The Character Ethic

What’s on your resilience resume? For most people in North America, this week marks the first anniversary of the pandemic changing our lives. It started with disbelief, upheaval, and constant change and progressed to the monotony of sameness. Regardless of the phase, there has been a consistent undertone of uncertainty as to what comes next. It’s been a lot.

And still, we’ve shown a tremendous amount of resilience.

Yet, my guess is that few of you fall into bed at night thinking, “Wow! Was I ever resilient today.”

Tired – yes. Frustrated – yes. Anxious – often, but in the moment, rarely do we FEEL resilient.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter of the Harvard Business School eloquently frames our in-the-moment perspective by saying, “the middle of success often looks like failure.”

It’s only when we reflect back on our struggles can we recognize our resilience through those struggles.

While it’s true that some people respond more resiliently in the moment. Some have stayed more hopeful, positive, and adaptable. For various reasons, many beyond one’s control, it has been easier for some than others.

But that’s the beauty of resilience. Even if you didn’t respond the way you wanted, you can still choose to learn from that moment in reflection back. Learn from your responses.

You can seek out learning in adversity, appreciation through adversity, meaning through grief, and strength through struggle.

The instant you decided to let adversity strengthen you by choosing to use it as a stepping-stone forward instead of an obstacle holding you back. By choosing to see it as a set-up for the future versus a set-back from success, you become more resilient for the next set of challenges that will inevitably come your way.

The Power of a Resilience Resume

When you apply for a job, your resume serves as a representation of your accomplishments – your proof that you can not only handle the job but succeed in it.

As you enter the weekend on the first anniversary of a life-altering global pandemic, take 30 min and reflect. Write your Resilience Resume. As a team, write a team version. Allow your struggles to unite you.

Keep it close and refer to it often. Enough is happening in the world to make you question yourself, so use it to build your positive proof that whatever happens, you can handle it.

Personally, I’m not going to shout out to the universe, “give me what’ve you got, world!”…because honestly, I have enough to handle right now.

However, the next time I feel as if life is running me over. That my circumstances are leaving me bruised and battered, I’m going to look at my resilience, no – scratch that, My WARRIOR resume to remind myself how damn strong, adaptable, brave, and resilient I am.

What’s the first thing you’ll put on yours?

Article written by: Sara Ross, a Keynote Speaker and the Chief Vitality Officer at BrainAMPED, the leadership research and coaching firm she founded to help organizations and their people build their Leadership Vitality to transform the way they succeed at work and thrive in life.

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