Bouncing Back

Take these steps now to bounce back from whatever setback you have experienced.

Ayo Mseka

The past few weeks have been challenging for all of us as we did our best to manage the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

As an agent or advisor, you have had to stay calm and rely on the power of resilience to keep going as you helped families, colleagues and clients cope with whatever crises they were facing. For help in this arena, many of you turned to the NAIFA website, which features a wide range of critical resources, including timely updates on COVID-19, critical insights for dealing with the impact of the virus by NAIFA members and industry experts, as well as the latest information from thought leaders, policy makers, legislators and regulators.

Now, as we slowly begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we still have to keep our spirits up so that we can continue to help families regain hope, rebuild lives and get back to the task of securing a sound financial future.

Flexing Our Resilience Muscles

So, how do we flex our resilience muscles and bounce back after a setback? The five S.T.E.P.S. below by motivational speaker and coach, Toni Harris Taylor, will help you come back from whatever setback you have experienced.

1. Show up. One of the best ways to build resilience is to keep showing up, even when you are having a difficult time and you don’t feel like doing so. Showing up helps to distract you from your problems and allows you to shift your focus. Showing up is also a motivator to others who may know that you are dealing with difficult life circumstances and see that you are continuing to show up, no matter what. In turn, pushing forward over obstacles is a great way to build resilience muscles and help you to stay focused.

2. Talk to yourself. Positive self-talk is a great way to push yourself when times are tough. You may have to talk yourself into moving forward. Part of talking to yourself is filling your mind with positive motivation to maintain a positive attitude. When I was a financial advisor, I drove 36,000 miles my first year in the business. I used the time wisely to feed my mind and maintain a positive attitude through a very difficult situation. Sometimes, we have to kick ourselves into gear, and developing an attitude of positivity will go a long way to help us bounce back.

3. Eliminate excuses. “If you really want something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.” What a powerful and true statement! If you want to build your resilience muscles, you must find a way to eliminate potential excuses and cop-outs in your life. Delegate and say no to some requests to free yourself from extra responsibilities.

Developing

4. Persevere. I have a client who is a top financial advisor in his company. One day, he woke up feeling dizzy and unable to walk in a straight line. His diagnosis was vertigo. It affected him personally and professionally. Yet, at the end of that year, he was able to excel, and he produced his highest grossing year. When I asked him the key to his success, he stated that it was his desire to persevere and not to quit. He thought about quitting and he felt sorry for himself (which he admits he did for a brief time), but his coaches, management and family pushed him to keep moving despite the illness. He resolved to do just that and remains a top producer today.

5. Find support. You cannot be successful on your own. Everybody needs support and help. The key is to ask for help when you are bouncing back from a setback. Who is in your corner? Who supports you when you are not feeling worthy and up to yourself? My client, mentioned above, asked for help from his assistant who drove him to appointments, from his management, and from his coaches who helped him not to feel sorry for himself and to get out of his own way.

If you keep on stepping when life’s challenges appear, Taylor advises, you will be successful, no matter what!