How not to blink

Take home messages

• Key challenge is to look after yourself.
• Focus on what you can control, set realistic expectations, don't compare yourself with others and critically, don't overthink — just do!
• Action creates energy, energy creates results and results create success.

Background

Lessons Learnt Consulting defines resilience as our ability to bounce forward and thrive through change and to make use of the lessons learnt and opportunities this world provides us.

The challenge of life is not achieving the bounce back — rather it’s the effective learning of the lessons of life and building on them so that the same mistake is not repeated twice and critically, that we grow and thrive during the process.

We are all resilient — it’s just at times when we are ‘caught up in the moment’, we forget this. We often confuse what resilience is and when we can use this competency.

One of the errors people often make in relation to resilience is to believe that it is only required in the big events of life — relationship breakdowns, health issues, financial issues and chaotic business and environmental circumstances. In effect, resilience is required in everyday life. I often think the major challenge of life is not change — but rather turning up every day and ‘doing the do’.

So, how do we make sure resilience is a natural part of our everyday life, habits and rituals?

Through our research and practical experiences, Lessons Learnt Consulting has developed the HOPE model.

HOPE represents:

• H – healthy habits
• O – optimistic thinking
• P – planning
• E – enacting

H — healthy habits

People must learn to look after themselves because, as I often say ‘if you can't look out for yourself, you can’t look after your family, your mates, your community and your industry’. Unfortunately, many people tend look after their businesses to the detriment of themselves.

Resilient people have healthy habits around routine, diet, sleep, connectivity and physical environment.

What are your habits and do they serve you in a positive manner?

O – optimistic thinking

We hear much about positive thinking. I encourage people not to be positive in their thinking but rather to be realistically optimistic. In reality, we don't have too much control over our outcomes and results. The only thing we control is what we do in order to achieve those outcomes. One characteristic of resilient people is that they focus on process. Follow the process and from that results will come.

Part of what you can control is your thinking process. I believe the most effective thinking process for us to adopt is ‘what are the things that I can do now to achieve the results I desire?’ Be in the moment.

P – planning

Planning is important as it translates our goals and aspirations. My observation is that many people are very good at planning — in fact in the agribusiness sector, planning is the skill that will make or break a season. One of my clients manages her business around the mantra ‘miss a week, miss a season’.

So planning is almost second nature in terms of the way businesses are conducted. It is important therefore that you use these same skills to run your life. Use the skills of setting objectives, establishing milestones, monitoring progress and taking corrective action in the running of your own life. Also in planning, remember to ask for help! Ask yourself the question, ‘What help do I need to achieve the objectives I am trying to achieve?’

E – enacting

Finally we must do. We must enact. One of the most difficult thing people are faced with is actually doing and implementing the plans.

We must DO!

Conclusion

The HOPE model is a very powerful model for building an individual’s resilience and skills.

In learning not to blink, the key challenge is to look after yourself. Focus on what you can control, set realistic expectations, don't compare yourself with others and critically, don't overthink — just do!

Action creates energy, energy creates results and results create success.

Contact details

Dennis Hoiberg
Level 11, 50 Market Street, Melbourne VIC
1300365119

dennis.hoiberg@lessonslearntconsulting.com