Adding value doesn’t always have to have a practical slant, says Jenni Hallam. Working on your emotional resilience can be just as beneficial.
Imagine you know two people employed by the same organisation, in equivalent roles. One day, they’re both faced with an unexpected challenge, which requires a similar level of work under pressure to meet a tight deadline. One welcomes the challenge, gets organised and takes it in their stride. The other complains, struggles and fails to meet the deadline. What’s the quality that makes the difference for these two people?
The answer is emotional resilience. This is the quality that determines, to a great degree, how you respond to stress, pressure and challenge – irrespective of the revailing circumstances. It affects your performance, your aspirations and your daily wellbeing.
How’s your emotional strength?
Try answering these eight questions. Give yourself a score between 1 (I never
do this) and 5 (I always do this).
- Do I see it through even when it’s tough?
- Do I take responsibility for getting what I want, rather than relying on others?
- Do I take time to plan and prioritise what needs to be done?
- Do I always give 100%, even when doing something I don’t enjoy?
- Do I stick with things and always finish them?
- Do I ask for help when I need it, and allow others to help me?
- Do I recognise my own strengths & talents?
- Do I react well to challenge and change, knowing I’ll always cope?
Work your emotional muscles
Where and when are you strongest?
Success breeds success. Focus on your strengths and work out how you do what you do well. What is your mindset when you are seeing it through? What words do you use in your self-talk?
Where do you want to be stronger?
Did you score three or below on any of the questions? Write down the score you’d like in 30 days time.
Why don’t you?
If you are not asking for help where you need it, what stops you? Observe yourself
in action – what is your mindset? How do
you feel about asking for help and why?
Act ‘as if!’
If you applied the mindset, self talk and feelings of your strongest situation in the situation you want to improve, how would it be different?
Rinse and repeat!
To create new habits, we need to repeat patterns. Keep acting ‘as if’ and use the mindset, self-talk and feelings of your strongest habit within the habit you want to change.
Jenni Hallam is a personal development specialist, working with professionals to help them streamline life and achieve success with no compromise on health and happiness. She has been helping people develop their careers for 30 years, through teaching, lecturing, mentoring, psychology and personal development.
