Along every career path there are dips – challenges, difficult people, roadblocks, dead-ends, and disappointments. It’s not fun, it’s hard, and it happens. If you can avoid the dips – great! But if you can’t avoid the dips, then what counts is how you respond, recover, and learn from these events. Instead of giving up and spiraling down, choose to be resilient – adapting, bouncing back, and continuing on the path towards achieving your goals. Life is full of surprises – good and bad. Be prepared and develop your resilience.
How do you develop resilience? Start by staying grounded in your values, keeping your eye on your goals, and surrounding yourself with positive nurturing relationships. Pay attention to your energy and make time for rest and renewal. When you face a setback, pay close attention to your thoughts. Instead of thinking that disaster is inevitable, take a deep breath, choose a positive mindset, and start considering your options. Enlist the help of mentors and supporters to assist you in gathering information, putting the situation in perspective, and deciding what to do next. Think about a Plan A and a Plan B. Figure out what’s in your control…and what isn’t. Take a moment to remind yourself of your strengths and achievements, and think back to how you successfully overcame adversity in the past. If you start hearing the voices of limiting beliefs becoming louder, address them, and don’t let them hold you back. Once you’ve gathered your thoughts and formulated a response plan, take action. Stay flexible and adjust, if necessary. When life hands you a lemon, figure out how to make lemonade. Practice resilience as you create the career you want.
More information on this tip, and others, can be found in Lead Your Way: Practical Coaching Advice for Creating the Career You Want
