Intentional Actions to be Resilient

What does it look like to be resilient? How do we do things that make us feel resilient, or make other people look at us, and think that we are the type of person that is resilient?

We all have to be resilient. Our environment and forces outside our control continuously have influence on us. In 2020, every one of us has had to face unexpected adversity. 

Just getting through is not good enough. I feel personal freedom and pride when my actions bring a sense of control. Resilience to me is being aligned with my own purpose, no matter what is thrown my way. Experiencing that feeling requires cultivating awareness to act as a gateway for real change.

Exposure to uncomfortable emotions and situations that are just past the edge of what you know expand your capacity. Increased capacity means awakenings happen, awareness expands, and resilience actually happens.

I am forever curating this list of intentional actions that I actually do for executing on this. When I read a book, hear a speaker, or get a suggestion of a new thing to look into I often record it and consider later how to commit and engage to make it a priority.

Here are my top 10 intentional actions for building resilience that I actually use right now.

Set Goals

• Write out goals every week. Every time horizon - daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, 3 years out, 10 years out, and for life
• This is typed up in a google doc - glad to share a template.

Clarity breaks

• To keep up with all of this, it has to be a priority to take the time to do.  
• Learn more here: EOS Clarity Break

Meditate every day

• The benefits of meditation can only be fully understood through experience.
• This only stuck for me when I began to use the Headspace App (https://www.headspace.com/) for guided meditation. 

Read every day

• I listen to full-length audiobooks, 30 of them so far in 2020
• https://www.audible.com/

Show gratitude every day

• My current practice is to send a picture to my wife every day with a note
• We back all our pictures up to Amazon Photos (any cloud service will do)

Move every day

• So much I could say here. Keep it simple - go for a walk, every day, and do not skip it.

Check in with how you and your family are feeling every day

• Social-emotional learning is just as valuable for adults as it is for our children
• Visit Prepared Parents and get their Check-In/Check-Out parenting tool in the resources

Get a Mentor

• This could be through a company, church, community/interest group, or professional association.

Become a Mentor

• Consider a formal program
• Women in Research mentor program

Participate in a community of people you aspire to be like

• Entrepreneur's Organization has provided multiple transformational experiences for me

If this list inspires you to share with me what you do, I welcome the opportunity to learn from your experience.