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Tough: Building True Mental, Physical & Emotional Toughness for Success & Fulfillment
True toughness involves far more than what most of us believe and has far greater influence on our success and fulfillment than we imagine. Toughness is defined by four interdependent elements: Character-who are you and are you secure in your identity? Capability-what are you able to do? Capacity-what are you able to withstand? And Commitment-what are you willing to do?
Being truly tough is a genuine command over ourselves and an ever-increasing mastery of the mental, emotional and physical elements that define us and determine the course of our lives. It gives us the fortitude, mindset and tools to not simply survive adversity, but to thrive through it and in its wake. It gives us a broad and always expanding array of capabilities that create self-reliance and confidence, give us access to new opportunities and experiences, and allows us to contribute more than we consume. It ensures we understand who we truly are, and that we ultimately determine that identity and reinforce it daily with our choices and habits. And true toughness allows us to remain committed to our chosen path to achieve what we intend no matter what it is or how difficult the process.
This is not a chest-pounding call for "manly" activity, emotional sterility, and self-flagellation, but a guide to discover and develop our ultimate capacity to withstand adversity, to collect and build the mental and physical tools to accomplish the challenging and incredible, to find security in our identities and the confidence and resilience it engenders, and to become an active and positive contributor to the world at large.
Tough is an inspiring look deep into what makes us tough and why it matters, and provides the practical tools and steps to achieve genuine change in your life.
Being truly tough is a genuine command over ourselves and an ever-increasing mastery of the mental, emotional and physical elements that define us and determine the course of our lives. It gives us the fortitude, mindset and tools to not simply survive adversity, but to thrive through it and in its wake. It gives us a broad and always expanding array of capabilities that create self-reliance and confidence, give us access to new opportunities and experiences, and allows us to contribute more than we consume. It ensures we understand who we truly are, and that we ultimately determine that identity and reinforce it daily with our choices and habits. And true toughness allows us to remain committed to our chosen path to achieve what we intend no matter what it is or how difficult the process.
This is not a chest-pounding call for "manly" activity, emotional sterility, and self-flagellation, but a guide to discover and develop our ultimate capacity to withstand adversity, to collect and build the mental and physical tools to accomplish the challenging and incredible, to find security in our identities and the confidence and resilience it engenders, and to become an active and positive contributor to the world at large.
Tough is an inspiring look deep into what makes us tough and why it matters, and provides the practical tools and steps to achieve genuine change in your life.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 16, 2021
237 people are currently reading
1236 people want to read
About the author
Greg Everett
33 books98 followersGreg Everett is author of Tough, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches, and several other books, writer/director/producer of American Weightlifting: The Documentary, and coach of a USA Weightlifting national championship team.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 21, 2021
Great points so far.
Only issue for me is, unfortunately Greg has a love of run-on sentences.
Only issue for me is, unfortunately Greg has a love of run-on sentences.
August 20, 2022
About 2000 useful words, the rest a high school essay.
February 13, 2021
Amazing Read
I'm an active duty CW3 in the Army with 20+ yrs of service. This level of insight about toughness is professional military reading. The book dispells popular myths, and it explores what's beneath the visible surface of people in general. Definitely a must read! Greg has a way with words. Get it!
I'm an active duty CW3 in the Army with 20+ yrs of service. This level of insight about toughness is professional military reading. The book dispells popular myths, and it explores what's beneath the visible surface of people in general. Definitely a must read! Greg has a way with words. Get it!
January 19, 2022
Read this one slowly, rereading and internalizing the ideas and practices. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book and interacting with the content. Looking forward to making changes and growing as a result. Now I’m going to “box breathe” in my “sit spot” and then tie some knots :) Thanks Greg Everett!
November 6, 2022
Tough: Building True Mental, Physical & Emotional Toughness for Success & Fulfillment is a self-help book about becoming the best version of yourself by developing your character (who are you and are you secure in your identity?), capability (what are you able to do?), capacity (what are you able to withstand?), and commitment (what are you willing to do?).
In Tough, Greg Everett thoroughly explains what toughness is and is not, discusses some thought-provoking ideas (e.g., discipline is freedom) and important distinctions (e.g., self-love vs. self-acceptance), and gives plenty of actionable tips to start your own lifelong journey of becoming truly tough.
