Resilience is defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties”. Also known as toughness, flexibility or adaptability.
The root of resilience is adapting, keep on going despite what life offers. That level of perseverance takes action. Action: takes motivation.
The APA (American Psychological Association) defines motivation as “‘inducing behavior’—stimuli that motivate us to take action are those that transform potential energy into kinetic energy. This transformation is literal and figurative. In the absence of motivation, ability or potential cannot be transformed into products or performance.”
“In the absence of motivation, ability or potential cannot be transformed…”
When there are unwanted circumstances, we adapt to them. When there are problems arising, we try to solve them. In any case though, our resilience has to outweigh our resistance to change. It is only when our vision, our beliefs, and our willingness to act outweigh our insecurities that we can lead resilient lives.
Motivation has a formula to it and there are many different types. However, we can divide them into two main categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation stems from other people’s expectations and desires. Intrinsic is motivation comes from inside of us. We are intrinsically motivated when the actions we are taking are fueling meaning and purpose.
Meaning and purpose typically arise from things that grant us a sense of autonomy, competence, and connection. If one can satisfy those three things, the work typically turns indifference to inherently meaningful. When something means that much to us, the excuses don’t fly anymore. “I’m tired”, “It can wait”, “I don’t feel like it”… are all insufficient replies to a woman whose son is stuck under a car. Where did she find the strength?
“When something means that much to us, the excuses don’t fly anymore.”
Point is, if you can find a mission that supports your vision, challenges you, and keeps you in flow– you’ll have no problem finding the strength to lift the cars in your life.
Whether it is going to the gym and finally losing the weight, being more involved in your work or school because it would help your performance, improving the relationships you’ve been taking for granted, finally getting your finances and diet in check… whatever it is, you have to see that resilience overcomes resistance.
So my personal call to action is to imagine prolonging all of it.
Close your eyes. And think about how good you feel still being out of shape, unhealthy, uneducated, underperforming, lonely, poor.
Draw it out 5-10 more years.
All of the consequences affect your life. Change later? And any of those things, all of those things, could affect your life.
Change now? And 10-years-from-now-you will thank you.
