Overview
What do you think of when you hear the word resourceful? The first thing that comes to mind for me is the show MacGyver. It ran in the 1980’s, then had a reboot in the 2016-2021 years. My parents watched the older version, while my wife and I enjoyed the newer version. MacGyver is extremely skilled in science and logic, leading to some creative problem-solving skills. That type of thinking has stuck with me throughout the years, and I try to emulate it as I challenge the status quo.
Resourcefulness means leveraging the resources you have in a way that minimizes waste. Too often, I see people that don’t get anywhere near fully utilizing the tools and talents at their disposal – they just want to do what is comfortable, familiar, and easy. But that’s not how we learn, it’s rarely efficient, and often it’s not all that effective, either. In this article, we’ll discuss 8 habits of highly resourceful people. The idea is to get your mind thinking about how you can build habits that help you get the most out of the resources you have available.
The 8 Habits
Three tips:
- Own up to your mistakes
- Clean up your messes
- Don’t make excuses or blame others
Three tips:
- Under-promise, over-deliver
- Learn to say no
- Follow through on commitments
Three tips:
- The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
- Teamwork makes the dream work
- No one can whistle a symphony
Three tips:
- Challenge yourself to do things differently
- Engage with people who are different
- Seek out feedback often
Three tips:
- Use cushions in your budget and schedule
- Simplify your needs
- Don’t be wasteful – reduce, reuse, and recycle
Three tips:
- Learn deeply the things you are passionate about
- Focus more on width than depth (technology helps with depth)
- Learn how to learn quickly to fill your gaps
Three tips:
- Learn from every failure, but don’t dwell on them
- Laugh it off while keeping your head up and nose down
- Be optimistic but realistic
Three tips:
- Start with being honest with yourself
- Under-promise and over-deliver
- Be trustworthy with little things and big things
Summary
Being resourceful takes effort and intentionality. But it’s one of those traits that people recognize and appreciate. It requires building useful skills and refining them – taking a step back and adapting. Take stock of your resources, how well you know and utilize them, and where the gaps are. Start with the things that frustrate you most – chances are there is a better way!
Remember, practice makes perfect. While the internet is full of endless ways to learn for yourself, sometimes the most efficient and effective way to learn is surrounding yourself with other people who are resourceful or that you can collaborate with and learn together. This is why I’m such a big fan of cohort-based learning – it makes it stick, lets us learn from diverse experiences, and fosters creativity. And that’s what resourcefulness is all about.
What are some other habits or traits of people you’ve found to be resourceful? How have they helped you succeed?
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