5 Things to do when the going gets tough…

Posted by in Personal Effectiveness

 

    There are times in life, when the going gets a little tougher than usual. Things that used to work smoothly, suddenly become a hill! People you trusted suddenly decide to experiment with that trust and do things that makes you incredulous (and furious). Things that started out well, suddenly start following Murphy’s Law (anything that an go wrong, will go wrong).

    Testing times really test the mettle of the person – and test the limits to which one can stretch. And it is easy to give way, and become negative, angry & shut down!

    But, these are the times (and an opportunity) for you to change your thinking and the paradigm! These are the times you should look at the world and the situation in a different light- and possibly that will help your pain & set you on the right path.

    Here are some learnings that I went through (in fact going through) as I go through a challenging time in my life… and without the blessing of having people I care about close to me, and friends who are willing to support you to the end, this would have been even more difficult!

  1. Don’t lose focus on the priorities in life! – While it is easy to get carried away and just focus on the problem, you need to deliberately step out of the circle- and look at the problem from a third person’s perspective. By looking at the key priorities in life- which is family, work, finance, career, health etc > you will be able to find the energy and the drive, that will help you come out of the spin. Make the time- focus on the priorities in life- and keep plugging away on the all the aspects of your life instead of just the one problem. The problem will suddenly look small, insignificant and more importantly, manageable.
  2. Don’t lose your trust in the Superior Power – I am sure there are many who believe in the power of prayer. And there are those who do not. But for those who believe (and lucky you), I think this is super important. Every single problem will look insignificant in the future! In fact every issue you face, prayers (and introspection) will show you roads to areas you would have not have dared to venture into. Keep the trust! Keep praying! Miracles are just one prayer away.
  3. Believe in the Power of the Family – If not the extended family, your family can make a big difference. [of course, this may not apply if your wife or husband is the problem]. That said, a family can solve more problems by sharing & by being together. Work on the problems together. Be open with the issues, and many a times, your better half (and they are called the better half for a good reason), may come up with things that make be the exact solution you needed.
  4. You cant always solve it all alone. Build a team: In many cases, the old cowboy days are long gone. Having an ecosystem of well-wishers, friends and family, can go a long way in shielding you from problems, showing ways to solve your problems and in many cases giving you ideas that you would have never thought of. Open up- and share your problems with the people you trust. Caveat – Learn to choose the people you trust – very, very carefully. Learn to talk your challenges. Start early- don’t wait for the problem to become more acute.
  5. Pick the right battles, and once done, do your best : Pick the battles you want to fight carefully. Do the right thing, and I believe, the results usually work out well. Do the wrong thing, and in the long run, I am sure, it will come back to haunt you! But always assess the options available, decide if it is a battle worth fighting, and be prepared to walk away! However, if you do decide that is the right thing to do – then do all it takes to make it work. Use every contact, every option, every opportunity to take that step forward & be ready for the next moves.

    The list can go on and on.

    And, nothing lasts forever- and the good times do follow- Always.

    Wait it out and ride out the problem by being a bit more proactive!

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