3 Factors Blocking Your Path to Resilience

There are several factors that may be keeping you from being resilient. 

In a recent post, I talked about the internal factors working against your resilience. Factors like not having clarity around what inspires you, such as having a BIG Why or perceiving that you are unworthy and don’t deserve to achieve your dreams and goals.These factors come from your inner dialogue, sometimes stopping you in your tracks. Keeping you stuck. 

But there’s another set of factors that also may be working against you. These factors come from the outside. I call them “blockers.” Life circumstances or pressures that make it nearly impossible to focus on building resilience. 

When you clear out these blockers, life will no longer feel cemented in place. You’ll get unstuck. You’ll be blooming, growing, and helping others. 

Today, I want to talk about 3 common blockers. What they are and what you can do about them. 

Blocker 1: I Don’t Have Enough Time

The most finite resource in the world is time. You can make more money. You can replace tangible items. But you can’t pull back time. 

It’s no surprise, then, that the #1 blocker I hear from resilience-seekers is that they perceive there’s just not enough time. I’m a mentor to many who feel stretched to the breaking point, seemingly caught in a struggle with the limited hours in the day and the overwhelming load of tasks they have to accomplish. Mostly for other people.

Days and weeks disappear. 

And personal goals remain unmoved. 

Yet, everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, and other people seem to get a lot more done.

As givers, you pour their time into others. Many of you spend hours each week helping children, supporting your friends and family, and serving your communities. You run yourselves ragged, unable to fit in time for the most basic self care. 

That’s why one of the core mindset shifts from Mastering Resilience: Transforming Into Your Purpose is around time. It goes like this. 

Mindset Shift: I get to make time to care for myself.

Dig deeper into this shift, and you’ll find powerful keywords. 

• “I get to” - These words hand the power back to you. They give you permission to own your time and spend it how you best see fit. 

• “Make time” - These words illustrate the influence you can have over time. You can’t control the 24-hour clock. But you can make time for what’s important: to you. 

• “Care” - This word is everything. It’s the grace and love you give to others and deserve yourself. By caring for yourself, you’re better equipped to care for others.

If time is the key reason you aren’t building resilience, I offer this mindset shift. 

You get to make time to care for yourself.

Blocker 2: I Can’t Invest in Myself

In our pay-to-play society, we often think money dictates how we care for ourselves. And when it comes down to taking care of our needs or someone else’s, we spend money on others.

This mindset creates a habit of letting money block our path to something we desperately need or want. When the opportunity to help ourselves presents itself, we are trained to think we can’t afford it. When in reality, we can’t afford not to do it. 

We think there isn’t enough time or money to give what we want to give. And the concept of “enough” becomes “I don’t have enough because I’m not enough.” So when money is tight, the excuse becomes “I can’t afford it.” But our inner voice says, “I’m not worth it.” 

I’m here to tell you that you are worth it. You deserve to invest in yourself. Because when you’re whole–emotionally, mentally, spiritually, physically–you can more fully help others. 

I’ve used the airplane analogy before: Secure your oxygen mask before you assist others. You can’t do the good you are capable of doing if you don’t have oxygen. And you get oxygen by investing in yourself first.  And, the truth is: investing in yourself doesn’t always have to cost money.  

It can be as simple as taking a few minutes for yourself, like pausing and taking a few deep breaths, washing your face a little longer, listening to a podcast in the car on the way to work, dancing while you do the dishes (that’s one of my favorites). Even the little things add up in the long run.  

That idea might seem easier said than done. So here are some questions you can ask yourself to validate your decision to move forward with investing in yourself:

• How will taking care of myself first allow me to achieve my goals to help others?

• Will this investment in myself help me feel joy  so I can continue to give at a high level?

• If my best friend told me they were making an investment in themselves, how would I respond?

To live your fullest life, you get to create your own future by investing in yourself, sometimes it doesn’t cost anything, and even if it does, you’re worth it. 

Blocker 3: I Don’t Have the Right Resources

Lack of knowledge is another blocker standing in the way of progress. Knowing you want to move forward and moving forward are two separate mental states. And many people stop short in the face of the unknown. 

• I don’t know what I don’t know.

• Where do I find information?

• Who can I ask for help?

At this moment, it’s easy to sit down and do nothing. It’s easy to stay on autopilot and leave resilience-building for another day. A day won’t come if you keep doing what you’re doing.

If you’re committed to resilience, get resourceful.

There’s a book entitled, Who Not How by Dan Sullivan, that in a nutshell, encourages us to ask, “who do I know who” can help me in this circumstance.  We may not know how to do the next thing, but we know someone who does - or someone we know knows someone who can help.

Beyond that, recognize that resourcefulness is a tool you sharpen by venturing into the world of asking for help. It’s in the moments when you aren’t sure which way to progress that you can choose to seek out a “who” that can offer helpful resources.

Ready to Conquer Blockers?

Time. Money. Resources. 

These blockers stand in the way of your future success. Are you ready to conquer them? 

In my new book, Mastering Resilience: Transforming Into Your Purpose, I share the path to a more resilient future. By overcoming blockers, developing a growth mindset, and investing in the eight ingredients for building resilience, you can realize your goals and reshape your life. 

Order your copy here to get started on your new path today.