By Steve Beseke, Doctor of Life Resiliency at Lennick Aberman Group (Please check out my latest resiliency e-books at www.resiliencyfirst.com)
Many of us have taken our hits in our country’s current economic recovery Instead of feeling out of control, I’ve used five ways to overcome the challenges of life. I thought these resiliency techniques might be useful in managing your world.
They are:
- Being Positive - See life as challenging, dynamic, and filled with opportunities. Of, course, this sounds like an infomercial. But, no matter how my day is going, I try to think of one positive I can rely on to bring a smile to my face.
As I mentioned in a previous post, this may be remembering a meaningful conversation that resonated with your teenager daughter, how beautiful/handsome your spouse looked before work this morning, or receiving an unexpected “thank you” from a co-worker you helped. Whatever your example, thinking about a positive moment has let me successfully get through the most challenging days. And remember: I have a teenage daughter...
- Being Focused - Determine where you are headed and stick to that goal so barriers do not block your way. I am a person who wants to do 12 tasks at once, which can be very tiring and ultimately unsuccessful. Whether at work or home, I now try to limit myself to juggling no more than three tasks at a time.
I have found that adding any more to-dos will not allow me to be as effective even with the simplest of tasks. An example is when I am stuck in rush hour traffic. In the past, I’ve let my mind wander to four or five other things as I am inching along. Sometimes I’ve missed a turn off and probably not been the safest driver because of excessive “multi-tasking."
- Being Flexible- Open yourself to different possibilities when faced with uncertainty. I know friends who have the exact same routine everyday and then get upset when a co-worker or family member forces them out of their comfort zone. I am an introvert and a person with a disability, but I try to get out of my comfort zone to see what is “outside the box.”
Even though I sometimes have challenges walking, I never say the word “can’t.” This action benefits my health tremendously and also shows folks I am not restricted to one way of approaching life.
- Being Organized - Develop structured approaches to be able to manage the unknown. This has been the most challenging for me – especially dealing with paperwork at the office. In the past, I used the “pile approach” and was terrific at stacking things. So much so that the piles use to grow and imitate Humpty-Dumpty.
Well, my office today looks immaculate with hardly a paper in sight. My secret: Recycle stuff when not needed and get an electronic copy where I can file it easily on my computer. A computer geek I am not, but it has sure saved me a lot disorganized moments in front of my boss,
Being Proactive - Look ahead, actively engage change, and work at staying ahead of what’s expected. Easier said than done, of course. I have always tried to stay on top of things whether at home or the office. It has always been one of my strengths.
The reason I have success is I try never to rely on the status quo. I have had a very happy nearly 30-year marriage because I never fall back on past happiness. I am very proactive and think about what will make us happy in the future. Whether that is being active in a few of my wife’s interests or proactively listening to the needs on her plate. It works!
No one can change overnight, and I am sure you are good or better than me on many of these five techniques. But, if not, try to change one over a month’s time. Then, use the same approach for the other techniques in the future. I know you will feel satisfied and gratified with the resilient results in your world.
Please visit my web site at www.resiliencyfirst.com to check out my e-books, videos and other articles. Until next time...
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