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What is Resilience?
Resilience is a process and the capacity to adapt in the face of adversity or significant sources of stress. People commonly demonstrate resilience and emerge stronger, wiser and more able. The level to which they are or feel resilient varies in each area of their life. Compared with people who have lower levels of resilience, people with higher levels of resilience perform better at managing any obstacles they are presented with and they tend to not be phased by them. Resilience is comprised of your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and actions - the things you exhibit and experience every moment of your life. Developing resilience is a personal journey that can be learnt. Identifying the strategies or approaches that work best for you is key to building your resilience. That takes time and involves thorough exploration. How will resilience matter? Future trends predict significant changes in our economic, environmental, legal, political, societal and technological systems. Being resilient will become - and is - a critical component to our individual and collective survival and prosperity. The implications of these changes will impact your career, your health, your relationships, your perspectives, and much more. By understanding and enhancing your resilience today, you can be better prepared for whatever - large or small - presents itself tomorrow. The road to resilience is likely to involve a period of distress and an emotional response to that challenging experience. Many people often carry these experiences with them as they navigate their present and future career paths, their personal relationships and their community affiliations. Identifying and addressing what serves you today - as opposed to what worked yesterday - is vital to learning, processing what is happening, and thinking about what is possible. The Centre for Creative Leadership identifies 8 key steps to become more resilient: 1. Accept Change. Change is not easy. Change is constant and inevitable. The more comfortable you are with change the more resilient you will be. 2. Continuously Learn. As things change, you will need to learn and apply new skills and understanding. Holding onto behaviours or skills that do not work anymore will not help. 3. Take Charge. Empower yourself to make a change and make meaningful shifts to guide the way. Do not expect someone to do it for you. 4. Define Purpose. What gives you meaning and puts things into a larger context? 5. Create Balance. Separate who you are from what you do and what is happening to you. You are not your work or your job. You are not a disease. You are not a moment in time. How would you define who you are? 6. Cultivate Relationships. Develop and nurture a broad network of personal and professional relationships. It will act as a strong base of support which is critical for achieving goals, dealing with hardships, and developing perspective. 7. Reflect. Make time to reflect on what has happened in times of hardship or celebration. Reflection fosters learning, new perspectives, and a degree of self-awareness that can enhance your resilience. 8. Reframe Skills. Question your definition of yourself and your life. Reframe how you see your skills, talents, and interests. By casting your skills in a new light, you can see how they may shift into new patterns. Questions to consider might be:
Amanda Calzolaio is an executive coach who lives in Burlington, Ontario. Contact her at www.amandacalzolaio.com
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