Today, I want to share with you a little but powerful tip for improving your mindset, when you need it most: when you’re faced with an obstacle or an issue.
The fancy words for it are proactive adaptability or solution-oriented thinking but my favourite way to refer to it is Resourceful Self thinking.
Part of living is that we encounter challenges.
All. The. Damn. Time. We deal with issues big and small on a regular – more likely daily – basis.
And deal with them we do. We find workarounds. We solve problems. We figure it out.
The issue is that we forget we do this. We are so used to looking forward that we forget all the things we have overcome in our past. Once a problem is solved, it’s easy to forget that we once stood there thinking “How in the blazes am I going to deal with this?!” We forget that we were once stumped by an issue or overwhelmed by a task and that, despite feeling that way, we still figured it out.
Because of our resourcefulness amnesia, the next time we are faced with an issue, we might panic, feel beaten, and think we will never find a way through.
Leaning on our Resourceful Self is about reminding ourselves that we have resolved issues in the past and that there’s absolutely no reason to think we can’t resolve issues in the future. It’s remembering that our Resourceful Self has come through for us time and again and will continue to do so.
Relying on our Resourceful Self is about saying “I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this, but I trust in my ability to figure it out, as I have done many times before.”
Celebrate your resourcefulness.
The best way to get into the habit of relying on your Resourceful Self is to celebrate all that you have overcome in the past. Consider things big and small. Did you get important work done despite an intense meeting schedule? Yeah, you did! Resolved a conflict at work? Nice! Figured out a way to avoid traffic? Give yourself a pat on the back. Found a way to keep going on despite a devastating loss? You're an incredible human. Loaded yourself up like a mule and carried all the groceries into the house in one go? Fist bump.
Spend a few minutes thinking about all the things you have figured out in the last ten years, three years, year, three months, and month. At the end of every day, celebrate the things you figured out that day. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to call upon your Resourceful Self when you need it most.
What else am I up to?
I recently launched a new workshop, called The Balanced Leader. This is a 3-to-4-hour corporate workshop, during which participants learn to interact confidently with their thoughts and emotions and to elevate their mindsets. They gain key insights and learn essential skills for managing the stress that accompanies their role as leaders. As one of my recent workshop participants said, "Everyone - E-VE-RY-ONE - needs to learn this stuff!!!" It’s a great, practical workshop that can align with any organization’s leadership development goals. Book a chat with me if you’d like to learn more! If we connect, I promise there is absolutely no obligation to move forward unless you want to.
With gratitude,
Stephanie
LORA Concepts Inc.
elevating engagement & confidence
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p.s. The information, insight, and advice I share through my work is meant to exist alongside whatever else you may be doing to bolster your mental health, manage stress, or improve your well-being. Nothing I share is meant to replace directives or treatment plans provided by your doctor, therapist, or other healthcare professional.