11 Tips to Build Resilience and Create Grit Within

What’s Your Daily To-Do List?

Give gratitude, meditate, 30 minute yoga routine, shower, dry hair, apply lotion and make- up, dress to impress, fix cup of coffee, create to-do list for the day, write a check and leave outside for the lawn care crew, check email, respond to the plumber, the PTA president, SIL, read daily e-newsletter, pay water bill online, feed pets, make breakfast for 4, wake up the household, make beds, eat breakfast while chopping food for the evening meal, rinse breakfast dishes, place in dishwasher, start the dishwasher, make and pack 4 lunches, brush teeth, put on shoes, grab purse, backpacks and lunches, walk out of the house.

Uff-da! That’s a long task list to complete in the first few hours of being awake.

But what happens when you go to make those 4 lunches but you are out of bread? Or what do you do if you go to write the check before remembering that you used the last one the week before? What about if you drop your coffee cup and it shatters on the kitchen floor? Or if your cat threw up multiple times throughout the night?

How would any of those situations affect you? Would you feel stressed? Anxious? Would the rest of your day be ruined? You haven’t even left the house for the day and suddenly your shoulders are tense and you have a headache.

NAPO Conference: Learning How to Build Resilience

I attended my first NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) conference which happened to be in Fort Worth (wahoo for the close location!). My brain was overloaded from the informative sessions, but one session stood out above the rest. I had the privilege to listen to Janice Simon who spoke about resiliency. She was a firecracker! Smart and engaging, with a side of humor. I enjoyed her session immensely and wanted to pass along some of her wisdom.

In the session, Janice described 11 methods on how to build your mental toughness and grit (aka your resiliency). She stated that your resilience is like a muscle and can be conditioned to become stronger. Building up your mental toughness will help you face challenges head on. By utilizing the methods below (throughout the day, week, or month, you choose!), you can train yourself to build resilience, focus on positives, and reduce negative stressors in your daily life.

11 Resilience Habits for Real Life

1. ABC Method

• Accept Reality: doesn’t mean you agree, but you do have the power to control your thoughts and emotions about what happened.

• Behave Productively: when you focus on the negative or behave unproductively, your mental strength becomes depleted.

• Control Upsetting Thoughts: don’t focus on the negative.

2. Rose, Thorn, Bud

Focusing on positives makes life more positive. Think of one item for each of the following: Rose (something great), Thorn (something learned), Bud (act of kindness you witnessed or initiated). This helps you build resilience daily.

3. Happiness is a Habit, Not an Aspiration

Happiness is a state of mind, not something you achieve in the future if ______ happens. Start thinking happy now to build resilience.

4. Take Regular Breaks

Take 20 minutes for meals, a short walk, or a yoga routine. Breaks restore focus and build resilience against burnout.

5. Feel the Fear, but Take Action

Feel the fear then learn what it can teach you. Design a plan that will make the fear disappear, then follow through with an action.

6. Establish a Routine to Build Resilience

Routines rewire your brain to build habits. Habits create momentum, reduce reliance on willpower, and provide feelings of control.

7. What is Your Most Important Thing (MIT)?

Identify one baby step task. Completing this first thing in the morning builds momentum and helps you build resilience against overwhelm.

8. Identify the Important Things

Make a list of Quality vs Quantity: time, people, activities. Decide what must get done, what brings joy, and where you can cut back.

9. “Done is Perfect.” – Donna Smallen

Don’t attempt perfection. Complete the task, accept the B+ or A- rating, and move on. Perfectionism prevents you from building resilience.

10. Slow Down Your Decision Making

Extreme stress affects problem solving and impulse control. Slowing down supports better choices and strengthens your mental toughness.

11. Practice Self-Care

Exercise, meditate, eat well, enjoy hobbies. When you physically and mentally feel strong, your resilience will be strong.

How Will You Build Resilience?

What do you think? Which one do you think will work best for you and your life? Do you already utilize any of the above tips for dealing with daily life? I recommend picking 2–3 of your favorites (the ones that made you go, “ahh!”) and see how strong you can build your resilience.

One last fun trick: I loved Mel Robbins’s suggestion of counting backwards…5, 4, 3, 2, 1, MOVE. It’s a small step that helps you overcome hesitation and build resilience daily. It works great for me when I truly don’t want to start a task and I’ve been sitting for a while. I count backwards and it’s like my brain remembers all of the races I did as a child and BAM! I’m up and moving.

Let me know in the comments which one you try and how it helps you in your home organizing transformation.

Good luck!

Stephanie

Want to know more about Feng Shui? Read Energize and Balance Your Life Through Feng Shui