Here's how you can foster a resilient mindset in your professional life.
Resilience is the bedrock of professional success, acting as a buffer against the inevitable challenges and setbacks you'll face in your career. It's about bouncing back from difficulties with a strengthened resolve, not just surviving but thriving amidst adversity. To foster a resilient mindset, you need to develop certain skills and attitudes that enable you to navigate the rough waters of your professional life with confidence and poise.
Embracing failure is a key step in building resilience. Understand that setbacks are not a reflection of your worth but opportunities for growth. When you fail, analyze what went wrong, learn from it, and move forward. This approach helps you to treat failures as stepping stones rather than roadblocks, ensuring that each misstep contributes to your overall development and success.
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Re-frame failure. Failure is the outcome when you stop trying. I rarely developed a policy, procedure or system without expecting portions of it wouldn't work for all it impacted. Going into a project with the goal of making a system work for the unit should be your focal point. Failures are trials and progression.
Actively seeking out challenges is a powerful way to cultivate resilience. By stepping out of your comfort zone and taking on tasks that test your abilities, you learn to deal with uncertainty and discomfort. This proactive stance not only prepares you for unexpected hurdles but also contributes to your professional growth and self-confidence.
A strong support network is invaluable for fostering resilience. Cultivate relationships with mentors, peers, and colleagues who can offer guidance, support, and a different perspective when you're facing challenges. Knowing you have a reliable network to fall back on can give you the extra boost needed to overcome obstacles and continue progressing in your career.
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Building your network can give you more opportunities for connection. Connecting with others - truly connecting through meaningful relationships - can help regulate the nervous system and increase feelings of safety, as supported by Polyvagal theory developed by the Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Stephen Porges. And feeling safe fosters resilience, as we may better cope with challenges surrounded by people we love and trust.
Self-care is an often overlooked aspect of building resilience. Pay attention to your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Regular exercise, adequate rest, healthy eating, and mindfulness practices can significantly improve your capacity to deal with stress and bounce back from setbacks. Remember, a healthy body and mind are your greatest assets in maintaining a resilient mindset.
The ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances is a hallmark of a resilient professional. Cultivate a flexible mindset that allows you to adjust your strategies and goals as needed. This agility enables you to navigate through change without being paralyzed by it, ensuring that you remain effective and relevant in your field.
Maintaining perspective is crucial for resilience. Keep the bigger picture in mind, especially when faced with immediate setbacks. Recognize that most difficulties are temporary and that perseverance will lead you through tough times. By focusing on long-term goals and the progress you've made so far, you can temper the impact of current challenges and stay motivated.
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Resilience is evidenced by consistency in quality output, a resilient mind is the natural source for consistency. It is important to have a guiding plumb-line that structures your activities, first in your personal life which largely determines how well one does professionally. Iterating along the predetermined goalline results in resilience and a resilient mind.
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7. Look after your health and wellbeing. Work towards creating a balanced lifestyle doing things you enjoy: socialising, resting and relaxing, eating well, getting enough sleep and exercising all help to buffer the challenges that come your way. When you’re finding it difficult to cope, it may be helpful to speak to a GP or mental health professional. Taking care of yourself is important.
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