Tip #8: Don’t Give Up Before You Get There!
Today we celebrated the San Francisco Giants winning their second World Series in three years time, so it’s a fitting tribute to them to focus of resilience. Trailing badly in the first two rounds of the post-season playoffs, they came back to dominate the Detroit Tigers with unselfish team play, winning seven straight playoff games.
Are you tired of losing your enthusiasm to pursue the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) you set earlier this year, or maybe it was last year, or the year before? One of the biggest factors in achieving success is not giving up, and the ability to adapt well to change and stress, or resilience, is key. Resilience doesn’t mean that you don’t experience challenges or stress, it’s that you are able to cope and bounce back from difficulties. The National Institute of Mental Health confirms that we can all develop greater resilience – try these ten tips for becoming more resilient.
- Be good to yourself. Get enough rest and exercise consistently.
- Take care of your connections with others. Friends, family, faith – whatever energizes and supports you is an important component of being resilient.
- Don’t overdose on media. The most sensational, gut-wrenching stories often get the most publicity. Don’t bring yourself down by focusing excessively on the troubles of the day. (Plus think of all the time you’ll save!)
- Recognize that nothing stays the same. No matter what you do, some things will change, and that’s OK. Remember the Serenity Prayer.
- Frame your challenges as manageable. If you start thinking that something is impossible, it will seem that way. Avoid any tendency to see things as “catastrophes.”
- Become an optimist. Optimism is the tendency to look on the favorable side of things, or to expect a favorable outcome. Like resilience, you can learn to become more optimistic.
- Take consistent, small actions, toward your goal. What is the smallest thing you could do today that would help you advance toward your goal?
- Learn from what happens to you. Dealing with setbacks and challenges can help you to become a more empathetic leader and colleague.
- Cultivate flexibility. There is almost always more than one way to get something done. And finally . . .
- Believe in yourself. Develop confidence in your abilities by reminding yourself of past successes.
Give it a try — like the Giants, what have you got to lose?