The author offers a nicely packaged universal life philosophy, which is by no means unheard or revolutionary, but sometimes all we need is to be reminded of what we need to work on and to be pointed in the right direction. Deep down we all know there is no magical shortcut, so don't expect one here either. Becoming tough is a lifelong process, and you have to do the work.
However, the presentation of Greg Everett's ideas could be better. The author LOVES big words and long, complex sentences, which occasionally distracted me from the point he was trying to make. Also, more real life examples and stories would have made the book more readable and helped internalize the ideas better. Although the author did a god job narrating the audiobook version of Tough, the suboptimal presentation of his ideas sometimes made it hard to stay focused while listening.
Also, Greg Everett comes across as a survivalist. Although I understand the value in being ready for everything and anything, I don't necessarily believe that preparing for a myriad of emergencies that might never happen is the best use of my time.
Finally, although I find the actionable tips valuable, the way they are being "assigned" to the reader in Tough is a little bit off-putting. I prefer being convinced, not ordered.
In Tough, Greg Everett thoroughly explains what toughness is and is not, discusses some thought-provoking ideas (e.g., discipline is freedom) and important distinctions (e.g., self-love vs. self-acceptance), and gives plenty of actionable tips to start your own lifelong journey of becoming truly tough.
The author offers a nicely packaged universal life philosophy, which is by no means unheard or revolutionary, but sometimes all we need is to be reminded of what we need to work on and to be pointed in the right direction. Deep down we all know there is no magical shortcut, so don't expect one here either. Becoming tough is a lifelong process, and you have to do the work.
However, the presentation of Greg Everett's ideas could be better. The author LOVES big words and long, complex sentences, which occasionally distracted me from the point he was trying to make. Also, more real life examples and stories would have made the book more readable and helped internalize the ideas better. Although the author did a god job narrating the audiobook version of Tough, the suboptimal presentation of his ideas sometimes made it hard to stay focused while listening.
Also, Greg Everett comes across as a survivalist. Although I understand the value in being ready for everything and anything, I don't necessarily believe that preparing for a myriad of emergencies that might never happen is the best use of my time.
Finally, although I find the actionable tips valuable, the way they are being "assigned" to the reader in Tough is a little bit off-putting. I prefer being convinced, not ordered.
July 18, 2021
Great book .. different than most self-help and motivation books, it focuses on looking inside, discovering your character and getting motivation out of that .. it cleared many concepts that was previously confusing to me, for example self-love vs self acceptance, enthusiasm vs motivation.. my main point of feedback that the materials were a bit dry and sometimes difficult to relate to because the Greg rarely used any real life examples to explain his ideas.. other than that I believe it's definitely worth the read for anyone who wants to know more about themselves and do something with what they find.
January 13, 2022
If you have been following my blog for any length of time you will know one thing—I do not review and/or read self improvement books. I have nothing against self improvement or motivational books I just simply don’t read them. They aren’t really my thing…..if they are yours, that’s awesome. They just aren’t typically for me. I like reading for escape and distraction not necessarily for self betterment if that makes sense.
So why this book and why start now? Many of you know that I also do competitive weightlifting. The last couple of years I have invested a lot more time, resources, and intension into the sport. It is a very mentally taxing sport which is one of the reasons why I love it. Anyone who is into weightlifting knows that Greg Everett is the guru when it comes to the Olympic lifts and training.
Currently I am trying to work on some mental obstacles with my lifts and my coach suggested that I read Everett’s book Tough as a way to help my examine and work on some of my mental challenges with the sport. Rather than hard pass and say no I don’t read self improvement books, I decided to give it a try. I downloaded the audiobook so I could listen to it at work and Everett is the narrator which was awesome. I have been in a bit of a reading rut lately so I was excited to try something completely different as my first book of the new year.
Knowing that Greg Everett is a weightlifting coach made me think this book would be more weightlifting specific—-it is not. Sure it has some examples of how to apply mental toughness to weightlifting and general body wellbeing but the overall message was more geared toward larger concepts and areas of toughness and wellness. I really appreciated that more than I was expecting. I loved some of the more random examples too which I thought really illustrated how important and versatile mental toughness truly is. For example, there are quite a few survival examples like knot tying and the importance of being prepared and knowledgeable in many areas. I loved that. It might not necessarily apply to me but I loved how it all tied by to the central concept of the book.
