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Imagine the colleague with whom you have a very challenging relationship, the person who makes the most innocuous conversation tense and uncomfortable. Regardless of the topic, this person opposes you and approaches things as an adversary rather than an ally.

Once you can visualize that person vividly and even viscerally, imagine the following scenario: You’re sitting at your desk working away when a message from that person pops up on your screen. You open the message and it reads: “I got the draft presentation you sent. I caught a couple of mistakes, and I have some ideas for how to make it better. I’ll drop by your office at 3 PM to discuss.”

We’d all love our brains to process information faster and have better memory recall. While you might think doing crossword puzzles, math puzzles like Sudoku, or brain-training apps will keep your brain in top shape, Dr. Jennifer Jones, a psychologist and expert in the science of success, says there’s no real proof that these can improve your mental acuity. She offers some daily practices that can truly grow your brain:

Brain Growth Habit #1: Rise With The Sun And Go To Sleep Not Long After Sunset.

Moving in your circadian rhythm is the best way to improve your brain power, according to Jones. When our sleep cycle is disrupted, our brain’s ability to process information and consolidate stress is inhibited. "Our cognitive abilities don’t work the way they should," says Jones.

In all of these different contexts, one characteristic emerged as a predictor for success. It wasn't social intelligence, good looks, IQ, or physical health. It was "grit," which the dictionary also defines as "mentally toughness."

Duckworth describes this quality in successful people as "perseverance and passion to achieve long-term goals; having stamina; sticking with your future day in and day out and working hard to make that future a reality; a marathon not a sprint.”

Her studies have shown that there is a correlation between mental toughness and self-control. To achieve those long-term goals there are things mentally tough people avoid. Here are seven of those:

The first thing most of us do when working with people from a new culture is to learn about differences. And there are very sensible reasons to do so. It helps you avoid cultural faux pas. For example, if your Korean employee will likely be embarrassed if you praise him in public, it would be good to know that ahead of time so you can anticipate his reaction and alter your own behavior plan. Similarly, if you know that an American employer expects you to look her in the eye, give a firm handshake, and speak positively about yourself, it’s important for you to know that as well, even if those very same behaviors would be considered inappropriate where you come from. Focusing on cultural differences also helps you learn to correctly interpret and make sense of the behavior of others.

We all reach critical points in our lives where our mental toughness is tested. It might be a toxic friend or colleague, a dead-end job, or a struggling relationship.

Whatever the challenge, you have to be strong, see things through a new lens, and take decisive action if you want to move through it successfully.

It sounds easy. We all want good friends, good jobs, and good relationships.

But it isn’t.

Overcoming adversity through innovating is a process that begins with mental toughness, cultivating one’s curiosity, and doing what others aren’t doing.

Mental Toughness

The first step in becoming innovative is accepting that the world around us needs to change, sometimes because of unexpected and unprecedented events, and believing that we as individuals must take initiative to make that change happen. It requires ongoing learning and an open mind with a willingness to see the world in new ways. Upon such realization, one must develop an unshakable mental toughness for the long haul. As Kamkwamba said during his 2009 TED talk, “How I Harnessed The Wind:”

What is mental toughness? Is mental toughness essential to high achievement? What do mentally tough people avoid?

For a number of years, Dr Angela Duckworth, a neurobiologist and psychologist has studied thousands of business people, graduates, lawyers, doctors, artists, writers, teachers and students in all kinds of challenging settings. She has wanted to understand ”Who is successful here and why?”