Adversity Response

We grow from adversity. It’s a common phrase, often used to inspire us to keep going. However, the phrase often lacks nuance. I believe that growth doesn’t come from our response to adversity, but instead from reflecting on what happened. But, many of us don’t have the luxury of getting to reflect when we are in the thick of performing; instead we need to respond, and respond fast.

I often talk to my clients about snap recovery. Snap recovery requires recovering from a mistake as quickly as you snap your fingers. The faster the response is to the mistake, the better. However, speed isn’t all you need. You also need to make sure your decision making is strong. Simply reacting often results in mistakes. We need to be fast and in control. It’s a potent combination. When adversity hits, we need to respond instead of reacting. 

React = out of control

vs.

Respond = in control

A great response to adversity is fast and in control. In fact, you can even program mistake responses ahead of time. For example, you could program in advance that if I turn the ball over in basketball, I will sprint back on defense. You can practice your response to adversity. Train it. If we get really good at responding to adversity, then we can reflect on how we go about doing so, and therein lies the opportunity to grow. So, do we grow from adversity? Maybe we do, maybe we don’t. But first, let’s focus on responding instead of reacting.