This was a fantastic read. It’s totally out of my comfort zone but I loved it. I made many notes and bookmarks in the audiobook and started a daily journal. A lot of the material in the book can be applied in sports, daily life, survival, and the work place. I really enjoyed listening, analyzing and applying the different concepts. It did force me to think deeply about some things and while accomplishing all the book outlines and brings up—-it gives readers a massive amount of content to wade through and consider.
Since I don’t read a lot of self improvement books (at last count like 2-3 in my lifetime) I am not sure how this one stacks up to others but for me I got a lot out of this one and it felt vastly different from the majority of the other self improvement books I have read. It felt honest, realistic, and not fluffy. In my mind I think of all self improvement books as fluffy and I am NOT a fluffy person in that regard. I loved Everett’s no nonsense approach to this book and the content. There were zero excuses and zero f’s given and I am so here for it. I loved this book and I would encourage anyone to read it if you are looking to improve your mental state and toughness. It’s a wonderful read and not just for ‘weightlifters’ or sports/athletes. This is a book that anyone can apply to their daily lives. I am also signing up for some survival classes because I’m intrigued now and want to know more! Great read!
See my full review here
So why this book and why start now? Many of you know that I also do competitive weightlifting. The last couple of years I have invested a lot more time, resources, and intension into the sport. It is a very mentally taxing sport which is one of the reasons why I love it. Anyone who is into weightlifting knows that Greg Everett is the guru when it comes to the Olympic lifts and training.
Currently I am trying to work on some mental obstacles with my lifts and my coach suggested that I read Everett’s book Tough as a way to help my examine and work on some of my mental challenges with the sport. Rather than hard pass and say no I don’t read self improvement books, I decided to give it a try. I downloaded the audiobook so I could listen to it at work and Everett is the narrator which was awesome. I have been in a bit of a reading rut lately so I was excited to try something completely different as my first book of the new year.
Knowing that Greg Everett is a weightlifting coach made me think this book would be more weightlifting specific—-it is not. Sure it has some examples of how to apply mental toughness to weightlifting and general body wellbeing but the overall message was more geared toward larger concepts and areas of toughness and wellness. I really appreciated that more than I was expecting. I loved some of the more random examples too which I thought really illustrated how important and versatile mental toughness truly is. For example, there are quite a few survival examples like knot tying and the importance of being prepared and knowledgeable in many areas. I loved that. It might not necessarily apply to me but I loved how it all tied by to the central concept of the book.
This was a fantastic read. It’s totally out of my comfort zone but I loved it. I made many notes and bookmarks in the audiobook and started a daily journal. A lot of the material in the book can be applied in sports, daily life, survival, and the work place. I really enjoyed listening, analyzing and applying the different concepts. It did force me to think deeply about some things and while accomplishing all the book outlines and brings up—-it gives readers a massive amount of content to wade through and consider.
Since I don’t read a lot of self improvement books (at last count like 2-3 in my lifetime) I am not sure how this one stacks up to others but for me I got a lot out of this one and it felt vastly different from the majority of the other self improvement books I have read. It felt honest, realistic, and not fluffy. In my mind I think of all self improvement books as fluffy and I am NOT a fluffy person in that regard. I loved Everett’s no nonsense approach to this book and the content. There were zero excuses and zero f’s given and I am so here for it. I loved this book and I would encourage anyone to read it if you are looking to improve your mental state and toughness. It’s a wonderful read and not just for ‘weightlifters’ or sports/athletes. This is a book that anyone can apply to their daily lives. I am also signing up for some survival classes because I’m intrigued now and want to know more! Great read!
See my full review here
July 19, 2021
Too often I am leary of books that might fall under the "self-help" category as so many of the ones I have read felt more like the 40,000-foot view without any legs to the material. This book felt vastly different than what I was expecting and in a good way.
