No matter what kind of work you do, chances are you’ve faced major hurdles at some point, or simply been told a flat-out “no”. Maybe you’ve even encountered a spectacular failure.
Resilience is all about remaining strong in the face of adversity and bouncing back quickly if you fail. While this sounds like a good thing, it also sounds like a lot of work. So why put in the effort when it seems so much easier to quit and move on to something else?
5 good reasons to build resilience
There are many benefits to developing resilience – here are five of the top ones:
- Greater creativity. Resilience is not some magical spell that can make all your problems disappear. Instead, it encourages the mentality
that nothing is impossible, which in turn spurs you to embrace creative thinking to tackle tricky problems. With a resilient approach, the closing of one door is just the signal that it’s time to change tack and seek out another door that will eventually lead to your objective. - Increased self-appreciation. Resilience requires you to dig deep within to find the strength to carry on. Through this process, you
will inevitably learn more about yourself – your strengths, weakness, fears and aspirations. When you better understand the person in the mirror, you will gain a better sense of what motivates you and a greater appreciation for your ability to overcome adversity. - Improved well-being. Without resilience, it’s easy to give up and fall into negative patterns of thinking. On the flip side, resilience
encourages a positive outlook and can help you steer clear of depression or other negative health outcomes. When you’re in a better mental state of mind, you’re also more likely to take care of yourself physically. - Stronger relationships. Much of the imagery around resilience is of strong, stoic individuals, but in reality this is not a solitary
endeavour. Resilience is strengthened by external support – from family, friends and team members – so it encourages you to lean on others. Sharing your objectives, challenges and worries with each other can help bring you closer together, thereby bolstering the relationship. - Enhanced clarity. Resilience is all about staying on course and progressing towards your objectives, even when the going gets tough.
But it’s important not confuse this with stubbornness: staying on course doesn’t make sense if you’re not heading in a good direction. In this sense, resilience also requires that you take a critical look at the goals you are aiming for and to assess whether these are clearly aligned with your values and what’s important to you.
It pays to be prepared
An obstacle-free career is pretty much impossible: sooner or later, you’re bound to encounter challenges. If you aren’t prepared to handle them, you may find yourself weighed down by stress and workplace burnout, or you may simply call it quits.
On the other hand, by developing resilience, you can prepare yourself
for these challenges and boost your ability to overcome them, reaping significant benefits along the way.
What are some next steps?
When learning a new skill, having an experienced guide to journey alongside you can be invaluable. Register for one of our upcoming programs, or learn more about 1-on-1 coaching for support that is tailored to your needs.
We also run workshops and courses to help teams become more agile and resilient, ultimately leading to higher performance. Contact us for more information.