Are you up for the challenge?
We are all challenged in some way or another, it is a fact of the human condition. Spend a few minutes with another person, and they will probably mention (either directly or indirectly), some challenge they are facing at the moment.
The question is never “what challenging you?” it’s always “are you up to the challenge?” – and the reality is, in some instances, we have a hard time rising to our challenges. We want to sit and forget about them, we want someone else to take care of them, or we just want them to go away into the mist of our daily lives. But just like most things, they don’t and someone else won’t – so the only thing you can do is meet the challenge, wrestle with it and if all things go right, beat it down.
The following, are three things you can do when challenges show up …
1) Admit they are yours – sometimes the hardest thing is to admit we created the situation. Oh, there are plenty of reasons and blame to thrown around, but in the end, it usually comes back to us and our own actions (or inactions) that created the current situation. Admit it to yourself – once done, you can then begin number two.
2) Logically evaluate the situation – I don’t use the word logically in a flippant manner. It is important to eliminate as much emotion as possible in the beginning. Emotions are human, we all have them – the problem comes into the equation when we allow those emotions to rule our decision making process. Anger is strong motivator – but it may not be the best emotion to drive decisions. Being sad is real, once again, the decisions made when you are sad, probably won’t take you where you want to go – and the opposite is true, being too happy or optimistic won’t help either. Be logical, be methodical, be calculating. Ignorance may be bliss, but knowing your current situation, without all the emotional baggage, will help you do number three.
3) Know what you want and make a plan – if we know our starting point and where we want to be in the future, we can then create a plan to get there. Here’s the sticky part, moving in any direction is better than sitting still. Even if you don’t have a full plan, a plan for today or tomorrow is better than nothing. Over analyzing, researching and planning has destroyed more goals than moving too fast. You can look up all the references for yourself, but the key is fail early and fail often. Platitudes such as “get to the NO” or “make it good enough” are really just ways to give yourself permission to get moving. Never allow yourself to get comfortable sitting in the staring gate – because the race is won at the end, not at the beginning.
So, to meet the challenges in your life, you have to admit them, think about them, understand what you want, and then start moving towards it. It’s amazing how just doing those few things will make you feel better about yourself and your life – if you don’t believe me, just do it and see for yourself.
