Will Resilience Help You to be More Successful?

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (leader during WWII) said, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” This is easier said than done. How do you maintain enthusiasm when you are exhausted, discouraged, frustrated, or completely alone? How can you do this?

It’s the hard truth: from time to time you are going to fail. No matter how much you try to outrun or sidestep failure, failure is going to happen. It’s inevitable: no one has limitless wisdom, energy, strength, patience, or resourcefulness.

In fact, for most of us, it’s not unusual to have more failure than successes. The trick is to “take the hit,” get back up, and keep going. This is easier said than done. How do you maintain enthusiasm when you are exhausted, discouraged, frustrated, or completely alone? How can you do this?

Abraham Lincoln’s life was a disaster: he lost his first love to typhoid, was defeated in eight elections, couldn’t get in to law school, and went bankrupt, but in the end he succeeded in winning the presidential election of 1860 and became one of our greatest presidents.

Resilient people are goal-oriented, which gives them a reason to get back up and keep going in the face of adversity. They don’t give up easily, if ever. Resilient people know their own strengths and they know that they can depend on themselves to do what it takes to get the job done, even if this means going it alone. They also keep a sense of proportion, knowing what is reasonable and what is impossible. The key to success is to decide where you are going, and then keep your eye on your objective. Don’t lose sight of it, and don’t quit. When you stumble, get back up. Don’t let anything discourage you. Keep going until you get there.

With every success, your confidence and commitment will grow. This works every time, no matter what your vocation might be. So be clear on where you are headed, take reasonable risks, and don’t give up on your goals. If you don’t let mistakes paralyze you, you will continue to move forward. This always results in success.