The Number One Thing You Must Do to Build Resilience. By Bruce Lee Whitney

“Change is the only constant in life.” So said Greek philosopher Heraclitus, oh about 500 BC. Flash forward 2500 years and not only does that statement hold true, but it’s also more important to recognize than ever. In previous generations, people generally held one job for life, and that was their career. Today, people can expect 5-7 career changes. Compound that with the accelerated rate of change in business and technology, and even the job you have will change.

Careers, relationships, health, wealth and the environment are all subject to change. We are all faced with the challenge to adapt, or die trying. Resilience in facing change has become one of the most important traits we must possess. Fortunately, resilience is not something you are either born with or not. It is a quality you can develop and strengthen. And now that I have given away the ending, I’ll go ahead and reveal that the number one thing you must do to build resilience is practice.

In a Huffington Post article earlier this year, Joy McCarthy, Ph.D. wrote, “Resilience is a change-muscle that you can train and build stronger.” It’s a good metaphor, but I am not certain it is a muscle. I consider resilience a behavior. And just like a muscle, behavior can be trained and strengthened.

There are about 10-12 key characteristics of resilience, and I’ve identified the 5 most actionable behaviors that you can work on to build yours.

1. Positive Mindset: See abundance in the world and recognize change as an opportunity, not a threat.
2. Awareness: If change causes you stress, stop ruminating on it. Take control of your own life and do not blame others, or outside circumstances. The more responsibility you accept, the more empowered you become.
3. Adaptability: Embrace uncertainty, take risks and learn to go with the flow. The more mindful and present you become, the more open you can be to possibilities.
4. Perseverance: Create an arsenal of good habits that you can implement to endure any situation and overcome any obstacle.
5. Resourcefulness: You don’t have all the answers and refusing to ask for directions will only get you more lost. You are not in this alone. Seek out people, groups or resources and ask for help.

The more you practice resilience, the faster you will be able to recover from the inevitable setbacks you will encounter. Perhaps Sylvester Stallone said it best in Rocky V, “It’s not how hard you hit, its how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” You can see Rocky Balboa’s inspirational speech here.

Change happens. It’s inevitable. When it happens to you, the most important quality you need is resilience. And like a muscle, resilience is something that can be trained. Identify the actionable behaviors you need to strengthen and work on yourself.

Learn how resilient you are and what you need to work on by taking this free Resilience Self-Assessment.