Last week, we focused on the “S.” and “E.” parts of S.E.T. This week, let’s look at the last one “T.”

Mental Toughness

Years ago when on tour with FLIPSIDE: The Patti Page Story we played two very different venues on back-to-back nights.

The first was the Kravitz Center in West Palm. A 1750-seat venue with a 110-foot proscenium arch, it literally swallowed our small ‘jukebox’ size musical. We found ourselves running across the giant stage to hit our marks and enter each scene on time. It was a little crazy.

The very next day, we loaded out and drove to Wilmington NC where we played historic Thalian Hall – a tiny, 180-seat venue built in the 1800s.

During the first rehearsal at Thalian, we laughed at ourselves literally running to enter each scene (as we had done the night before). But this time, our jukebox musical filled the tiny stage. All we had to do was step through the curtain and we were in the scene.

These vastly different theaters were a tough challenge back-to-back the way they were, but we as a cast took the heavy lift and got the job done.

Mental toughness then, is the psychological edge that helps individuals cope with challenges, pressure, and setbacks.

Said another way, it is the ability to consistently perform toward the upper range of your talent and skill, regardless of the circumstances. In addition, mental toughness is not just about being tough – but also about being resilient and adaptable.

What strategies can we use to develop Mental Toughness?

• set clear goals
• maintain a positive mindset
• learn from failures

This last point is especially true in Vocal Training, where we “fail” multiple times in each Vocal Training Session.

But it’s not about that, it’s about the ability to “fail forward” or “Fail Up.” That is, to continue to train over time. With that time investment comes consistent improvement.

Bottom Line

Individuals who exhibit mental toughness are more likely to achieve their goals and maintain high levels of performance.

Next week: how these three winning traits work together and how we can harness them to succeed in Vocal Training.

In the meantime:

#readyS.E.T.go
#dothereps
#majovta

#VocalTraining
#SingingTips
#VocalCoach
#SingingLessons
#VoiceLessons