Resilience is the inner strength to weather unexpected obstacles and setbacks. It is critical for long-term success.
Resilience is a learned behavior that you can start building and strengthening today. It will bring power, confidence, and direction to your career. It will enable you to be more comfortable in an ever-changing work environment. When you gain resilience, you will create a more successful career and find more joy in life.
Start Building Up Your Resilience Today:
1. Focus on Optimism
Optimists are more resilient than pessimists. If you have pessimistic tendencies, you can become more optimistic. Start by surrounding yourself with positive people and creating an optimistic environment. Make positive thinking the norm. View the things and people in your life as supporting you rather than holding you back.
2. Increase Your Flexibility
When problems arise, see them as challenges or opportunities to learn and grow. If you meet challenges as a chance for creative problem solving, you will find ways to grow. Having a flexible mind will help you adapt and be resilient. Flexibility will help you to recover from setbacks.
3. Participate in Learning
Become a lifelong learner. The best way to deal with change is to change yourself – learn. Learning something new will keep your skills relevant. Be adaptable by embracing every chance to learn something new.
4. Chart Your Career Path
Take ownership of your career and plan your career path. You can treat your career like a business enterprise. Consider your bosses to be your customers and understand what they pay you for. Look for ways to add value. Make a mission statement. Set your goals for the year and for five years from now.
5. Cultivate a Sense of Purpose
A sense of purpose is the motivation that drives you toward a fulfilling future. The purpose is what drives us. Purpose does not have to be grandiose. It can be enhancing your interactions with your colleagues. Or creating a sense of forward momentum by relating today’s work to your career goals. Having a sense of purpose will help you to stay resilient on the difficult days.
6. Widen Your Network
Continually grow and develop a strong network of contacts within your workplace and outside. Go to networking events and join groups. Find mentors and mentees. Look for ways to support your friends, colleagues and the people you meet. When you are there to support others, they will be there to help you through difficult times.
7. Accept Your Imperfections
Don’t hide from your weaknesses. Instead, acknowledge them and view them as opportunities to learn and grow. You can find strategies to work around the imperfection. Aiming for perfection is a dangerous road. Worries about making mistakes often lead to paralysis and inaction. Accepting your weaknesses will free you up to try new things and to be more resilient.
8. Train for the Future
Stay in shape both physically and emotionally. Being in good physical shape has a dramatic positive impact on your mental health. Being physically tough will make you mentally tougher and more resilient.
Resilience is a valuable skill that you can learn and build. Like any valuable skill, it is worth the effort. Being more resilient will have a positive impact on all aspects of your life and career.
Written by:
Kathy Lin, Marketing Communications Manager
Kathy writes content for Tal Healthcare, a healthcare career website. She has a background in recruiting, sales, and teaching. She holds a BA in Biology from the University of Vermont. When she isn’t writing you can find her outside running, skiing or biking.