3 tips to building resilience in your businessPosted by On August 17, 2020

3 tips to building resilience in your business 1

We so often hear about the need to be more resilient. Whenever I hear that I automatically picture some super hero battling against the evil villains to save the world from impending doom. To be honest running a business can feel like that sometimes, especially during these uncertain times of COVID 19 lockdown restrictions and the future’s uncertainty.
These days we are being challenged and driven to our limits more than ever. We can either choose to give up or we can chose to go on. I choose to go on, but to do it wisely. Working smart, not harder.
If you look up the definition of resilience, the dictionaries and gurus will tell you resilience is all about the ability to bounce back quickly. The ability to recovery quickly after a set back. Resilience is not about pushing through and trying to be a strong, impenetrable force. Sorry super heroes, resilience is not just about strength and brute-force.
Let’s take  a leaf out of a professional athlete’s book. In order for a professional athlete to perform at their optimum for every event and to be able to recovery quickly and bounce back for their next event, they need to follow a very strict routine of training, nutrition, rest and recovery. If we had to apply that methodology to a business owner, it means that if a business owner wants to perform at their optimum every day, to be able to recovery quickly and bounce back from a hard day. They need to follow a strict regime of training, nutrition, rest and recovery.
What does that look like in a business setting? It’s pretty simple, its about following 3 key things:
TRAINING – This would be your routine. Ensuring that you are following a set structured routine every day.
  • Starting and ending work at a decent hour. Ensuring that you have healthy boundaries in place to start and stop work every day. Professional athletes have a set number of hours they will train every day. No more and no less. Why do business owners think they need to burn the midnight oil every night and then wonder why they are reaching burn out?
  • Your routine should be focused on priority tasks. Just like an athlete will focus on key exercise drills every day. Performing random tasks in your business because you aren’t focused is like Usain Bolt flipping a coin on which training drills he will be doing for the day. Daft, unproductive and a complete waste of time.
  • Routine would also include making time for other activities besides working. What does your exercise routine look like? Have you made time everyday for physically activity, to get out and to exercise.
  • Take a look at this blog 7 tips to maintaining momentum with business plan, this will help with establishing a good routine.
NUTRITION – An essential, but often ignored or forgotten component when building resilience. Professional athletes know that they can train as much as they like, but if they are putting the wrong food into their bodies, they will never perform at their best.
Study after study will re-enforce the fact that what you put in your body, will positively or negatively affect your mood, behaviour and general well being. Healthy body, healthy mind. What are you doing at the moment to ensure you are following a nutritious and healthy diet?
REST AND RECOVERY – Taking breaks to rest and recover is part of building resilience. Athletes who over-train and over work themselves develop injuries, which results in them not perform at their peak and having to retire early.
In business rest and recovery is about putting in strategic stops. Stopping for a tea break, stopping for a lunch break and stopping at a decent hour at the end of the day. It also means to stop thinking about work, when you are off. How can this be achieved? There are a few ways, such as following specific meditation practises, having a sport or a hobby to take your mind off of work. Reading a book, listening to music or socialising with family and friends. Planning holidays and get aways so there is something to look forward to besides work. If you don’t plan for it, guaranteed you will look back after the year and realise that you haven’t had a decent break.
If you want to be more resilient, to bounce back and recovery quickly, then start working smarter not harder. Think like an athlete, build routine, healthy nutritional practices and rest and recovery during your weeks. Remember resilience is about quick recovery, not your endurance levels.
Nicole Coyne
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Nicole is a certified professional coach as well as a certified trainer, advanced assessor and coach mentor. Based in Auckland, she provides a range of coaching options, from individual business owner and management coaching, group and team coaching workshops to personal coaching. Her coaching practice is aligned to the ICF ethos and ethics. Need to hire a professional coach? Contact Nicole [email protected] 

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