I know of Everett primarily through Catalyst Athletics. As a weightlifter and coach, I have relied heavily on his programming, training videos, and website as an invaluable resource for what I do personally and professionally. Given that weightlifting is the only world in which I "know" Everett, I was expecting to see more parallels drawn from being tough to weightlifting. There were not nearly as many as I thought and in the end, I was thankful for that.
Everett approached the subject of "being tough" from a different angle than expected, and rather than just talk about weightlifting and fitness in general, he breaks down being tough into character, capability, capacity, and commitment, defining each. This isn't some surface-level fluff book, but really a handy manual if you view it in that light, and one of the few books that I do not want to let someone else borrow as I feel it would be beneficial to read this once a year.
Of great value to me, were the action items. I have often heard about the power of journaling but never knew where to start, and some of the journals with pre-scripted prompts never appealed to me, yet Everett's book did. It is a clear blueprint and I appreciate the straightforwardness with which he offers his thoughts.
As a quick side note, Everett also makes mention of several other authors, some I have read and some I have not. I love when authors do this as it helps me continue to read and learn more, especially through material that helped shaped minds like Everett's when writing Tough.
I know of Everett primarily through Catalyst Athletics. As a weightlifter and coach, I have relied heavily on his programming, training videos, and website as an invaluable resource for what I do personally and professionally. Given that weightlifting is the only world in which I "know" Everett, I was expecting to see more parallels drawn from being tough to weightlifting. There were not nearly as many as I thought and in the end, I was thankful for that.
Everett approached the subject of "being tough" from a different angle than expected, and rather than just talk about weightlifting and fitness in general, he breaks down being tough into character, capability, capacity, and commitment, defining each. This isn't some surface-level fluff book, but really a handy manual if you view it in that light, and one of the few books that I do not want to let someone else borrow as I feel it would be beneficial to read this once a year.
Of great value to me, were the action items. I have often heard about the power of journaling but never knew where to start, and some of the journals with pre-scripted prompts never appealed to me, yet Everett's book did. It is a clear blueprint and I appreciate the straightforwardness with which he offers his thoughts.
As a quick side note, Everett also makes mention of several other authors, some I have read and some I have not. I love when authors do this as it helps me continue to read and learn more, especially through material that helped shaped minds like Everett's when writing Tough.
February 14, 2021
I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways program for an honest review.
Everett defines toughness as the continuous development of four key elements:
(1) Character: Who are you?
(2) Capability: What are you able to do?
(3) Capacity: What are you able to withstand?
(4) Commitment: What are you willing to do?
He breaks down each of the four elements to help the reader understand the fundamentals of how they affect toughness. I like the concept of the book. I struggled in gaining as much insight into the elements because there was so much information shared about each concept. I would have preferred less detail and more real life examples. I’m sure as an Olympic level weightlifting coach he would have dozens of examples of how each concept should be developed.
I will use this book as a reference for certain topics. I think for me it is a good source to understand a specific emphasis of an element.
Everett defines toughness as the continuous development of four key elements:
(1) Character: Who are you?
(2) Capability: What are you able to do?
(3) Capacity: What are you able to withstand?
(4) Commitment: What are you willing to do?
He breaks down each of the four elements to help the reader understand the fundamentals of how they affect toughness. I like the concept of the book. I struggled in gaining as much insight into the elements because there was so much information shared about each concept. I would have preferred less detail and more real life examples. I’m sure as an Olympic level weightlifting coach he would have dozens of examples of how each concept should be developed.
I will use this book as a reference for certain topics. I think for me it is a good source to understand a specific emphasis of an element.
April 28, 2022
Really wonderful breakdown of an oft misunderstood and misrepresented human trait. Greg does a phenomenal job of presenting the components of toughness while offering a practical means of developing it for anyone and everyone.
While I could’ve done without his tendency to get overly articulate and over elaborate in his delivery, I’m an admitted fan of his. So I have to let it slide. I’ve used his expertise on weightlifting for years, listened to a lot of his appearances in podcasts and interviews, and have looked to his extensive exercise video library on Catalyst Athletics way more times than I can count.
Besides, it’s better to be over articulate than not articulate enough.
Highly recommend this book for those interested in the subject or those looking for a new(ish) voice in the sea of self-improvement authors out there.
