Why You Need These 5 Mental Strengths to Achieve Success

According to psychotherapist and best-selling author Jody Michael, there are five main mental muscles that help us develop our emotional intelligence and resilience to build better interpersonal relationships that allow us to succeed in life. She states that many have mastered these mental strengths, but most people simply aren’t there yet. 

Much like how we exercise to stay physically fit, these mental strengths can be practiced and developed to help us succeed. 

1. Accountability

Many people wrongfully believe that they’ve mastered accountability, but personal responsibility goes far beyond daily menial duties like picking up your kids from school or doing the groceries. Proper accountability can be achieved when you:

• Own up to your feelings and the circumstances that led to them instead of blaming others. 
• Fully understand your participation in the events’ results while also being able to determine other potential contributors. 
•  Have a grasp of what’s yours and hold others to owning up to what’s theirs. 

2. Helpful Beliefs

Beliefs are often thought of as truths but are simple assumptions that can be adjusted. Depending on the lenses you view them with, these beliefs can be examined and challenged to develop new ones. Here are some lenses you can set:

• Collaborative lens: An inclusive perspective, this approach focuses on the concept that “I win when you win,” allowing everyone to gain insight no matter the result. 
• Possibility lens: This view allows you to gain perspective by taking a step back, allowing you to see all possible problems, doubts, and obstacles to gain insight and perceive a better outcome. 
• Opportunity lens: Seeing in this manner allows you to find opportunities no matter your situation.

3. Self-Assessment

Assessing your internal state, such as your self-doubt, the emotions you may feel, and the sensations you are experiencing, is vital to understanding your moods. For example, you may be experiencing a painful headache that is actually being brought on by the fears and anger you are going through. Knowing these self-assessment muscles allows you to determine which combination of experiences you are feeling, which helps you manage and regulate your responses to those triggers. 

4. Holding Multiple Perspectives

Considering and understanding different perspectives that may not align with yours can help you live a happier life. Many people tend to stand firm on their individual viewpoints, which often leads to disagreement. When you’re not focused on proving yourself right and allowing differences in opinions to exist, you won’t need to enact judgment on who’s right or wrong. Letting go of this black and white mentality and accepting the reality of complexity among ourselves allows us to value our respective endeavors. 

5. Calming Your Physiology

We all must understand that our thoughts can influence our nervous systems, significantly affecting our physical state. We can choose to get wound up over anything easily or develop the ability to calm ourselves instead. By practicing effective techniques such as muscle relaxation and breathing exercises, we can manage and control the triggers that may set us off to be better.