“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
– Nelson Mandela
You know it when you see it: a resilient person is someone who recovers from adversity and keeps going, regardless of the circumstances. Sometimes I refer to this as “bounce-back-ability”.
Resiliency is an important skill to have in your back pocket given constant changes in the workplace. It is not just important for work; it’s essential for our health.
When you feel knocked down from a life experience, your comeback starts with your mind. Will you be victimized by what happened to you or are you going to overcome the obstacle?
When something bad happens to you, acknowledge what has happened and do what will help you in the moment. Resiliency kicks in, however, when you take time to transcend the moment and look at the future. The power of choice is yours as to whether you wallow in the problem or rise about it.
Whether you are dealing with a job loss, a health challenge, or interacting with difficult people, developing resiliency will help you see beyond the present and manage your reactions.
Managing change isn’t easy. Many people resist change, and their defiance makes things worse, not better. By working to develop your resiliency muscle, you will manage stress better and learn unique ways to overcome obstacles. And you may even become more optimistic in the process!
Over the past few weeks, we have examined skills that can help us in particular during a work environment of ongoing change. Flexibility, personal accountability, and resiliency are three of many that will help you and your teams function better in a rapidly changing environment.
Work on these a little at a time, and all three will develop. You will undoubtedly achieve a positive outcome as you work on these skills yourself and with your teams.
Header image by Ed Stone/Unsplash.
