Rules of Resilience: How to Thrive in a World of Change and UncertaintySample

Resilience Rule #3: Rally Your Resources

Research shows that the bigger the challenge, the bigger the support system needed to successfully navigate the obstacle or achieve the goal.1 You probably have more resources than you think, and you likely have many opportunities to cultivate resources so that you are better equipped to be resilient through future challenges. Whether you need to reach out for help because your mental health is suffering, or you have a big career or financial goal that will take mentorship, training, and new connections, you need a support system to be resilient. What would it look like for you to rally your resources in your current challenge? Whatever you’re facing today, you can dramatically increase your resilience by doing three things:

Cultivate and build a strong support system of protective resources. Building resources that can protect against or at least reduce the impact of storms is essential to resilience. Many are generated by the preventive choices you make—saving money, investing in your education and skills, setting boundaries and avoiding toxic relationships, nurturing strong relationships, and taking good care of your health. These preventive choices help you cultivate a strong support system of resources you can access as the need arises.

Watch for additional outside resources you can tap into. It’s not particularly effective to have resources if you don’t notice them or use them when needed. In addition, sometimes you have to be proactive and seek out additional support. It usually won’t just appear on your doorstep. To be resilient, open your eyes to potential resources in your community that you may not have recognized. Also, be willing to reach out for help when you need it.

Expand and diversify your relational network. We know that people tend to help those in their existing networks, and we also know that people’s networks most often look like them, in terms of culture, gender, age, and economic status. And while people naturally behave in these ways, you have the freedom to move beyond your natural networks of relationships. This can be particularly important when it comes to rallying your resources.

When things go wrong, your most important resource is strong relationships. You need people in your life who care for you, with whom you can be real, imperfect, and honest about how you’re really doing. By tapping into the protective resource of a strong friendship and wise counsel, and then accessing professional-level expertise and support, you can enlist the resources you need to recover.

1. Fatih Ozbay et al., “Social Support and Resilience to Stress: From Neurobiology to Clinical Practice,” Psychiatry (Edgmont) 4, no. 5 (May 2007): 35–40, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2921311/; Ye Cui, “Goal-Setting Theory,” Theoretical Models for Teaching and Research, accessed January 6, 2025, https://opentext.wsu.edu/theoreticalmodelsforteachingandresearch/chapter/goal-setting-theory/.