Resiliency Is a Must-Have Life Skill
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Nelson Mandela Tweet
Adversity & Resiliency
I love this quote from Nelson Mandela because it’s all about overcoming adversity – and being resilient.
Resilience is a buzzword that has been thrown around a lot in recent years. (And if the pandemic has taught us anything – It should definitely be resiliency.)
But what does it really mean, and why should you care? The dictionary defines resilience as the quality of being able to recover quickly from difficulties or adversity.
And if you want to be successful, then this trait needs to become a part of your personality.
But how do you actually develop resilience?
Resiliency & Mindset
Industry experts say that the secret to cultivating resiliency rests in your mindset – which is one of the reasons why I blogged about mindset a few weeks ago.
The truth is, no one can make you feel anything—that’s entirely up to you. But there are some things you can think about to make yourself better equipped to handle the things that life throws at you.
Remain Optimistic
One way I’ve learned to cope is by having an optimistic outlook on things. This is not to say that I’m optimistic every day (just ask those around me) – but I have learned that my attitude has a lot to do with how I handle things.
If it looks like there may be nothing but obstacles ahead, then I look for opportunities instead of problems. Yes, it’s true! Because if work or life throws problems my way – by overcoming them – I show the best qualities of myself. Balancing positivity and realism is key to having a resilient mindset.
Don’t Dwell on the Past
I don’t dwell on the past either. It took me a while, but I now understand that what has already happened cannot be changed, and I do not allow it to influence my future behavior or decisions. Instead, I focus on making progress – by taking one step at a time towards achieving my goals – even if those steps are small ones! (And yes, there are days when those steps are minuscule – but at least I’m moving in the right direction.)
Constantly Learn from Mistakes
I am not perfect. I make mistakes. But I also learn from them – and, hopefully, I don’t repeat them in the future. The ability to learn from mistakes is crucial to developing your resiliency. You can make as many missteps as you want along your journey; however, you must never let them defeat you because these experiences will teach you valuable lessons about yourself and others around you—lessons that may eventually lead down an entirely new, unexpected path.
Know That Failure is a Part of Life
People who are resilient understand that failure is a part of life, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. Some of the biggest names in business have failed – but they also continue on.
Vera Wang was passed up for an editor role – before she became a famous fashion designer. Carly Fiorina was fired from Hewlett-Packard (she was the CEO) in what she describes as a “boardroom brawl.” But they both knew how important it was to keep trying – even if things didn’t go their way…at first.
Don't Give Up
You can’t give up on those dreams.
No matter what occurs in your day-to-day life or where you want your career aspirations to lead you down the road, remember: resiliency can help guide you through all of life’s challenges.
So, on a scale of 1-10 – what would you rate your level of resiliency?
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