What if Today is the Only Time You Have to Take Action? by Marc LeVine

Ever plan something important and run into trouble? Your car broke down on the way to a presentation with one hundred people waiting for you to speak. Or you needed to accomplish a major goal without the necessary tools and support. We have all faced this kind of adversity at one time or another. The more important question here is what did you do at that very moment – fold or find a way to succeed?

Resourcefulness is a critical part of problem solving. Without it, plans often go awry, and required results may be delayed or even rendered unachievable. The ability to look around and find alternatives while unpredictable events are unfolding is a necessary skill for success.

Can you “think outside the box” when familiar solutions are not available? Often there is no discernible template to address every new and emerging obstacle we might face. Experimentation under quick thinking circumstances often requires us to mentally run through numerous untried scenarios and choose one. This is not easy to do, because fear of failure often paralyzes us. It can cause us to do nothing-at-all and simply, surrender to failure. Only having confidence in ourselves frees us to take some chances and DO SOMETHING. Confident people keep trying until they find a way.

Confident people also ask for help. There is little time for smugness and arrogance when facing down tough obstacles. We must allow for a little humility to sink in and accept that to accomplish some things we may need the help of others. There is no shame in asking for help. There is also no shame in accepting a team solution in favor of trying to be the singular hero. We respect those who facilitate wins for the team.

When things get tough, resourceful people also avoid excuse making. Not having the optimal resources available to accomplish a task absolves no one of their responsibility to get the job done. If you do not have a circular saw available to cut wall trim, “getting the job done at any cost” may mean having to use a serrated steak knife to cut through it. Heck, I have done that!

Resourceful people avoid negativism by strengthening their resolve and keeping an open mind. Being resourceful calls for a free flow of ideas. We will always find many more naysayers trying to hold us back than those seeking to offer us encouragement. Human nature often dictates taking additional caution in every challenging situation to avoid harm. Too often we avoid challenging situations entirely as a result. Simply being more resourceful may protect us from failure by calling upon our creative juices to help navigate around pitfalls on the way to successful outcomes.

Recently, we discussed closed and growth mindsets. Well, being resourceful requires a mindset of its own. With a resourceful mindset we are driven to find a way. There is no waiting. We will always try to find a way, always.

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The Author

Listen to Marc's latest interview on The AutomationBlog Podcast with Shawn Tierney.

Marc LeVine?is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions and Learning and Development Lead at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021. His prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