If your bounceback rate = A, then A = C-B
….where B is the time that an event occurred that completely derailed you, and C is the bounceback time that you thought “Right, bring-it on I’m ready to recover from this now, what’s next?”
It follows that C-B is your bounceback rate or recovery pace.
This is not a mathematical formula I’ve seen written anywhere, it’s one that my analystical mind created to help me rationalise to others the speed (bounceback rate) I get through to C.
Despite my simple rationalisation, the words bounceback and bouncebackability are frequently used when describing tolerance levels in relation to resilience.
Positive Choices
In my own experience resilience has been a positive choice I’ve made, choosing to see brighter light at the end of a shorter tunnel than others. I still get hurt as often as others by negative events or my own perceived failures, but once I’m through the shock and anger then I’m out the other side seeking help & advice. I will already be learning from the situation and applying this to adapt to whatever I’ll do next.
I once threw my heart & soul into a job application to such an extent that when I heard the news I hadn’t got the role I felt literally broken, a total failure. I was completely ready to give up even trying again for the long-sought after promotion. That was at around 4:45pm one afternoon. By 6:30pm I was on the phone to my then boss already discussing what my action plan would be to make sure then next opportunity didn’t slip past me. I already felt energised, determined and optimistic. Two weeks later I was appointed into an alternative promoted role, and my next new chapter began.
Learnings
There are two things I learnt from that and many other similar experiences – firstly that my bounceback rate is very fast!
I might take a psychological battering in the very short-term but I will not let the b***ers keep me down! Not a chance. And secondly my natural positivity and optimism is what cancels out the negative emotions.
So is there a lesson here for me and others – resilience itself isn’t how far or how hard I’ve fallen. It’s about how I’ve been able to choose to pick myself up, take a deep breath, dust myself off and start all over again.
Resilience isn’t a behaviour or characteristic – but perhaps bouncebackability is a competence?
I’d welcome your views on this topic – add your comments below, or if you prefer to talk to me further about resilience and bouncebackability then get in touch.
i completely agree that bouncebackability (aka resilience) is a competence, however, it can contribute to a more general characteristic which is often referred to as mental toughness. The issue, which has been elevated in my awareness for the past 18 months is that, if it is isn’t nurtured and practiced, resilience is fragile. If i take your example of the job application, in those times when less resilient, we’re more likely to associate the outcome with our own personal value, such that failure impacts to an even greater extent. The answer, well to tell someone feeling less resilient to be phlegmatic isn’t likely to be of any value – more likely attaching personal value to the process of a professional application, and learning from that, at least makes it constructive moving forward.