Resilient People (part 1)
We live in interesting times. We believe our times are more hectic than ever, and the result is stress. Stressed people may tend to react harsh, and such reactions may contribute to a spiral of emotion. This may be why one of the buzzwords today is resilience. It is true: Some people are more resilient than others. Let´s try to understand some aspects:
Time is for all of us the same. Physics told us, a second is a second. The time, the door of an elevator needs to close, is always equal – but our perception of time changes: If we are relaxed, the door seems to close immediately, once we are under pressure it takes eternities. Just a simple example about how we react under stress. Obviously, it’s on us and our emotion(s) to deal with how we experience time. The experience of time may influence our stress level. What makes resilient people different?
Resilient people understand that they have not always control over their time. They are able and willing to give-up control or to accept we cannot control everything. There is the African proverb: “you have the watches, we have the time”, often used in various context. The meaning behind: Whatever you do – life may not care about your plans. The more one tries to press activities in a day with 24 hours limit, the higher gets the risk of destroying the whole day. Resilient people (as well as resilient organizations) build in time in their day for the unexpected, following the motto: “I don´t know who you are, but I will welcome you, my dear surprise, turbulence, distraction. Nice to meeting with you. What can we do together?” A fully filled day can only mess-up with the schedule, a fully organized day will guild in time for the unknowns of our life.
Even Microsoft understood the need for a different use of time. They call it focus time and encourage us to build it in. It will be up to us to change our habits and behavior. And it may be the start of an improved resilience.
