Resiliency: Failure Is Not an Option

Today, I woke up and felt like a little Eminem to get my day started.

Success is my only motherfuckin' option, failure's not [sorry if such language offends – insert ‘bleep’]

That sounds like resilience to me.

The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The ability to bounce back. The ability to see opportunity and to learn from failure, the ability to adapt and transform.

What does resilience look like in practice?

Challenge Mindset

Most people have a fear of failure. It’s natural. What if you reframe that fear of failure as a challenge? Probably not a rap battle, but to each their own!

The idea of a challenge focuses our mind on our capabilities or, at least, says this is achievable if I come at it the right way. If I focus on my strengths. If I identify my weaknesses and look for resources to fill those gaps.

If we think about our past challenges or perceived setbacks, tragedies, adversity, threats, sources of significant stress, and how have we have persevered, found success, and overcome them facing that fear is not so big. If you think about the triumphs and the lessons learned, it is easier to set that fear aside.

In her book, Startups and Downs: The Secrets of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Mona Bijoor, founder of JOOR and now a partner at Kings Circle Capital, identified the 7 tenants of resilient entrepreneurs. One of her principles is a ‘fear is not an option’ mindset, suggesting resilient founders see failure as an outcome they don’t want to see more of. If you don’t like the outcome, you will pull different levers to get a different result. She cites, Henry Ford, “[f]ailure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

An intelligence developed from those challenges, failures, and mistakes.

Just Do It!

Resilience comes from believing in yourself and, at the same time, in something bigger than yourself.

People with a purpose find it much easier to pick themselves up. A purpose, or your “why”, provides perspective, stability, and determination. It is the reason you pick yourself up and dust yourself off.

Founders are driven by their vision for impact and change and the desire to innovate and disrupt. It takes a lot more to be knocked down or deterred if you are driven by a vision or a purpose.

Resilience means looking at something that seems insurmountable or highly risky and breaking it down into reasonable goals. Then taking action to reach those goals. Actions that move you forward regardless of outcomes. Focusing on progress (that comes the good and the bad). Celebrating the small wins.

Having a growth mindset helps you believe there is a reason for everything, that challenges and setbacks have meaning. They are an opportunity to learn and build toward the bigger picture.

Confidence

Taking us back to Eminem for a hot second…

“Ope, there goes Rabbit, he choked

He's so mad, but he won't give up that easy. No

He won't have it, he knows his whole back's to these ropes

It don't matter, he's dope, he knows that, …”

Enough said. Ok, maybe not, but for today remember confidence is key. And, the more you take on what you are afraid of, force yourself to get uncomfortable, the more confidence you build.

Run at the dog! Grab the mic!