In life, you have to learn to embrace the challenge and accept the new normal. Challenges come to test, teach, heal, or make us whole. They can come in the form of losing a loved one, embarking on a new career, getting the lead in a school play, or reevaluating our personal and professional priorities. When challenges or changes arise, don’t let them hold you back. Push forward and keep going.
Challenges help you determine the next right move and how to navigate the new norms of life. They can be the springboard to exponential growth or the stumbling block that keeps you stuck right where growth was supposed to happen. The caveat is when they arrive, what will you do with them? The only thing certain in this life is that change will come. It is up to you whether they will make or break you.
1 Review what you value and keep moving.
Doubt can and often does rob us of the perspective that guides us. It is like a catalyst for derailment when failure comes. Go at your speed because, as we’re all moving through life, doubt shouldn’t stop us. It is there to convince us that our path or the route we’re taking is simply not correct, and we lose focus. Losing focus makes us start looking around for signs of acceptance. We take our eyes off whatever compelled us to be on the journey that we’re on in the first place.
2 Set clear boundaries.
Boundaries are guardrails that we need in our lives. Some of us live by the boundaries other people have set for us. People will always unfailingly and unflinchingly tell you what you can and cannot do. Assess the boundaries that you are governed by and evaluate if they are actually yours or do they belong to someone else?
3 Get honest with your gut feelings.
You must learn, or relearn, how to trust your gut and your intuition. Your perception of which steps to take to move forward are critical in overcoming challenges. I am not saying that your gut is always right. However, by following your gut you accept the outcomes and keep going.
4 Give yourself a break.
Nobody gets it right every single time. Some of history’s best moments were often preceded by failure. Learn the lesson, and try again until you get it right. Forgive yourself for the failure. Embrace the challenge, keep going, and find success in failure.
5 Set reasonable goals.
All goals are not good goals. You have to determine what to keep and what to throw away. Give yourself permission to merge your experiences into alchemy to become a better version of yourself.
6 Embrace intentional solitude.
As a leader, parent, and CEO, everyone depends on you to be strong. Things like the death of a loved one force you to be quiet and deal with the harsh reality that you don’t want to talk to anyone. Learn to trust yourself because you know yourself more than anyone else does. Take the time needed for internal solitude. The new normal of processing a loss or internal struggle will not last forever. However, you must move through it or get stuck in it.
7 Become slightly obsessed with being excellent at something.
What are you good at? Is it swimming, coaching, or woodworking? Whatever thing you want to do, become so excellent at it that you are considered a master. Brand yourself with excellence in your craft.
The Takeaway: Embrace the challenge and accept the new normal of your life.
Life is full of change. You can’t hide from it. You can either embrace it or get stuck. So accept that change will happen, and allow yourself to look forward to the new normalcy of your life as change and challenges occur. Set yourself up to embrace the challenges of change in life and live in the present.