While I could’ve done without his tendency to get overly articulate and over elaborate in his delivery, I’m an admitted fan of his. So I have to let it slide. I’ve used his expertise on weightlifting for years, listened to a lot of his appearances in podcasts and interviews, and have looked to his extensive exercise video library on Catalyst Athletics way more times than I can count.
Besides, it’s better to be over articulate than not articulate enough.
Highly recommend this book for those interested in the subject or those looking for a new(ish) voice in the sea of self-improvement authors out there.
June 20, 2022
HOW TO BE BETTER
This is a very inspirational guide for overall self betterment. It not only inspires, it gives practical methods to make one a more versatile being. As the world as we have known it continues on a trajectory to bust hell wide open, the methods and practices in this book will become as valuable as gold. I read it on Kindle, but I am ordering it in hard copy. Like Essential Wilderness Navigation by Craig Caudill and Tracy Trimble, it's an important book and needs to be where it can be read by candle light if necessary. Get it, read it!
This is a very inspirational guide for overall self betterment. It not only inspires, it gives practical methods to make one a more versatile being. As the world as we have known it continues on a trajectory to bust hell wide open, the methods and practices in this book will become as valuable as gold. I read it on Kindle, but I am ordering it in hard copy. Like Essential Wilderness Navigation by Craig Caudill and Tracy Trimble, it's an important book and needs to be where it can be read by candle light if necessary. Get it, read it!
May 20, 2021
Well-written
As a coach in a strength sport, a weightlifting coach writing a book with this title grabbed my attention. Greg did a great job of communicating his ideas on his 4 C’s. I couldn’t agree more with the information laid out in these pages. This book will benefit anyone looking to increase their skill levels in any endeavor.
As a coach in a strength sport, a weightlifting coach writing a book with this title grabbed my attention. Greg did a great job of communicating his ideas on his 4 C’s. I couldn’t agree more with the information laid out in these pages. This book will benefit anyone looking to increase their skill levels in any endeavor.
February 16, 2021
I’m really enjoying this book (about half way done). Greg has the ability to present complex & abstract ideas in a way that is accessible and easy to understand. It provides practical info that can be applied to a wide variety of people and circumstances. Really great book.
April 8, 2021
It’s not what you think
This book is great and helps you think outside your typical box. It is written very eloquently and in a sense forces you to open your mind to new words, thoughts and ideas. Definitely recommend!!
This book is great and helps you think outside your typical box. It is written very eloquently and in a sense forces you to open your mind to new words, thoughts and ideas. Definitely recommend!!
August 25, 2021
I can unironically and unequivocally say I recommend this book to everyone. For some it will be affirming, for some a challenge, for most it will be a combination of both. Ultimately I think it would useful for anyone who wants to be a stronger, more resilient human.
March 17, 2022
If I could have half the ability to articulate the concepts Greg has covered in this book so elegantly, I’d die happy. Very well woven narrative of effective principles to grow in any role or endeavour.
August 8, 2021
This book is eloquent, mature and an intellectually disciplined debate. I loved it.
November 21, 2021
Great book. Wordy, but what would you expect from a man with an English major!
December 24, 2021
Repetitivo hasta el cansancio.
June 2, 2022
3.5/5 - most good
June 26, 2022
AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. If you only read one nonfiction book this year, make it this one. You will feel smarter by the end of the first chapter.
March 26, 2023
Brilliant. Intelligently written and full of great advice.
July 4, 2023
Useful takeaways but extremely wordy: endless run on sentences, saying the same thing over and over with different words.
January 19, 2024
Very informative and great perspective. I enjoyed the action part of the book that helps implement what Greg Everett is discussing.
February 24, 2021
Have you ever wanted to know what it took to be tough, in each way? Id so this is the book for you, there are so many descriptions of different ways to be successful in toughness. The author has many tools listed throughout the book to show you how to get tough mentally, physically, and emotionally.
March 1, 2024
The author does a nice job of connecting various tools that can be utilized to assist with self optimization. I am excited to review some of the books that quotes in his book for future reading.
June 18, 2022
Such a great one. Greg digs deep below the visible surface of what someone would suppose to be “tough”. I love the way he uses words to describe things in the book. So much knowledge and take aways with this one.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews