Last week I noticed that I was getting a bit grumpy and tired with a lot going on at work and at home, and in the lives of my team. So I texted my boss and asked if we could fit in half an hour to discuss a few things and clarify my priorities. We did that early this week, and the following day he had followed up to help me address something that I couldn’t do on my own. I also leaned on my fellow leaders at our leadership gathering on Wed and while my challenges remain, I know I’m not facing them alone. That means that I can lean into this weekend’s family gatherings not worrying about the work that still needs to be done.
That's a good reframing of the word resilience, I agree it's not just about getting out the other end without being affected. I love the reframing to "navigating through it" and I would also say that if we are going through a rough patch we're always going to be affected, even in a positive way it could be that it changes us for the better or makes us stronger on the other end - but it's also ok if we just make it through unchanged.
Having dealt with patients under catastrophic circumstances, it is quite telling how little our culture prepares us for challenges by its obsessions with youth, success, and peak physical performance. It seems other cultures which embrace family and aging offer more opportunity to observe elder folks —-so agree with your point that resilience is a life skill that develops rather than another “instant” achievement
Last week I noticed that I was getting a bit grumpy and tired with a lot going on at work and at home, and in the lives of my team. So I texted my boss and asked if we could fit in half an hour to discuss a few things and clarify my priorities. We did that early this week, and the following day he had followed up to help me address something that I couldn’t do on my own. I also leaned on my fellow leaders at our leadership gathering on Wed and while my challenges remain, I know I’m not facing them alone. That means that I can lean into this weekend’s family gatherings not worrying about the work that still needs to be done.
That’s wonderful, Jenny! I’m glad you got the support you needed and have an opportunity to have time to truly decompress.
That's a good reframing of the word resilience, I agree it's not just about getting out the other end without being affected. I love the reframing to "navigating through it" and I would also say that if we are going through a rough patch we're always going to be affected, even in a positive way it could be that it changes us for the better or makes us stronger on the other end - but it's also ok if we just make it through unchanged.
Absolutely!
Having dealt with patients under catastrophic circumstances, it is quite telling how little our culture prepares us for challenges by its obsessions with youth, success, and peak physical performance. It seems other cultures which embrace family and aging offer more opportunity to observe elder folks —-so agree with your point that resilience is a life skill that develops rather than another “instant” achievement
Great practical tips - thank you!
Glad they were helpful!