Someone once asked me why I read so many books about mentality and how to develop mental toughness – “aren’t they all just saying the same thing?”  The answer to that is a resounding no. While they may encompass some similar ideas - such as being great at anything is really hard and takes a lot of work - every book I have read has taught me something new.  From learning to develop and refine a growth mindset (Thanks Dr. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset) to the importance of keystone habits (another thanks to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit), I have learned strategies that can be utilized every day.  The following is my top 10 list of books that I regard as the best books about mentality and developing mental toughness in all aspects of life, not just sport. 

 

1. Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg:

Being successful in any arena- sports, business, relationships -comes down to similar cognitive and neurochemical factors.  Basically, success is success and the achievement of that success looks the same, regardless of the endeavor.  Peak Performance is a scientifically based book that discusses great performances and the brain science behind those great performances. 

“The real secret of world-class performers is not the daily routines that they develop, but that they stick to them.  That they show up, even when they don’t feel like it.  Call it drive, call it passion, or call it grit, whatever you call it, it must come from deep within.”

 

1. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg:

My two main takeaways from this book were the importance of developing a keystone habit and the theory that will-power is a part of the brain to be trained the same way we train our abs or biceps.  Our lives are ingrained in habits, from what we do when we wake up to how we fall asleep.  However, some habits are detrimental to our success. This book discusses the development of habits and how we have the ability to change and redirect any habit we have developed. 

“This is the real power of habit: the insight that your habits are what you choose them to be.”

 

1. Relentless by Tim Grover:

 The author is the former trainer of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and the best way I can describe this book is: intense.  It is written as a no-nonsense, no excuse book that provides the reader with ways to improve their mental game and be the best version of themselves.  If you know anything about either player, you know they truly epitomize the meaning of the word relentless.  Because of that, they were both the best the world had ever seen at their specific craft.  Being the very best in the world takes a specific mentality and this book shares exactly what it means to be a top performer. 

“Success is the result of knowing what to do, the willingness to do it, and the drive to continually improve at it.”

 

1. Performing Under Pressure by Hendrie Weisinger:

Pressure.  This one simple word can make our blood pressure and heart-rate elevate.  How well can you perform under pressure?  The author makes claim that we perform far worse in pressure situations, when we feel the stakes are high and it’s a do or die moment.  This books discusses strategies to help reduce pressure and helps us understand why pressure filled situations are so detrimental to our success. 

 

“The fact is we get multiple chances over and over again in life.  Keep this in mind and you will find your life less pressured.”

 

1. How Champions Think by Dr. Bob Rotella: 

This book is told through mainly case studies and stories gathered from the author and is less theoretical than many of the other books about success psychology.  Dr. Rotella describes a successful life as one where you see yourself as successful.  We must train our brain and thus our thoughts to create an image that is not only confident, but that can persevere through failure.  

“Exceptional people really do come to believe that the journey is more important than the destination.”

 

1. The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday:

Two words come to mind when I think of this book, persistence and perception.  This book discusses what happens when we run head first into failure.  Whether our biggest disappointments are catastrophic or simply an obstacle we are facing, it is determined through our perception.  Sometimes the obstacles we face are no more obstacles than stepping stones to our best self. 

“Think progress, not perfection.”

 

1. Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck:

There is a reason this is one of the most well-known non-fiction books regarding the psychology of success.  Mindset is all about the growth verses the fixed mindset.  Are we who we are or do we have the ability to change who we are and our circumstances?  Whatever you believe determines your mindset and in turn determines how you live your life. 

 

“We like to think of champions and idols as superheroes who were born different from us.  We don’t like to think of them as relatively ordinary people who made themselves extraordinary.”

 

1. Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin:

 This book is a phenomenal lesson on what it takes to be great.  Great athletes, entrepreneurs, CEO’s aren’t born, they are created – through hard work, deliberate practice, and lots of time spent mastering their craft.  This isn’t just Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour principle, it delves deeper into the psyche of great performers and how they became great.

 

“Landing on your butt 20,000 times is where great performance comes from.”

 

1. The Champions Mind by Jim Afremow: 

Raw athletic ability can only take you so far.  The greatest athletes possess more than just physical talent, they possess a superior mental game, one that can be developed by anyone in the world.  This book talks about athletes at every level, from recreation league to professionals and describes how everyone wants to excel at that specific endeavor.  Beyond physicality, we find the mental strategies that can make us great, no matter what level we are. 

 

“The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.”

 

10)How Bad Do You Want It by Matt Fitzgerald:

Have you ever experienced flow, whether in your workplace in in an athletic endeavor? Flow is being in the zone, where you feel as if you can do anything.  This book discusses how elite endurance athletes deal mentally with the physical pain of pushing to your limits.  Physical gains often stem from mental gains and this book discusses the psychology of sport and how closely related psychology and physiology are.

 

“There is no experience quite like that of driving yourself to the point of wanting to give up and then not giving up.”

 

There you have it, my 10 favorite books on sports and success psychology.  There isn’t one better than the other- so if you have time, read them all.  But even if you read just one, you will learn and develop strategies that when utilized, can help you become more successful in whatever area you choose. – Coach Amy