Dr. Jerry Bell defines a survivor as someone who "fails well," recovers quickly, and views failure as an opportunity to learn. But what does this mean in practical terms?

There are two core competencies used to measure behavior: Problem Solving and Resiliency. In this article, we’ll focus on resiliency, but first, here’s a brief overview of Problem Solving:

Problem Solving: This involves defining, analyzing, and diagnosing key components of a problem to formulate a solution. Key aspects include:

• Anticipating, identifying, and resolving problems or obstacles.
• Utilizing logical processes to analyze and solve issues.
• Defining the causes, effects, impact, and scope of problems.
• Identifying the multiple components of problems and their relationships.
• Prioritizing steps to reach a solution.
• Developing criteria for optimum solutions.
• Evaluating the potential impact of possible solutions.
• Setting specific goals and clearly defined solution paths.
• Allowing for initial planning and abstract thinking to develop creative solutions.
• Understanding and defining the problem before jumping to solutions.

Review these criteria and assess your proficiency in each area. If there’s a particular aspect you want to improve, create a plan to enhance your skills.

Now, let’s focus on resiliency, which is the ability to recover quickly from adversity. When faced with ongoing challenges, how swiftly do you bounce back? Reflect on a time when something did not go as planned—perhaps a goal was derailed. How long did it take you to recover and move forward? Were there moments of frustration or self-pity?

In "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Stephen Covey discusses the concept of freedom of choice, using Viktor Frankl’s experiences as an example. Frankl, along with other survivors from the death camps, showed that while they couldn’t control their external circumstances, they retained the freedom to choose their mental responses. This mental freedom is central to resiliency.

Resiliency involves accepting that setbacks are inevitable. Each day, we encounter countless situations. The key is how we respond to these situations in a value-driven way.

Response + Ability = Your Ability to Respond

Here’s a list of resiliency traits to consider:

1. Demonstrates the ability to overcome setbacks.
2. Strives to remain optimistic in the face of adversity.
3. Evaluates various aspects of situations to create positive outcomes.
4. Sees criticism as an opportunity to improve.
5. Accepts setbacks and seeks ways to progress.
6. Utilizes feedback to forge ahead.
7. Understands how obstacles can impact results.
8. Identifies unique opportunities by overcoming challenges.
9. Manages emotions and effects of stressful events swiftly.
10. Copes with life’s inevitable bumps.

To develop resilience, it’s important to recognize when we feel overwhelmed, reactive, or blame others. These feelings can indicate a lack of resilience.

In daily life, it can be challenging to step back and evaluate situations from the perspective of creating a positive outcome. Consider a recent setback you’ve experienced:

• What could you have done differently? (Hindsight is 20/20.)
• Write out two or three different approaches.
• Visualize yourself taking these approaches. Visualization may seem trivial, but your brain doesn’t distinguish between imagined and real experiences. Visualizing different outcomes can help your brain build "muscle memory" for future situations.

Give yourself grace. We are all doing the best we can. Now that you have a plan for a new approach, focus on moving forward. Create an action plan that prioritizes steps and avoids adopting a victim mentality.

What will you choose?