Read The Definitive Guide To Resilience

Welcome to this introduction to resilience. Resilience in all domains of performance, be it work, sport or otherwise, in simple terms, is said to be our personal ability to cope with, and bounce back from adverse conditions. As such, it is an important aspect of the performer's repertoire, be it considered a stable trait or and dynamic process. (We'll discuss more on the question of stable trait versus dynamic process later). It is resilience that helps us face difficulties, think creatively and find solutions to problems. It's what makes us go deep and stay long, longer than most. Psychological resilience helps us endure hard training sessions, dips in business and income, death of loved ones, embarrassment and defeat while retaining the will and determination to come back for more.

If one thing is certain in life, it is change. When positive, change makes us smile. When negative, change challenges us like nothing else. The passing of a loved one, a serious illness or accident, the loss of a job, the death of a business–every situation will affect each of us differently. It brings unique thoughts, feelings and emotions to the fore, demands our attention, and often shifts our mindset. Studies have shown that we adapt well over time to dramatic change. A component of this adaptation is resilience.

Carol Dweck, in her 2017 book Mindset, says that resilience forms part of a “Growth Mindset”. Dweck suggests that a fixed mindset is “believing your qualities are carved in stone,”. In contrast, a growth mindset is “the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts”.

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