Resilience is not grit, it’s more powerful and longer lasting

Many of us have a misconception that resilience is what we need when things start to go wrong. 

We steel ourselves, straighten our backbone, focus our attention and move forward.

But that is grit, not resilience.

Resilience begins way before the situation that goes wrong. It starts with mindset, then preparation, then response.

Resilient Mindset

Most of us, when we perceive a problem or even an opportunity, find or look for a solution. Once we determine the solution, then it’s clear that anyone who disagrees with that solution or advocates for a different approach is wrong.

If they can be convinced, either through logic, facts, rewards, or punishment, good for them.

If they can’t be convinced, they are pigheaded, illogical, and deplorable. Our expectation is that we deploy our solution, it solves the problem, and we move on. If it doesn’t solve the problem, then someone is to blame or we had bad luck or maybe we just have to do it harder.

The resilient mindset is the exact opposite.

The resilient mindset is that whatever the problem, we aren’t sure of what is going to work. We are in a much better solution working with others with different viewpoints and backgrounds so that our actions are based on a more rounded perception of the situation.

And in all likelihood, whatever we do isn’t going to completely resolve the situation, so we have to be prepared.

Resilient Preparation

Resilient preparation assumes that our prepared plan is virtually worthless.

“Everyone has a plan ‘till they get punched in the fact,” as Mike Tyson is credited with saying. That doesn’t mean planning is worthless, but it does change the purpose of planning.

The purpose of planning is to develop possible actions, to predict the most likely results, to anticipate what might go wrong, and to develop a way to observe both how we are performing and the results so that we can decide on our next actions quickly and effectively.

During planning, we take in information from the environment, from different sources. We analyze that information and relate it to what has been done before, and we devise possible new actions, then we try to figure out what might go wrong, how we can expect the unexpected and we prepare the actions we think might work to counteract those, we practice responding to different situations, and we determine how we will observe and evaluate the results of what we do.

And then we act.

Resilient Response

When we act from a MindShifted mind, we act with the expectation that this action is merely one step toward our goals.

We are curious; we want to find out how we will reevaluate and respond appropriately to whatever happens.

The resilient response stems from our resilient mindset and our resilient preparation. Because of our resilient mindset and preparation we are already armed with possible responses and we are playful instead of judgmental, so we are acting, replanning, and responding with what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi would call flow, and what Chamine Shirzad would call a Jedi Mindset.

Resilience versus Grit

If our goal were to climb a hill, we wouldn’t judge ourselves a failure after the first step didn’t reach our goals. Imagine the effort if each step of the way we gritted it out, saying to ourselves, “I failed but I’ll try one more step.”  We know right from the start that each step brings us closer, and that it will take many steps to reach the top.

Resilience is understanding that there will be multiple steps, the path might change course, there might be challenging obstacles, but we are going to have fun along the way and feel great when we reach the top.

If we want to be a good artist and our most recent work doesn’t show master:

• Grit would be steeling ourselves to continue the struggle; quitters never win so we have to do art harder and with more purpose whether we like it or not.
• Resilience would be to have enjoyed the process of making the last piece, reflecting on what we learned, and choosing what we want to try or practice next. Resilience makes it play instead of work.

Which do you find more attractive?

To Learn More

Resilience is taught in the course MindShifting: Flexible Mindsets for Long Term success. You can see when the next class is, along with a description, here.

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About MindShifting with Mitch Weisburgh

MindShifting is transforming how individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their full potential—whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or personal growth journeys. Developed by educator, author, and thought leader Mitch Weisburgh, MindShifting combines the latest insights from psychology, neuroscience, and practical experience to help people overcome barriers, shift mindsets, and achieve lasting results.

Through his writing, keynote talks, and engaging workshops, Mitch empowers educators, corporate teams, and life coaches to embrace new ways of thinking and problem-solving. His unique MindShifting framework provides practical tools for building resilience, resourcefulness, and collaborative skills that drive real-world change.

To continue your exploration of MindShifting, visit www.mindshiftingwithmitch.com.