Book excerpt: From the mental toughness coach of a World Series-winning team―a simple, three-step program to winning in lifePeople with inborn talent may be good at what they do—but only the mentally tough reach the highest plateaus in their field. Fortunately, mental toughness is something anyone from any walk of life can learn. Director of mental training for the St. Louis Cardinals and a top-tier executive coach, Dr. Jason Selk is an expert on teaching people how to develop the mental toughness needed to attain their goals. In this book, he shares hands-on daily exercises for breaking old, self-defeating patterns of behavior and replacing them with the can-do attitude and positive behavior that leads to measurable positive results. Executive Toughness outlines the steps for attaining high-level success:•Accountability―truly develop a “no-excuse” mentality•Focus―significantly increase attention, focus and confidence•Optimism―recognize and redirect thoughts patterns for increased execution and performance By incorporating these steps into your daily life, you’ll be on the path to attaining your goals. Once you make these behaviors part of your mental “DNA,” and there will be no turning back!