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While a lot of people know what mental toughness is, not very many actually have it in their lives. If you’re struggling with mental toughness, working to cultivate more of it is very important.

For those who do not know, mental toughness is basically the ability to resist, overcome, and manage things like doubt or worries. Through this, you would be able to succeed more and really excel in all that you do. It is in many ways the performance we put on and how we get things done. Those who give up quickly or refuse to try harder are not mentally tough.

I recently came across an article online that was from 2017, but that also held a very interesting message behind it. This article was posted on the Forbes website and went over something known as the 40% rule. This rule is basically that when you think that you are ‘done’ you’re only ‘40% done.’ According to many, this rule is something very prominent in the world of Navy Seals and is used by many to really get through the toughest parts of life.

Forbes described the 40% rules as follows:

“The 40% rule is simple: When your mind is telling you that you’re done, that you’re exhausted, that you cannot possibly go any further, you’re only actually 40% done.”

This is something that many of us could apply to our lives and use to our advantage when it comes to becoming more mentally tough. When we are at our worst and on our last legs we might feel like there is no more for us to do but there still is. When we push ourselves to the edge we are not truly done until we’ve flown off of it which is something many people struggle to understand. With more motivation and a new understanding, we as human beings are capable of so much MORE.

Yes, something might seem too hard to face but if you give yourself a moment to breathe and try again and again, eventually you will accomplish what you set out to accomplish one way or another. Whether this kind of thing has a placebo effect or actually does something more for us is not necessarily important, all that matters is that through understanding it we can achieve things more properly. If you’re struggling to do something considering the 40% rule and then getting back at it might be your best option.

As we have been told time and time again ‘if at first you do not succeed try to try again.’ Life is too short to spend it wondering what things would have been like if you could have done more or achieved the things you wanted to. Get out there and cultivate mental toughness while the chance is before you. 

Why let your own shortcomings hold you back? Really work to overcome them and be the best possible version of yourself that you can. In this world, we are capable of so much and you should be doing all you can to make sure the life you live is well worth living.