Seven C's of Mental Toughness

• Competitive
• A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them as reasons to give up. – Nancy Lopez
• Confident
• Mentally tough athletes have a can-do attitude, a belief they can handle whatever comes their way.
• Control
• The hallmark of mentally tough athletes is the ability to maintain poise, concentration, and emotional control under the greatest pressure and most challenging situations.
• Committed
• Mentally tough athletes focus their time and energy on their goals and dreams.
• Composure
• Mentally tough athletes know how to stay focused and deal with adversity
• A mentally tough player will say to himself, “Ok, if Ive got to beat the other guy and the referee, then fine – Ill do that.”
•  Courage
• A mentally tough athlete must be willing to take a risk
• Consistency
• Mentally tough athletes possess an inner strength

From "Mind Gym" by Gary Mack and David Casstevens 

Walter Payton on Consistency

I’ve always thought that consistency is the most difficult thing to attain in life. Anyone can be good for a day, or a year. But can you consistently be great? That is so much more difficult. It requires a person to continue to work hard even after they have achieved success. It requires sacrifice, even after sacrifice is no longer required. It requires hunger in a person that is about more than just making it. It is about staying there. Whether it is an athlete, or an actor or a musician, or a business-man, I think people will tell you that staying on top of your profession for a long period is the most difficult thing. A lot of actors have won 1 Academy Award, but how many have won a number of them, consistently throughout their career? You can start one successful business, but how about being successful in a number of ventures? 



From "Never Die Easy" by Walter Payton and Don Yaeger