A Sense of Resilience Will Overcome a Sense of Uncertainty
Making a decision is essentially making a prediction. We know going in that some decisions will be bad ones. That is why uncertainty always creeps in. How we deal with that uncertainty is a function of our resilience.
Resilience determines how we get strong and healthy after something bad happens.
It is in every Advisor’s best interest to have a strong sense of resilience. Fortunately for those who feel they need more resilience, the trait can be developed. It is, after all, a frame of mind.
The foundation of resilience is belief in one’s abilities.
You have crossed all the hurdles on your way to getting licensed. You passed incredibly tough tests. You have product knowledge. You have the courage to make a living based on your wits. You have experienced success and you have experienced failure. You have been rejected and bounced back. You have the ability to do the job, to thrive, not just survive. Is there any evidence that says you can’t succeed?
Another important part of being a resilient Financial Advisor is perspective.
This is not a job. This is a career. Careers ebb and flow. Movie stars make duds as well as box office hits. Athlete get cut from teams and injured on the field. They toil in the minor leagues, fighting to get to the top. Executives get fired, as do chefs and editors. Keep the bad months, bad quarters and bad years in perspective.
Choose to be optimistic. Self-talk is self-fulfilling, good and bad. Outlooks do not need to be glum. Setbacks are only permanent if you allow them to be.
As the saying goes, eat the elephant one bite at a time. If you have a big problem, don’t feel you have to come up with a big solution. Take baby steps. Don’t worry about going slow. Just don’t stop.
Don’t dwell on problems and don’t feel you are a victim.
Cope with your problems. Look past them. They won’t go away by themselves but they can be managed with the right attitude. Resilient people roll with the punches.
Don’t be all or none with your emotions.
When something goes bad, you don’t need to feel that everything went bad. Be flexible. Seek balance. Problems are challenges, not paralyzing events.
I will say that resilient Advisors I know are all in.
The more you commit to being an Advisor, the better chance you have of developing resiliency. If you don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning, consider a career change. Succeeding in this business requires setting goals and making the commitment to hit them.
Things don’t and won’t go as planned.
You will make mistakes. Learn from them. When things beyond your control change, embrace the change. You may not like it, but you can adjust to it.
Face your problems and figure out a way to solve them. Don’t sit and complain. Take action. One thing that kills resilience is stress. Learn how to manage your stress.
Strong emotions and doses of uncertainty come with the territory.
Resilience is not out of your reach. It is an ordinary trait. People bounce back all the time. Make sure you are one of them. It’s all about a positive attitude and the proper behavior.
Check out Don’s Monthly Newsletter for October – Don helps you not to worry about things you can’t control.
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