Former rally driver Penny Mallory reveals how to develop your confidence, commitment and focus.
When I was six years old, I saw rally driving on television and thought it was the coolest, most exciting thing I'd ever seen. I wanted to be a part of it.
Fortunately, I chose the positive. I phoned the U.K. telephone number 192, which is probably like callingto find out the names of businesses, people and places. I remember telling the telephone operator that I wanted to be a rally driver. She suggested going to rally driving school and found one in Oxfordshire, so I went along.
At that point, I decided that nothing was going to stop me becoming a rally champion. I soon discovered that the key to fulfilling my dream was very simple; I needed money, so that I could afford a car and compete. I quickly learnt that motor sport requires mental toughness, because you are constantly crashing and picking yourself up again; in that sense it's a fantastic metaphor for life. You have to open your mind to problems and set your course, plan where you're going and then follow it.
Then a few years ago a friend mentioned the concept of mental toughness to me. They described the notion as your ability to manage stress, pressure, challenges, changes and setbacks. I'd never heard of it before, but suddenly it felt like something had clicked into place. I realized that everything that I had done in my life up to that point was about developing and harnessing my mental toughness.
Keen to use my experience of mental toughness to help others, I became an AQR accredited coach in mental toughness in 2018. I re-positioned myself from top rally driver to mental toughness expert and keynote speaker. I believe that what I know and have learned about mental toughness is relevant to all people in all walks of life, whatever their situation or status. I also feel that it is applicable to work, relationships, career and so much more.