The resilience climb no one signed up for

There’s an eerie beauty in Yoann Bourgeois’ staircase performance.

And honestly, it feels familiar right now.

We’re in the middle of a resilience climb no one signed up for.

With economic uncertainty making headlines daily, it feels like we are getting pushed back down after every step forward. For many teams and organizations, plans stall, projects get paused and worst of all, their optimism starts to wobble.

Like we’re all holding our breath, waiting to see what’s going to happen next.

And while external factors might be out of our control, what is in our hands is the mindset we carry into work each day.

I don’t think the meaning of Yoann Bourgeois’ performance has been fully explained and, lucky for us, it leaves space for interpretation.

For many, it’s about the grace of not giving up. How you bounce back, adapt, and learn from experiences. It’s about resilience.

When we enter our workday carrying the weight of fear, uncertainty, or helplessness, our ability to show up creatively and adaptively shrinks. Not because we’re not capable, but because our emotional bandwidth is tied up in survival mode.

This mindset can sabotage that bounce, and we don’t always realize we’re in that mode.

So how do we shift that?

It starts with a pause and some honest reflection.

Ask yourself the following questions:

How do you feel about the current context?

➤ Name the emotion(s). Be real with yourself.

Do these emotions help you achieve what you want in this context?

➤ Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t.

What emotion would be more helpful?

➤ Maybe it’s curiosity. Or hope. Or calm. You get to choose.

What’s one small, doable thing you could do today to move yourself toward that emotion?

➤ It doesn’t have to be big. Send the email. Go for the walk. Ask the question. Celebrate the win.

Then do it. Action can shift your emotional state and create momentum.

In this time of uncertainty, this reflection can be grounding. It reminds us that while we may not control the economy, we can control how we respond to it.

Difficult times never last forever. And the people who keep moving forward (even in small steps) will be the ones ahead when the momentum picks up again.