“I’ve got this” is the rallying cry of the hopeless optimist. Educators in particular are prone to take on more than perhaps we should. In doing so, though, we often overextend ourselves, despite our best intentions. Mental toughness (MT) is a very powerful concept that helps us create a much more agile and adaptive approach to our own lives and those with whom we live and work.

Mental toughness has a great deal of evidence to support its use in education, but it is also broadly misunderstood because of its roots in competitive sport and in high-performance arenas such as the military and business worlds. It is a wildly underused tool that can enhancing performance in all types of people.

In this session, we will discuss what MT really is – and the critical values of mental sensitivity and mental flexibility in enhancing performance and in supporting students and ourselves to become more willing risk takers, be more resilient, have more interpersonal success, and how to not only learn from mistakes but also actively and enthusiastically seek out opportunities for new learning.

Dr. Brent Macdonald - Virtual Book Signing - 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm

Book Title:

Fall Seven Times Stand Up Eight:  Mental Toughness for Everyone

Book Description:

Mental toughness is NOT what you think it is!  It’s not about just “sucking it up” or being “hard.” In Fall Seven Times, Stand Up Eight: Mental Toughness for Everyone, you will learn about what mental toughness really is and how it can benefit everyone.  The book is designed for use in personal and professional development, for work with teams and students, for developing and experienced leaders, and in relationships. Dr. Macdonald incorporates contemporary psychological research, history, pop media and personal stories into a highly readable text that also provides you with a number of strategies that you can start using today to enhance your own mental toughness!