Resourcefulness: Today's Most Underdeveloped Skill
Although information is at an all-time high and it has never been so easy to find answers to questions, or solutions to problems, the motivation and determination to get that information is at an all time low. Each year as technology advances, we use our brains to think and create solutions to our problems much less. Instead, we simply Google our questions, create a post on social media, or accept the opinions of others through various media outlets. This, in turn, has made resourcefulness one of the most under developed skills set in the world.
According to Oxford, the definition of resourcefulness is "the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties." I would also add "to create the outcomes you desire." Whether you are an entrepreneur or a leader of an organization, resourcefulness is what will separate you from your competition and move you towards the things you want to have and do.
When I started my coaching business I invested in many business development programs expecting them to create my success. What I learned is that it was ultimately up to me to create my own business plan, one that was tailored to my experience and knowledge, aligned with the people I wanted to serve, and fit my personality and lifestyle. I had to do all of the hard work of thinking and designing my successful business. The same goes for people who work a job. Although the company may initially tell you how to do your job, the procedures to follow, as you move up the ladder of success, the toolbox of tangible skills quickly becomes ineffective or outdated. Rather, you have to develop new skills that will help solve your new problem of leading and managing people. Because no two people are alike and no situation is exactly the same as another, it is imperative that leaders become resourceful. And as I've learned, the people who are most resourceful are often the people who experience the greatest amount of success and earn the most amount of money.
While it may be logical to think "Well, if I had a step-by-step manual or was told how to create my outcomes, then for sure I would be successful!", the reality is that even though others may give us the answers to our questions or the solutions to our problems, more often than not, we don't take action on that advice. Instead, we over think the information. We ask lots of questions and cause ourselves to become confused. We may even think "Well, that won't work for my situation" because we believe our situation is different from any other situation that has ever occurred in history. Of course, there are some people who value the advice of the giver and do take immediate action. However, the ability to overcome obstacles and find solutions to create success doesn't actually come from having the answer. If it did, then everyone would have immediate success.
So, how do you know you're not being resourceful? Something for you to consider is "In what way could you create almost immediate success if you could change one particular resource, or have more of it? For example, how would things be different for you if you... had more money? had more time? experienced more support? lived in a bigger city? had more technological knowledge or skills? had more education? didn't have children? had a bigger house? What tangible thing do you think you need that would make achieving success easier? Maybe you think if you weren't working full-time you'd have the resources of time and focus to start your side-hustle. Maybe if you didn't have kids you'd be able to get your work done in a more timely fashion. Maybe you'd be happier and have more success if your spouse was more supportive. News flash: If you think any of the following statements are true, you're dead wrong. All that's really happening is that you are being un-resourceful, or unimaginative. Instead of thinking and exploring all of the options for solving your current problem, you are focusing on the problem. You are telling yourself that the problem can't be solved. This kind of thinking is what is keeping you from finding the solution you need. Let's quickly examine three perspectives that are keeping you from being resourceful:
1. You are focusing on yourself as the problem. You do this by shaming or pitying yourself. You play the victim because things never turn out the way you want them to. You tell yourself you don't have enough credentials or not enough experience. You focus on your lack of resources such as time, money, opportunity, status, etc.
2. You focus on other people as the problem. If you've said something along the lines of "My boss isn't clear." or "He doesn't respond often enough." "My husband isn't supportive enough." "My kids take all of my time." "My friends are demanding." "My parents are overbearing with all the care and attention they need." If you've said anything like these comments, then you are giving others power over your ability to find a solution to your current problem.
3. You are focusing on the universe as the problem. This type of perspective shows up believing that the universe is working against you. It is believing that the solution to your problem is outside of you, in more resources or in better luck. It is believing that God, spirit, or intuition, has the answer so you are going to think, pray or feel into it. It is essentially telling yourself "I don't have the ability to think or take immediate action right now with what I already know about who I am and what I am capable of." I'm not saying it is wrong to pause and reflect and feel into your decisions; I'm simply suggesting that it is keeping you from creating the outcomes you want right now in this moment. It is pushing them into the future. It is essentially procrastinating your success.
