Professional athletes have five common traits, which make them mentally tough:
<ol>
<li>Ego strength</li>
<li>Level-headedness</li>
<li>Stress tolerance</li>
<li>Thoroughness</li>
<li>Energy/persistence</li>
</ol>

Mental Toughness Traits

Self Improvement

Ego, generally considered an enemy, surprisingly can also be defined as a measure to handle setbacks, criticism and rejection.
When our ego-strength is embraced and utilized positively, we genuinely believe in ourselves no matter what the circumstances. No rejection, loss or failure can destroy our will to keep going.

Ego Strength

Mental toughness is about keeping calm and level-headed while in situations that can make one emotional or make one’s heart pound. 
It is almost like a superpower if you are composed and ‘cool’ instead of giving a knee-jerk, emotional reaction.

Level-Headedness

Any high-stakes situation tests our ability to deal with negative consequences in case of failure. If there is a huge risk involved and your decision or action can make or break the situation, there is an added stress that can paralyse you, in a critical time.
Stoicism and mindfulness help us understand and avoid fear and undue worry, not letting the negative emotions cripple us.

Stress-Tolerance

Apart from time, which is limited, the biggest resource we have is our energy. It is our ability to perform and sustain activity over a period of time. From learning a skill to writing a book, everything requires energy and persistence. One also has to be resilient and consistent.
Managing one’s energy simply becomes our most important daily responsibility.

Energy/Persistence

While perfectionism is the enemy of efficiency in this fast-paced world, doing your job thoroughly is a trait of being tough mentally.
What makes it special is that it is all more difficult where there are distractions, choices, alternatives and deadlines looming around us all the time.

Thoroughness

To practice mental toughness the best way is to dive into action, challenging yourself, and becoming a better, more complete individual, letting go of fear, doubt and anxiety, all of which suck our energy.

No Pain No Gain

In this article, I’ll share my take on the traits that made athletes mentally tough and how we can adopt these traits in life.

Level-Headedness

The secrets of the 'high-potential' personality

Testing for workplace personality

Traits and workplace success

Conscientiousness