It is much easier to be resilient to your big and small challenges if you have a little bit saved up in your resilience bank account. Like a rainy day fund that you might use to help pay for a car repair or for that extra vacation, having some assets (whether they be financial, intellectual or emotional) in the bank will help you weather the worst of the storms. In the model we discuss in The Resilience Advantage, my co-author, Alan Weiss and myself call that “Preparation and Building Hardiness.”

There are lots of ways to get ready for the inevitable tough stuff coming your way. Some of these include:

• Anticipating and planning for predictable challenges. Leave for the airport extra early so you know you won’t fret going through security.
• Start your day off with something positive so you get your mind in a good frame of reference. Read about an inspiring person or post a motivating quote by your desk.
• Avoid energy drainers at work. These would be complainers, whiners and do-nothings who are just looking for you to bail them out.
• Make a commitment to learn something new everyday. Improve by 1% every day and in 70 days you’ll be twice as good as you are today.

The easiest path to resilience is to minimize situations that juice your immune system. Getting ahead of situations that challenge you will always be easier than trying to catch up once the train is moving.

© Richard Citrin, All rights reserved, 2016