Challenges are an inevitable part of trying to achieve success. Some might be expected, but many will come as a surprise. Even when it seems like everything is going smoothly, setbacks and obstacles will eventually present themselves.
The hardest part about challenges is not the challenge itself, it’s finding ways to work through them. Recently, we’ve all been collectively facing some tough obstacles relating to work, home life, and much more. No one said that these years would be easy but fortunately there are plenty of resources available to help us get through difficult times.
Here are some of the most challenging situations you may face as you work towards success:
Unsupportive Friends And Family
Ambition is admirable, but not everyone in your life will share that sentiment. Some people might talk behind your back, or try to prove their superiority by putting you down. These “toxic friends” might be jealous of even your small successes—successes which you likely helped them achieve in their own lives. Be selective about who deserves your time and attention.
Failed Relationships
One day, you will have to choose between your love life and your career. As you strive for success, you may meet someone who seems like they could be The One. But if your partner isn’t supportive of you emotionally and morally, it can lead to disappointment. Nowadays, it’s hard to find a loyal and supportive partner with good intentions.
Humiliation and Embarassment
This usually happens at work, when your boss lectures you or your office mates become toxic and discriminatory. Embarrassment can also happen anywhere, such as when you have a wardrobe malfunction or mistaken identity. Everyone has their own experiences and it’s a matter of how you handle them with grace. They might teach you a lesson or two but if you don’t move on, you’ll be stuck while the world goes on.
The World May Be Unfair
Unfortunately, as you achieve your aspirations, you’ll realize that life and the people in it can be quite unfair. This is apparent everywhere – from work to government institutions and even among close friends. Although occasionally you may be a favorite, most of the time you will not be. Rather than dwell on this negative fact, take action if you’re facing unfair treatment in the workplace by alerting those in charge.
Financial Crisis
Personal financial crises can happen unexpectedly and may take a toll on one’s financial stability. This is why it is essential to prepare and plan for potential risks that could arise from unforeseen events. Losing your job, an accident, or a major illness can be financially devastating, and it can quickly eat up your savings. Therefore, it is important to take necessary precautions and have a well-defined strategy in place to minimize the damage caused by such events. Building an emergency fund, establishing a savings account, and obtaining comprehensive insurance coverage are some of the ways you can mitigate potential risks and be prepared for the unexpected. With these measures in place, you can have peace of mind and protect yourself from a financial crisis that could negatively impact your life.
Constant Failures
All the long nights you spent studying for that exam might not seem worth it now that you didn’t get the grade you wanted. Coming up short of your goals can be disheartening, but it’s crucial to understand that there are plenty of variables beyond your control. As you journey towards success, disappointing failures will push you to either work harder or try a new path altogether–somewhere where you think you have a better chance at achieving what you want.
According to renowned psychologist Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania, success is dictated by how an individual processes failures. If you believe that your errors are beyond your control, then you will have little chance at success. On the other hand, if you see them as lessons to be learned, then you open up a world of opportunity for yourself.
Mindset doesn’t only impact success. In fact, People who attribute their failures to personal factors have much higher rates of depression than optimists do. Optimists view failures as learning experiences and believe they will perform better next time around.
It’s typical to rebel, feel resentful, or self-pity when negative things happen to us. We are often socially encouraged to deal with tough times in this manner – whether we voice it out loud or keep it bottled up inside. Although understandable, these reactions only serve surface level functions. They don’t address the real issues and valid emotions we’re truly experiencing or make our lives any better.
There’s always going to be difficulties in life, it’s inevitable. The real question is: how will we deal with them when they come up? Will we shy away from the problem and act like victims instead of owning our feelings towards the situation, or will we confront the issue directly, process our emotions surrounding it, and choose to grow from the experience?
The choice is always ours.
Everybody faces challenges on their journey to success. We learn from our failures, and these experiences help shape us into better people.
If you take the time to look, you can find something good in every person and situation. Right now, it’s time to get honest about our emotions and face our personal challenges. Seeing the positive aspects of these difficulties can help us accept them, learn from them, and reclaim our power over them. This process reminds us that we’re ultimately in control of our lives—not the outside circumstances.
Final Thoughts
The main problem we have regarding challenges is not the challenges themselves, but how we react to them. Our adverse relationship with hardships is what often makes things difficult and causes us pain. Just think about how your life, associations, and job would be if you didn’t regularly express dissatisfaction or push back against difficulties when they occurred. This would probably make everything more bearable and fun for all of us—myself included.
These challenges will come up for you again and again throughout your life. The key is to learn from them and use that knowledge to help you achieve success. They might cause some emotional turmoil, but don’t let that stand in the way of your dreams.
