Annie had enjoyed many successes in her career when she agreed to take on a new role as a senior leader in a well-known not-for-profit organisation. Whilst there were many aspects of the role that were already within her experience she recognised that she felt nervous about the high profile this role brought with it.

Annie took time to prepare before starting her new role. She thought about the personal resources she wanted to bring to the role – including her ability to build rapport, her confidence and the ability to speak at conferences, interviews and so on. Some of these were resources she had built over time and some were relatively new to her. Recognising that she wanted to develop her speaking skills she started to research options for developing her skills in this area.

Annie also thought hard about the people who might support her. She already had a mentor as well as friends and colleagues who were supportive of her. She spoke to each one and asked if she could continue to call on them for further support. In addition, Annie decided to invest in working with a professional coach to support her in making the transition into her new role.

Annie demonstrates what it is to develop your match fitness. Rather than stepping into a new situation and hoping for the best, she took time to gather together the resources she needed to succeed. And because she made a habit of doing this, Annie built a wealth of resources and was able to call on them when she needed. This included both her own inner resources and support from other people.

Here are some questions to help you to identify the extent to which you are well resourced at this time in your life:

• What is your level of awareness of the resources you already have?
• What inner resources have you developed over the years?
• What external resources have you developed over the years?
• How easily do you call on the resources at your disposal (inner, outer) when you need help?

What additional questions would you offer in the area of gathering resources?