I used to think that the universe was against me, that God made a mistake in making me a girl which is why I couldn't have the life I wanted. It is really sad as I look back and reflect on how I delegated everything so my resourcefulness was outside of me. Every attempt I made to solve my problems was thwarted by this deeper belief that I wasn't as lucky as other people in my life, specifically the men in my life. I have since learned, if you want to be a successful person in life, you want to stack the cards as much in your favor, power, and control as possible. You want to learn and develop the skill of resourcefulness, solving problems and getting creative with options within you and by you. And you want to question every resource you think you need in order to be successful. Think of it this way, you want to be your own underdog.
If you start a business and are broke or have failed miserably in the past, it is possible you'll be better off because it forces you to dig deep and be as resourceful as possible. If you have money, and time, and all the resources people think they need to succeed, it is often the hardest to succeed because you use those resources as a way to solve your problems instead of using your imagination, creativity, or critical thinking. When you use your resources to solve your problems, eventually your problems will become bigger than your resources and you will run out of them. If you've watch Shark Tank you'll see millionaires pour all of their money into their businesses and then get to a point where they are out of money and can no longer buy their way out of their problems. They end up selling portions of their business as a way of finding more resource, more money. When you solve problems with resources like money, you aren't using your brain to think of solutions so you're not evolving into a resourceful person. Starting with nothing, or having no resources, requires you to dig deep right away so you quickly become a resourceful person.
I used to play an excellent victim role as I compared myself to friends and family members who were building businesses and had access to lots of resources. I had no idea at the time that developing this mindset of resourcefulness would actually make me a master of possibility. I am now aware of the possibility and resourcefulness we all possess because of my own willingness to become resourceful. Things that once caused me anxiety no longer do; like lack of support, not enough time, getting work done while having my preschooler interrupt me, upsetting my husband because of how I am spending my money. Through years of testing new thought processes and being determined to succeed, I figured things out. I didn't stop because of the obstacles and challenges that were in my life. I figured things out "even when..." It was my mentality, commitment and resourcefulness combined that I was able to figure things out no matter what hardship I was facing, including the hardships brought on by COVID-19.
There are two things that will help you become more resourceful. First, find out what do you think you need in order to create the success you desire. Then, explore ways you are using resources to solve your problems. What are you delegating or hiring out to other people that you could do yourself? Where are you using resources to solve the problem versus solving it with your own imagination and creative thinking? The second step is to ask yourself "How can I solve or create the outcome I want even when... ?" Constantly fill in that blank. That is how you develop your resourcefulness. One point to make is that you have to take action and do it in real time, right now; not in the future. This is not about assigning a time in your calendar to figure out the solution to your problem. Nor is it about hiring it out or delegating it to someone else to solve for now and agreeing to figure it out for yourself at a later date. Action has to be taken RIGHT NOW. Regardless of what you think is in the way of your success, or whatever you lack in resource, even when you don't think you have the money or time, invest in what you want to achieve RIGHT NOW. Challenge your resourcefulness right now by asking "What can I do RIGHT NOW to overcome this obstacle and secure my success?" Ask this question ALL. THE. TIME., especially when you are feeling stuck and think you lack the one resource you need to succeed. When you become a resourceful person, you up the value you bring to your business, organization and to other people. If you can create outcomes without resources, imagine what you will create when you have them.
And for those of you who want to hire a coach, but tell yourself you don't have the time or money to do so, I want to challenge you to start solving this problem today instead of someday in the future. TODAY IS THE ONLY TIME YOU HAVE TO TAKE ACTION to overcome your obstacles, solve your problems, and create your success. Today is no different than someday. One day you may save the money; you might figure it out. But today you could get imaginative and solve the problem and become the resourceful person who has and does the things that she desires, instead of waiting for money and time to deliver the life you want. When you're waiting on resources, the only thing you'll ever do is continue to do is wait.
If you are wondering how coaching can help you become more resourceful please know that coaching is about showing you how your mind, your energy, your behavior is impacting your result. It is giving you an awareness that you don't have. It is questioning you to use your brain in a new way. It develops your resourcefulness. It doesn't replace it. Many people hire a coach and think the coach is going to solve their problems and deliver the results. They make the mistake of thinking a coach replaces their own responsibility to get the results they seek. When you hire a coach, you will become more resourceful because you will have your current thoughts examined. You will be supported as you practice your own resourcefulness, answering your own questions, taking ownership of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and not delegating them to outside sources. Getting your brain to become more resourceful doesn't happen automatically. You have to put energy into making it a habit. You will get results, but you have to be careful if you think that the coach will give you results.