My company, Jotform, was not one overnight success. I didn't wake up one day to find myself the darling of TechCrunch or to attract massive funding rounds from VCs eager to get in on the form-building action.

I probably don't have to tell you that a molder isn't the sexiest foundation in the world for a startup. But that doesn't bother me at all. Jotform became successful not because it's flashy, but because our products work. And I believe they work because my employees and I strive every day to create the best experience for our customers.

Here's the truth: Success isn't about having the best or most original idea. It's about being flexible. In my case, it was about getting up with the birds and spending time every morning before my full-time job to work on my startup, even when it was cold and dark and it would have been easier to I stayed in bed. It was about not giving up when a major tech giant released a product similar to what I was launching. Resilience kept me going, even when I felt like giving up.

Resilience is an inner fire that continues to shine, even in adverse conditions. Some people are born with it; others develop it over time. Here's how to build your own resilienceeven if it doesn't come naturally to you.

Related: 8 Ways Successful People Master Resilience

Stay calm

I am a proponent of the practical philosophy of Stoicismwhose purposes, as described by the philosopher Epictetus, are “to identify and separate matters so that I can clearly tell myself which are external, not under my control, and which concern the choice I control indeed”.

As a founder, there are so many things you can't control – the “externals”. Maybe you've lost a customer, received a bad review, or experienced data corruption. These things may seem like the end of the world, but they are not. The sun will rise again tomorrow.

It's normal to be upset about a setback, but worrying too much will only keep you from focusing on the things you have power over – the “inside”. A big part of building resilience is learning to put the externals aside and channel your efforts toward managing the internals.

I find it helpful to make a list – what are the things I worry about that I can check? What are the things I worry about and can't? Fold the list of external concerns and put them in a drawer. Next, go through the internal list, using an Eisenhower matrix to help prioritize.

Be data oriented

In times of turmoil, I always look data. Not only do numbers never lie, but they're essential to making informed decisions based on concrete insights into everything from market trends to user habits to operations. I've always been vigilant about tracking our monthly active users – seeing that they're steadily growing helps calm the “what ifs” that might otherwise take over.

As important as a gut feeling is, I'm a firm believer in data-driven decision making.

Practice gratitude

It might sound a little woo-woo, but practicing gratitude has proven benefits to both mental and physical health, building a layer of resilience against adversity. In 2003, psychologist Robert A. Emmons produced a landmark STUDY that opened the door to research into the myriad effects that a grateful mindset has on our well-being. Researchers have since found that those who experience gratitude in their daily lives have lower levels of depression and sleep better.

“What impresses me are the objective, biologically verifiable results that go beyond self-report measures,” Dr. Emmons said THE New York Times.

The best part? Being grateful takes very little time. Experts advise incorporating it into your routine – while you're brushing your teeth or when you open your laptop to start your day.

Related: I thought I was resilient, until a devastating loss showed me that resilience isn't something you just 'have'

Go

One of the best ways to build resilience is simply keep moving forward. World War II General George Patton, who led troops in nearly every major American conflict of the 20th century, said it best: “A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”

At Jotform, we practice a hybrid release strategy – we constantly improve our products while planning major public releases. For the latter, we strategize carefully – teams have their tasks set before the big day to mitigate stress and contingencies.

But even with careful planning, mistakes happen. It is simply the reality of one product launch. And you know what? We deal with them. Our development team is notified daily of open bugs, and we maintain a scoreboard in which we address the oldest tickets first. We even make it a little fun, with developers competing to see who can fix the most bugs each week.

No product will be perfect, but that doesn't mean you have to stop moving forward. Of course, you want your product to be good, and you should do everything in your power to ensure that it is good. But striving for an impossible ideal will only slow your momentum.

There are many brilliant startup ideas that never get off the ground. That's because the idea itself is only part of what it takes to become successful. Persistence is the key. Keep calm, analyze your data, be grateful and most importantly, keep going.