Personal resilience is not about pushing through at any cost but rather about maintaining mental and physical well-being while facing challenges. Recognising our limits and knowing when to pause or ask for support is an integral part of personal resilience.
Thanks for the shoutout Martin! To answer your question, I do think resilience involves the capacity to keep going, however, that shouldn't be the be-all, end-all. There is something to be said for continuing to show up, but of course, what comes next is also important. (And so is maintaining our well-being as you said.)
To me, a key component of resilience is the ability to learn and adjust. The ability to keep tinkering, keep trying new things, accepting that failures and setbacks are a part of the process. I feel like I am at my most resilient when I have a purpose, which helps me endure, but also a growth mindset, which enables me to see obstacles as opportunities.
Of course, this doens't happen overnight. It took me many years to get to that point. (Which is why I write in the first place, so people can get to that point much sooner!)
Yes, there is a part of resilience that is wrapped up in the growth mindset. We learn by doing but also through our mistakes and taking a risk sometimes.
That’s also why I started this Substack. A year ago I’d never posted on the internet. That first time I hit publish was scary but the post was only going to two people. Through trial and error and keeping that learning mindset it’s grown and now there are so many amazing people commenting and interacting here.
I view resilience in general as the combination of persistence and adaptability. Either one without the other doesn't work, but together they produce anti-fragility. The specifics of what persistence and adaptability mean may differ for a person versus an organization, because each has different needs that must be met. The organization needs funding and influence, but it doesn't need love, for example.
Very true. Understanding the needs of each party is really important.
Anti fragility is something that has come up a few times in the discussion here. It’s an interesting one. I always find that once I have finished a tough project I need to step away and gather myself. In this process it is about learning lessons but also filing away how I reacted to various issues and then being able to pull out those experiences next time.
I like this visual of gathering oneself and integrating the experience before moving on. There's a sense of feeling "done" that is really appealing for me, probably why I like project-based work.
Thanks for the shout out, Martin! I've been fascinated by the concept of resilience for years and trying to understand how it applies to my own life. One analogy just came to mind: resilience is not about being a better punching bag, it's about having the wisdom to know when you need to avoid some punches and when you need to get out of the boxing ring.
Energy Management under Personal Resilience is the actionable step that I’m currently working through and it’s a battle for me. The people’s response to the Covid experiment was the wake up for me. I was freely giving my time and energy away to people and groups that clearly did not understand my value. I cried so many tears for people who tossed me aside like a piece of garbage. Not anymore!!
Where I spend my hard earned money is the toughest part of this step. There are very few companies/organizations/teams/etc left who deserve any of our dollars. Spend wisely!
I find it fascinating that sometimes people consider resilience to mean, as you said, that we should push through regardless of the obstacles. Onward no matter what. I guess at some point in our history this message was dropped in and it grew.
I appreciate your points on how we can grow our personal resilience, like sleep for example, so simple yet so under-rated in our culture. Thankfully we are finally beginning to recognize the importance of taking these no-cost, health giving measures.
First, thanks for recommending my newsletter! I restacked yours in Notes and expressed my appreciation there, too. Second, I appreciate the way you frame personal resilience and distinguish it from organizational resilience. I agree that personal resilience is sometimes misinterpreted to mean suck it up and force yourself to keep going when you need a break. It can also be misunderstood to mean stay in an abusive relationship or toxic work culture and stop complaining about it or looking for a way out.
I think this is a valuable framework, particularly in calling out the differences between organizational and individual resilience. Each means different things, depending on the specific circumstances, and it's not super helpful to think of them as identical.
Interesting read, Martin. I do think it is important for all to understand and be able to separate facts from opinions. The world is as full of opinions as it is of people. Each one has an opinion, but opinion is not truth; therefore, we should not take mere opinion as true, it does not matter whose it is, but first find out for ourselves what is true. Opinion can be changed overnight but truth cannot be changed... I worked with clients who did not understand, the need to be lazy and do nothing for a day because they had the opinion that being lazy is a disease and they had to jump from work-work all the time they are at their lowest, and that always cripple them because they never take the time for themselves and allow the world to catch up with them.
There's just so much information to take in and react to that we are now missing time just to think.
The medium term issue is burnout but it also means we are simply just sitting at our desks reacting all day. In fact, over time we find that's all we can do. If you suddenly have an afternoon free to "think" then it can feel strange and alien to do something proactively.
There is a danger that without exercising that muscle we stop being able to do that deep work.
Absolutely, personal resilience is all about how we handle our mental well-being. It's the toolkit we use to navigate life's challenges and maintain our emotional health.
For my own practical purposes, persistence is defined as my ability to persist through the persecutions of my self-martydom...It's safe to say there's some room for improvement here, and there's still alot to learn.
I particularly appreciate the distinction you make between personal and organizational resilience. Personal resilience is about an individual's ability to manage their mental well-being and cope with challenges, while organizational resilience is about the collective ability of a team or organization to adapt and continue delivering results despite external challenges.
I agree with your assessment that misunderstanding of personal resilience can lead to burnout and other serious health issues. It is important for individuals to recognize that it is okay to slow down or stop when they need to. There are many things that individuals can do to nurture their personal resilience, such as getting regular rest and sleep, engaging in hobbies, eating a healthy diet, and managing their energy levels.
Personal resilience is not about pushing through at any cost but rather about maintaining mental and physical well-being while facing challenges. Recognising our limits and knowing when to pause or ask for support is an integral part of personal resilience.
Thanks for the shoutout Martin! To answer your question, I do think resilience involves the capacity to keep going, however, that shouldn't be the be-all, end-all. There is something to be said for continuing to show up, but of course, what comes next is also important. (And so is maintaining our well-being as you said.)
