Is It Time For You To Embrace Mental Toughness? with Dr. Ellen Reed

Dr. Ellen Reed is the co-author of Relentless Solution Focus; she’s worked side-by-side with Dr. Jason Selk for 15 years and has extensive experience in mental training for consistency, accountability, and execution in business, athletics, academics, and the performing arts.

 

She joins the show today for an in-depth discussion on achievement and how to stay consistent. We touch on how heart rate affects performance and how our brains are wired for seeing problems (problem-centric thought), and share tips on how to cultivate mental toughness, which is abnormal.

Tips

 

• Interrupt problem-centric thought patterns with the 60-second technique — give yourself 60 seconds before moving on from a problem to a potential solution (use the RSF tool described below).

 

• Use the Relentless Solution Focus (RSF) tool — a ‘living’ question to ask yourself in the face of any problem: what is one thing I can do that could help make this better?

 

• Build mental toughness — follow the three-step process:

 

1. Recognize when your mind is focused on a problem — anytime you experience a negative emotion is a clue that you are focusing on a problem.
2. Replace — use the RSF tool to find one thing you can do to make it better.
3. Retrain — use the two following tools every day:

 

1. The centering breath, breathe in for six, hold for two and out for seven.
2. The daily success log, write down:

• Three things you did well in the last 24 hours
• One thing you want to improve in the next 24 hours
• One thing you can do to help make that improvement

About Karen Tiber Leland

 

Karen Tiber Leland is the founder of Sterling Marketing Group, a branding, marketing, and color strategy and implementation firm helping CEOs, executives, and entrepreneurs develop stronger personal, business, and team brands. Her clients include Cisco, American Express, Marriott Hotels, Apple Computer, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

 

She is also the best-selling author of nine traditionally-published business books that have sold over 400,000 copies and been translated into 10 languages. Her most recent book is The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand. She regularly writes for Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com and has had articles published in Self, The Los Angeles Times, American Way, The Boston Globe, and many others.

 

Karen has spoken for Harvard, The AMA, Direct Marketing Association, and Stanford, among others.