Be resilient: how to build your bouncebackability Behavioural Change Life Coach and bestselling self-help Author Angela Cox – currently studying Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health at King’s – shares seven steps to build your resilience.
I work with entrepreneurs and business leaders on a daily basis – and many are stifled by self-doubt and fear. I can relate, as it’s something I’ve personally experienced both in my former corporate leadership roles as well as in my current career. One of the greatest weapons in this relentless battle with self-doubt is resilience: the ability to get up after a setback, learn from mistakes and adapt to new circumstances quickly – without losing focus. How do I help my clients develop their resilience? By sharing the following seven strategies that can keep you getting up, even when you’re dealt the heaviest of blows. Know where you are heading The first step in ensuring you have this all-important ‘bouncebackability’ is to determine a clear sense of direction. If you know where you are heading and what you are trying to achieve, it provides a strong reference point on those days when everything seems to go wayward. Breaking down goals into tactical steps also helps setbacks seem less huge as they only compromise the current step, rather than the entire goal. Choose how you react How you react to setbacks can make an incredible difference to not only the outcome of a situation, but the amount of energy it takes to get there. If things aren’t going your way, you can either let the frustration consume you, or you can pull on your positive pants, analyse the problem and tackle it using this step-by-step approach: 1.
Define what has happened – pinpoint exactly what the problem is.
2.
Measure its impact – is it genuinely as big as it seems once you review it logically?
3.
Analyse the situation – why did it occur? Can it be prevented? What are the potential solutions?
4.
Fix it – remind yourself you can handle anything, breathe, then get on with implementing a solution.
5.
Review – check in on the fix to see if it’s working and make small tweaks if required.
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Ask for help You don’t have to know or do everything – resilient people are not afraid to ask for help. Invest time in establishing and maintaining strong relationships and consider getting a mentor or coach. Having people who can support you is a proven way to be both happier and more resistant to stress, because you don’t feel so alone or vulnerable when the chips are down.