To me, a key component of resilience is the ability to learn and adjust. The ability to keep tinkering, keep trying new things, accepting that failures and setbacks are a part of the process. I feel like I am at my most resilient when I have a purpose, which helps me endure, but also a growth mindset, which enables me to see obstacles as opportunities.
Of course, this doens't happen overnight. It took me many years to get to that point. (Which is why I write in the first place, so people can get to that point much sooner!)
Thanks Christopher.
Yes, there is a part of resilience that is wrapped up in the growth mindset. We learn by doing but also through our mistakes and taking a risk sometimes.
That’s also why I started this Substack. A year ago I’d never posted on the internet. That first time I hit publish was scary but the post was only going to two people. Through trial and error and keeping that learning mindset it’s grown and now there are so many amazing people commenting and interacting here.
It’s fantastic. So all I can say is thank you.
I view resilience in general as the combination of persistence and adaptability. Either one without the other doesn't work, but together they produce anti-fragility. The specifics of what persistence and adaptability mean may differ for a person versus an organization, because each has different needs that must be met. The organization needs funding and influence, but it doesn't need love, for example.
Very true. Understanding the needs of each party is really important.
Anti fragility is something that has come up a few times in the discussion here. It’s an interesting one. I always find that once I have finished a tough project I need to step away and gather myself. In this process it is about learning lessons but also filing away how I reacted to various issues and then being able to pull out those experiences next time.
I like this visual of gathering oneself and integrating the experience before moving on. There's a sense of feeling "done" that is really appealing for me, probably why I like project-based work.
Thanks for the shout out, Martin! I've been fascinated by the concept of resilience for years and trying to understand how it applies to my own life. One analogy just came to mind: resilience is not about being a better punching bag, it's about having the wisdom to know when you need to avoid some punches and when you need to get out of the boxing ring.
Yes indeed. Its also about knowing yourself and where your limits are. Then making sure you stay well within those limits.
And those limits will differ over time, person to person and by the types of "punch" that is being thrown.
The practiced behaviors make defining the practice an examination of the past. Yes, practice this practice. Brahmin, be well.
Energy Management under Personal Resilience is the actionable step that I’m currently working through and it’s a battle for me. The people’s response to the Covid experiment was the wake up for me. I was freely giving my time and energy away to people and groups that clearly did not understand my value. I cried so many tears for people who tossed me aside like a piece of garbage. Not anymore!!
Where I spend my hard earned money is the toughest part of this step. There are very few companies/organizations/teams/etc left who deserve any of our dollars. Spend wisely!
Thats a powerful realisation Whyvonne. COVID has certainly shaken up the world and been a real point of inflection for some.
Thanks for sharing.
I find it fascinating that sometimes people consider resilience to mean, as you said, that we should push through regardless of the obstacles. Onward no matter what. I guess at some point in our history this message was dropped in and it grew.
I appreciate your points on how we can grow our personal resilience, like sleep for example, so simple yet so under-rated in our culture. Thankfully we are finally beginning to recognize the importance of taking these no-cost, health giving measures.
Thank you for a great article Martin.
First, thanks for recommending my newsletter! I restacked yours in Notes and expressed my appreciation there, too. Second, I appreciate the way you frame personal resilience and distinguish it from organizational resilience. I agree that personal resilience is sometimes misinterpreted to mean suck it up and force yourself to keep going when you need a break. It can also be misunderstood to mean stay in an abusive relationship or toxic work culture and stop complaining about it or looking for a way out.
I think this is a valuable framework, particularly in calling out the differences between organizational and individual resilience. Each means different things, depending on the specific circumstances, and it's not super helpful to think of them as identical.
Interesting read, Martin. I do think it is important for all to understand and be able to separate facts from opinions. The world is as full of opinions as it is of people. Each one has an opinion, but opinion is not truth; therefore, we should not take mere opinion as true, it does not matter whose it is, but first find out for ourselves what is true. Opinion can be changed overnight but truth cannot be changed... I worked with clients who did not understand, the need to be lazy and do nothing for a day because they had the opinion that being lazy is a disease and they had to jump from work-work all the time they are at their lowest, and that always cripple them because they never take the time for themselves and allow the world to catch up with them.
That's a great point.
There's just so much information to take in and react to that we are now missing time just to think.
The medium term issue is burnout but it also means we are simply just sitting at our desks reacting all day. In fact, over time we find that's all we can do. If you suddenly have an afternoon free to "think" then it can feel strange and alien to do something proactively.
There is a danger that without exercising that muscle we stop being able to do that deep work.
Absolutely, personal resilience is all about how we handle our mental well-being. It's the toolkit we use to navigate life's challenges and maintain our emotional health.
That’s a great way of putting it. Seeing this a toolkit makes gives a feeling of control. I like that.
For my own practical purposes, persistence is defined as my ability to persist through the persecutions of my self-martydom...It's safe to say there's some room for improvement here, and there's still alot to learn.
Thanks for this!
Ha, yeah. Self martyrdom isn't a great place to be. Hopefully the post is useful.
you're not wrong. It was definitely insigtful, much appreciated!
I particularly appreciate the distinction you make between personal and organizational resilience. Personal resilience is about an individual's ability to manage their mental well-being and cope with challenges, while organizational resilience is about the collective ability of a team or organization to adapt and continue delivering results despite external challenges.
I agree with your assessment that misunderstanding of personal resilience can lead to burnout and other serious health issues. It is important for individuals to recognize that it is okay to slow down or stop when they need to. There are many things that individuals can do to nurture their personal resilience, such as getting regular rest and sleep, engaging in hobbies, eating a healthy diet, and managing their energy levels.