
The next step is practice being resilient. Be malleable, adaptable- have bounce! It’s the skill that is not often thought of as being one you can practice and hone, but a great leader taps into resiliency seamlessly. It can be taught, sharpened and exercised like an athlete. It’s one of the first skills that I remember learn- ing from my mom. She constantly would change up the rules of the house and, as I followed them, she added more variables. When I started fourth grade my mom, a former middle science teacher, told me she would no longer check on my homework-all assignments, projects, book reports were my responsibility. Last-minute trips to the store for poster board were not allowed. If I need to get a book for research, I should use the school library or put it on the Saturday only errands list. It was my first taste of adaptability. My mom lovingly created a laboratory of resiliency, the skills I honed are still with me today.
I learned:
- long term planning
- how to be accountable for results and not the journey
- Even self-determined, 9-year-old me could be successful
NURTURE YOUR NEW NORMAL
“If you can’t love yourself how the hell you’re gonna love somebody else?”RuPaul, American Performer
I also learned the Power of Procrastination and how Moore’s Law can serve us all. (Google Moore’s Law)
Three ways to hone your ability to bounce back like a champion:
1. Go Inward– Inner calm and peace is the first step.
I believe the famous Drag Queen RuPaul said it best.. “If you can’t love yourself how the hell you’re gonna love somebody else?” Start with some mindfulness-practices like walks, meditation, yoga, and bubble baths.
2. Create an emotional mind– Success and failure are the same opportunity to learn. Reframing opportunities, challenges, issues and concerns sets you up to move closer to the results you seek.
3. Cultivate your analytical mind or cognitive resilience– Examine your self-talk. What language do you use to talk to yourself? Are you speaking from a judgmental, negative talk or are you empowering and cheering yourself on? By the way, if you did not know you could choose how to talk to yourself. I did not know I could shift the conversations in my head either until I learned how to do it. So, pay attention to the words and the tone of your self-talk. Would you talk like that to a friend? If the answer is no, shift your talk in a way that would be appropriate for someone you love.
