resilience > everything

If I had to pick one thing that's most important in entrepreneurship and sales — it’s resilience.

Merriam-Webster’s first definition of resilience is: "the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress."

So, when you break down a muscle, how quickly it rebuilds and recovers defines the level of resilience.

Now, that’s based on our physical bodies...but the same is true for our mental and emotional states.

When you're hit with a mental or emotional challenge that breaks you down, how quickly can you get back to baseline?

That’s the true measure of resilience. And entrepreneurship, sales, and business will test that daily. No question.

One thing I never considered when I started my journey was how things like rejection, losing deals, and setbacks were going to affect me mentally. Sure, I knew things wouldn’t always go my way, but I didn’t consider that they might not go my way for days… or even weeks at a time.

In my early real estate sales days, I went months without hearing a single “yes.” Every no chipped away at my confidence. Every setback made me more irritated.

And eventually… I started hesitating. I stopped making the tough calls. I avoided rejection. I chased only the “easy” wins. I stayed in my comfort zone, just trying to avoid more pain.

But of course… that did nothing but slow me down.

Just like your body can’t prove resilience until it’s broken down — the same applies to your mental and emotional game. We need stress, setbacks, and failure to build that muscle.

And trust me… sales and entrepreneurship will give you plenty of reps. If you let it.

So, embrace the tough moments. Embrace the no’s. Feel whatever comes up for you..frustration, fear, disappointment.. But don’t stop there.

Take a breath. Take a walk. Reconnect to why you’re doing this. Then take the next step forward.

Here’s a few ways to train your resilience starting today:

• Set a 5-minute recovery rule: After any setback, give yourself 5 minutes to reset; then re-engage.

• Create a personal proof list: Write down moments you bounced back before. Revisit it when you need it.

• Track bounce-back time: Pay attention to how quickly you can shift back into action. Try to shrink that time over the next 30 days.

Your ability to bounce back is one of the most important predictors of your long-term success.

So take the daily hits... and keep getting up.

With love,

James

P.S. I’m launching MentalOS soon—my 6-week Sprint Program for business athletes (founders, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals) who want to develop the mental skills that actually drive execution, consistency, and long-term success. If you want to get the info first, DM me “Sprint” and I’ll make sure you’re added to the early list.