Tips for Remaining Resilient

By Ed Mitzen

Throughout the ups and downs of a career, remaining resilient is key to staying grounded, growing, and becoming successful. While technical skills and an understanding of your field are largely important, the significance of soft skills, such as resilience, cannot be understated. If this year has taught us anything, it’s that it can be easier said than done to face challenges and see the light at the end of the tunnel. So how do you stay calm in the face of adversity? Here are some tips I’ve learned from my career in advertising and as the founder and head of my company, Fingerpaint.

  • Learn from your mistakes. Not every decision you make in your career will be a good one. But it’s important that you own these choices and are receptive to learning what went wrong and what to do in the future to prevent repeating any missteps.
  • Choose how you respond to challenges. It’s easy to become negative or discouraged when faced with obstacles. Taking a step back to keep your emotions in check will benefit you immensely. Whatever you’re facing is temporary, and staying positive will make the obstacles more manageable compared to dwelling on the negatives.
  • Build relationships. Resilient people know that they can’t get anywhere alone. Fostering diverse and supportive relationships with those around you will help ensure you have a supportive team and continue growing throughout your career.
  • Prepare, prepare, prepare. One way to build resilience is to stay constructive when faced with problems. While it might be easy to let challenges paralyze you, preparing for the present and future can help mitigate obstacles.
  • Take time to celebrate. Resilient people remember to celebrate triumphs along the way. A win can help fuel you through the next challenge you face, so it’s important to take a minute to bask in your successes.
  • Find your meaning. One of the most important ways to stay motivated is to curate meaning in your career. By having a sense of purpose, you can stay grounded as you pursue it and maintain a healthy perspective on the challenges that come your way.

While resiliency likely cannot be learned overnight, putting these tips into practice can help you meet and overcome even the most complex challenges that you encounter over the course of your career.