers who can't wait to get into their rhythm in the water. In their flow state, as they stroke, breathe, and kick, the swimmers who have just learned because they have always wanted to do a triathlon. 

The bikers who glide easily with the steady push/pull of the pedals. The young girl whose seat is too low, but she told me she doesn't really bike.

The runners whose breath is measured with each soft landing of their feet, and the runners who prefer to swim, bike, and land hard with labored breathing. 

Over 1,800 athletes were all here this weekend, challenging their minds and bodies with fear and resilience. 

The young kids who wanted to be in the adult triathlon, and the 65+ who still love to have a goal. The larger bodies and the smaller bodies. 

Watching all these amazing athletes got me thinking back to a blog about the four C's of mental toughness. Each athlete seems to have these four components.

Psychologist Peter Clough and colleagues came up with the 
   4 C's of mental toughness.

It comprises four components:

1. Commitment: Goal orientation, Achievement Orientation

2. Challenge: Risk Orientation, Learning Orientation

3. Confidence: Confidence in Abilities, Interpersonal Confidences, 

4. Control: Life Control, Emotional Control

We could all work on these four C's, not just in our wellness pursuits, but in our work life and family life as well. Have fun seeing how these show up in your life.