Plenty of experts tell us that being resilient is vital for career success. So much so that “Resilience” (now with a capital R) has become one of those sought-after traits.
“You’ve got to be able to tough it out,” they tell us, “so you can cope with the highs and lows, and whatever shiz life throws at you next.”
That seems reasonable. No snowflake ever survived the white heat of a boardroom dispute, and being able to bounce back from setbacks, persevere in the face of adversity, and develop a “thicker skin” all feel like useful skills to have.
But what if building more resilience is not really the answer? What if telling people to be resilient is a cheap way to wallpaper over deeper, more systemic issues? What if resilience is a slow-cooker recipe for poor mental health, burnout, and self-destruction?
What if, instead, the key to being happy and successful was something different, like simply being better prepared for what you need to do next?
I believe that many of us may benefit from a subtle shift in focus: from enduring and overcoming challenges, to proactively preparing for them with a Future-Ready Mindset.
Don’t get me wrong, you still need a backbone to thrive, and this mindset won’t make you impervious to problems. But it may help you sidestep some of the big ones by helping you become better prepared (mentally and physically) for the inevitable bumps on the road ahead.
It’s like the difference between heroically weathering a storm and having the foresight to build a shelter before the clouds even appear over the horizon.
So, maybe being the unshakeable oak in the storm isn’t the answer.
What if, instead, you could learn to predict the weather and proactively prepare beforehand?
What does your future need? More Resilience or a Future-Ready Mindset?