There is Value in Struggle

"In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life." -- Albert Bandura, Stanford University

Do you remember the feeling you had after you finally accomplished a long sought-after goal? The feeling is so much better than if you had achieved the goal with little effort. That's why sales trainer Tom Reilly says there is value in struggle. Note that he didn't say there was pleasure or enjoyment in struggle, just value.

"By now, most companies have shed the inefficiencies and practices that no longer add value," says Reilly. "Most people have shed the excesses that have defined lifestyles for many. Neither of these corrections is inherently bad. Both are good for companies and individuals. Many have learned there is value in struggle and have developed a sense of self-efficacy in their efforts to prevail."

Here are some more ideas from Reilly to help you find value in tough situations:

There is value in getting lean. Streamlining and returning to one's roots is invigorating. It's the organizational equivalent to the vinedresser's pruning and prepping the vines for future growth. He removes the unproductive branches so as not to distract valuable resources from those that will produce.

There is value in being strong in weakness. It's not so much the promise of the philosopher, Nietzsche: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." It is more about finding strength you didn't know you had prior to the struggle. Each of us possesses a wellspring of strength we dip into when times get tough. The really good news is that the strength is also there for good times.

There is value in the synergy one must find to prevail in tough times. If energy is the resource for individuals, synergy is the indefatigable resource for survivors. John Donne wrote, "No man is an island..." Survivors understand the power of we over me. The wonderful part of a support network is that when one is weak, another can be strong. That reciprocity ensures someone is always willing to carry the load.

There is value in releasing the creativity and inventiveness that struggle calls for. Is necessity the mother of invention? Maybe. Resilience researchers at ASU found that survivors are inventive. They rely on their resourcefulness to find a way out of their difficulties. They make do with what they have.

There is value in the humility that accompanies adversity. Adversity strips away facades and introduces to our naked and vulnerable selves, generally the most likable part of any of us. It is in those dark moments that we cry out for the help that only the humble can appreciate, "I can't do this on my own." Then, miraculously, help arrives.

Tom Reilly is the president of Tom Reilly Training. He is an authority on value-added selling, and speaks to thousands of salespeople and managers annually on increasing their value to their company and customers.