Building Resilience

6 tools to bouncing back in tough times, how to do it

 (symbol Cantonese for Change)

I turn on the TV and if it is not a political ad it’s a news broadcast about the disastrous economy and plenty of fear mongering.

Unfortunately I talked to one of my clients today and they just laid off 6 out of 30 people! That’s 20%! Yes things are getting a bit tougher for some.

What about you? Are you up to the challenges in your business and industry? Are you able to bounce back and come out ahead of the pack instead of being a victim?

Being resilient in tougher times can be the difference between victims and winners. So what is this resilience and how do I get it?........

To answer that and provide you some insight, I’m sharing a bit of Vince Harris’s new book, The Productivity Epiphany; 55 Key ideas to put you in charge of your life, direction and success.

Dr. Beverly Leipert decided to study a group of women who have always had it “tough”; she chose to conduct a study on resilience, studying the women who had spent their lives living separated from others, enduring month after month of brutal cold …the women of the frozen North. 

Each of the women in Dr. Leipert’s study had lived much of their lives in the rugged terrain of northern British Columbia. These women had lived with a rather unique set of risk factors; the bitter cold, attitudes regarding gender, threats posed by local wildlife, and very limited resources. These were not sporadic risks, they were simply a way of life, and were present each day. 

After Dr. Leipert had compiled her findings, she discovered the three main strategies that were responsible for their resilience: Becoming what she called “hardy”, making favorable meanings or “stories” about their situation in the North, and supplementing what the North had to offer. 

Each of these women had learned to become self reliant, had followed various spiritual or religious beliefs, had developed a liking for the outdoor activities like camping, fishing and skiing, learned indoor activities like painting, sculpture, or quilting, and had decided to volunteer for community groups and activities. 

Notice that each of the actions or behaviors above were learned, or chosen. The resilience they had developed was not some genetic gift or spontaneous phenomenon, they had taken active roles in creating the experience of the life they were living, and the level of resilience they had developed. 

Great, so what does this have to do with me and today’s financial debacle?

There are several keys here that can give you an edge over your competition, the economy and what life throws at us. Here is a short list…..

1. Resilient people are flexible. They understand that they can change themselves but generally are unable to dramatically change the environment. No, planting palm trees in the frozen north will not make it a sunny beach. So they focus their flexibility inward and work on themselves rather than invest energy in complaining about the environment. How could you be more flexible?
2. Resilient people are action oriented. They find or develop ideas or activities that can add value to their lives and the lives of others. No stewing about what they can not do, rather discovering what they can do. Then they get into action even if everyone else is sitting and stewing. What could you put into action today?
3. Resilient people have variety. They have many varied interests and activities rather than have their entire world wrapped up in one activity, such as work or success. The women in the study did many things everyday; it gave them purpose without burnout. What could you get involved in?
4. Resilient people are creative. They step back and ask what could be rather than what could have been. By looking for even the smallest opportunities, they stay ahead of the crowd and are constantly building or developing something of value. How could you turn on more of your creativity?
5. Resilient people find internal joy. They understand that joy and happiness are not something that comes from outside. They do not look for others to make them happy, rather they find joy in what they do, what they create and what they can change; even in the smallest measure. Where does your joy come from?
6. Resilient people have faith and belief. They believe in themselves and in what can be. This does not mean they sit around and wish and dream all day, rather they approach the situation with confidence that there is a solution or opportunity! They just have to scratch long enough to find it! How could you develop more faith and belief?

So what does this mean to you in this potentially negative economy?

Take each of the 6 points and apply it to what you are doing today.

• Are you being flexible?
• What actions are you taking?
• Are you trying something new or different?
• Everyone is creative, are you applying it?
• Where is your joy and happiness coming from?
• Do you believe you can?

Congratulations to those of you that answer yes to all 6. For those of you that had few no’s, you now know where to put your effort.

I state this: If you consciously apply the 6 resilient characteristics every day, you will come out better than 80% of the population! Others will wonder how you do it! How do you remain so calm and happy in spite of all that is happening? By the way, you will most likely also make more money, more sales and get more promotions!

Be on the look out for more information on Vince’s new book. We hope to have it available in the next month.

Till next week! Make it the greatest week as only you can!

Harlan Goerger

© Harlan Goerger, October 2008
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