Resilience
There is quite a buzz about resilience recently and with good cause; the future of work will demand more core skills (commonly referred to as soft-skills) than at any other period in history. Enter Resilience. It is absolutely key to flourishing in life and leadership, it is the ability to recover from setbacks and adapt to challenging circumstances and is required to thrive. It is a foundational psychological tool which empowers us to feel credible, effective, and capable of handling the uncertainties we may face.
In Michael R. Frazier’s book, “Mindfulness, Mindset, Moxie and Mojo”, he uses the word moxie to describe “the courage, resourcefulness, and determination individuals employ to overcome adversity in pursuit of their goals.” Few leaders achieve much without meeting hardship and obstacles head-on with moxie, and resilience is inherent to moxie.
Despite these definitions, there has been discussion about what the nucleus of resilience really is. Is it a quality, skill, or personality trait? Is it genetically determined, or can it be taught?
Regardless of the exact nature of resilience, current studies make it clear that we can develop and improve our resilience. Experts confirm that resilience is a quality and a skill that can be enhanced yet requires effort and consistency.
One important ingredient for resilience is to find meaning in one’s environment. In “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl stated,
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of his human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. To choose one’s way” (1959).
Psychologists have found repeatedly that people with a strong sense of purpose experience more resilience, a stronger sense of well-being and even better cognitive functioning. Purpose in life fosters resilience in part by protecting the brain against the negative effects of stress. According to Patricia Doyle, Ph. D., a Neuropsychologist with the Alzheimer’s Disease Center,
“purpose somehow gives your brain resilience. It makes your brain stronger and more resistant to the effects of diseases like Alzheimer’s” (Boyle et. al, 2012).
Other scientific studies support that having a strong purpose predicts health and longevity. Recent research suggests that finding meaning in life’s experiences, especially when facing challenges, is a key mechanism of resilience (Schaefer, et. al, 2013).
Robert Butler with the National Institute of Health researched health and longevity and reported findings in his book “Why Survive? Being Old in America.” People who had a strong sense of purpose lived longer than those who didn’t have a clear purpose.
Dan Buettner, who founded Blue Zones, also has done worldwide research. In studying women of Okinawa, Japan, it was discovered that one of key reasons for their longevity is their strong sense of purpose.
Okinawans are known for pursuing their ikigai which is a concept meaning “reason for being”, or “reason for waking up in the morning.” (Buettner, 2005).
To help you clarify your meaning, purpose, and mission in life, while considering practical concerns of maintaining lifestyle, earning a living, etc. we’re throwing in some tools:
Here is a worksheet and template to walk you through this reflective exercise.
Richard Leider is a subject matter expert and offers compelling and practical resources to tap into our power of purpose (Leider, 2015). Learn more about Leider’s content here.
Try one of Leider’s suggested activities to clarify your purpose:
Purpose Reflection Activity
Why are you?
Why do you get up in the morning?
What keeps you awake at night?
When are you most alive?
What does being successful mean to you?
How might you apply your gifts to a pursuit that is of deep interest to you and helps others?
What can you do to make a difference in one person’s life, today?
What is your sentence (meaning, if you summarized your purpose in one 140-character sentence, what would it be)?
If you say yes to living purposefully, what do you say no to?
If you met an older version of yourself, what sage advice would they give you?
The Purpose Check-Up Activity
If you have already tapped into purpose, consider doing a short check-up exercise that allows for you to reflect, take inventory, and recharge those batteries.
The purpose checkup activity is here.
Here is his Manifesto for Purpose and 10 Questions for Unlocking the Power of your Purpose.
Here is a helpful blog and activity form on how to unlock the power of purpose.