Becoming Resilient - part I

4 Steps to a Resilient, Success-Driven Mentality

https://www.success.com/embrace-a-resilient-success-driven-mentality/

This article talks of a “resilient” mentality.  Resilient means: “of a person or animal able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

When we talk about success, there is an implied factor of failure.  If everything we tried was successful, we’d be on all the planets, go from New York to Los Angeles in 1 second, and we all would have lots of money!!!  (Guess what, it doesn’t happen that way!!!)

The author starts the article like this:

“Failing fast sounds simple enough, and it’s become a common mantra in the entrepreneurial space. This mentality affects more than just entrepreneurs, though. Many people preach the power of failure—swift, forward, or otherwise—as the key to future success. It’s become a rite of passage these days, where you must flounder in order to prove yourself.”

“I don’t dismiss the learning experiences and growth that comes from past failures, but I believe it’s much more beneficial to highlight past successes. From a mentality perspective, I can’t stress enough how important it is to approach things with a resilient, success-driven mindset. Letting thoughts of failure creep into your goals and aspirations isn’t productive.”

*****

So, if I am reading the author correctly - he says that “failing fast” can be a mental approach to success.  If I’m going to fail, fail fast - get it over with and put it behind you.  BUT … the author suggests that it is “important it is to approach things with a resilient, success-driven mindset”.  Or, from the definition at the top - that we can recover quickly from difficult conditions.  We need to KNOW - really KNOW that we are people who can recover quickly.  We get up and back in the game again.

So, the article gives four points:

-1 Challenge Yourself Daily

The author surprised me with this:

“Taking on a task where success isn’t likely will definitely test your mettle. Doing it every day, on the other hand, can help you develop and strengthen that resilience mentality. After all, repetition begets learning.

“Start off easy by creating your own 10-day resilience challenge. Include a good mix of mental and physical activities. My first challenge, for example, consisted of a daily 5-mile run, homemade meals, waking up an hour early (no snooze, of course), asking for a store discount until I got three to agree, and introducing myself to 10 new people within my company every day (among other activities).”

So, he did a ten-day challenge - a five-mile run - homemade meals, waking up an hour early (all of these are in my ballpark) - getting at least three stores to give me a store discount.  That is going to require the resiliency that the author talked about.  You want some things that are in your control (somewhat - like can you wake up an hour early WITHOUT an alarm?) and some things that border on difficult.  Why?  To challenge himself to do more!!!

So, what might I do to challenge myself in a similar fashion? 

Walk seven miles a day!!!  I generally get four to five miles - so seven is doable - but a stretch.  Get up an hour earlier (I have a secret way to do this - drink more water/fluids the evening before - my body wakes me up).  

Call twenty people I know a little on the phone and converse at least five minutes with them.  THIS IS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR ME. (Aside - this is about the first time I’ve shared this … I love to email, I love to text - but I am somehow scared of making phone calls.  I’m good with getting phone calls - but when I call somebody, it somehow makes me vulnerable - what if they hang up on me, what if they don’t answer - what do I say to an answering machine).

For my alumni weekend last fall I was to call twenty of my classmates to invite them to homecoming. I knew some people on the list - they would remember me. And, yet, I made ZERO phone calls - even to people I might know!!! (OUCH)!!!  

And, (hmmm) another challenge - knock on at least ten doors that do get opened to me - and tell them about myself and my retirement coaching!!!

If I want to learn resilience, the concept that I seem to hear from this author is getting ready to get back up.  Get a store discount?  That can be pretty tough in big box stores - but I think I have an advantage - I’m a senior woman - named KAREN!!!!!

So what might you do to challenge yourself and put yourself ‘out-there’?  How do you get up when you’ve been knocked down (figuratively, not literally)? 

Hugs!!

Karen