How to prepare for adversity

Recently I had the privilege to speak at an awards assembly for outstanding Business and Accounting seniors at The College of Idaho. GO YOTES! The last time I was in the Shannon Library on campus was (ahem) last century. Ha! That’s such a long time ago…but I don’t mind calling out the passing of time. I’m ok with my age because the longer I live, the more memories I collect and the happier I become. I am embracing this life and love what’s unfolding. I believe that age is a mindset, not a curse. But that topic is possibly for another blog…

The theme of the event was "How to prepare for adversity" for these seniors heading into their next phase.

Here are my 3 main takeaways:

1) Know yourself really really well. The more you know yourself, the more unstoppable you will become. This is your self-awareness, your EQ. Know your strengths, your values and LEAN INTO THEM. We have a tendency to focus on overcoming our weaknesses but if you identify your strengths and then capitalize on them, that’s when you find your superpower. You can think of yourself like a business. A business has a target market and will capitalize on their strengths to create a competitive advantage right? A successful business is also super clear on their values. They KNOW that challenges will come their way and they can look to their values to make sound decisions quickly. Looking back at my career, my superpower became apparent once I capitalized on my strengths and didn’t compromise my values.

2) Know when to stop. Grit and perseverance are essential to success, however, fighting for something is only good IF it’s something worth fighting for. I no longer believe the mantra, "quitters never win and winners never quit” is the best mantra for success. If you are not doing the right kind of work, you are going nowhere and you will be unfulfilled. So be super clear on what you want and then GO for it.

3) High achievers try new things. They break out of comfort zones. They still have the fear of the unknown, but they take the leap anyway. To try something new, you have to get uncomfortable. That’s where you grow. Richard Branson said it best “the brave don’t live forever but the cautious don’t live at all.”

Go Yotes!!