CHALLENGES (E-Book)

How to Overcome
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ..................................................................................................3
Get Your Mind on Track ............................................................................4
Look for the Silver Lining ..........................................................................6
Finding Solutions ........................................................................................8
What are the next steps you can take to make it better? ............................8
Stay Away from Unproductive “What If’s” ..............................................9
Take Advantage of the Resources Available to You ..................................10
Make a Plan of Action ...............................................................................12
Your Plan ..................................................................................................12
Take Decisive Action .................................................................................13
Learn From Your Challenges ....................................................................15
Remember the Negatives, Too ...................................................................16
“Take into account that great love and
great achievements involve great risk.”
– Unknown
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INTRODUCTION
Throughout our lives we face challenges in many types of situations. Do
you sometimes freeze up when faced with obstacles because you’re unsure
of what to do? If so, opportunities may pass you by because your resolve to
meet the challenge quickly disappears.
However, the good news is: you can pass any test you face on the way to
your goals!
Opportunities that once passed you by can be turned into stepping stones
on your way to victory. Once you add a few simple strategies to your
arsenal, you’ll be unstoppable on your path to success.
Even big challenges can be surpassed with a few simple techniques.
Overcoming these challenges will spur you on and encourage you to live
the life you were born to live. Instead of feeling fear, you’ll feel confident
when you approach these roadblocks.
It’s okay to feel fear, as long as you allow that fear to propel you
forward. The truth is, anything worth having comes with some setbacks
along the way and obstacles to overcome. Your willingness to face these
challenges head on will determine the level of success you achieve in
your life.
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The strategies you learn here can help you every single day. If you take
advantage of these techniques, you’ll discover within yourself a much
stronger person capable of anything.
Everyone suffers from fear from time to time. Some use the fear as an
excuse to give up, and others use that fear to motivate themselves to
achieve their dreams. The choice is yours.
GET YOUR MIND ON TRACK
“Mindsets play strange tricks on us. We see things
the way our minds have instructed our eyes to see.”
– Muhammad Yumus
EXPECT THE BEST
The first step in overcoming any challenge is to expect the best out of the
situation. When you go into a challenge with the expectation of failure,
chances are good that you will fall short of your goal. Your mindset going
into any situation plays a big role in whether or not you’re going to come
through it with success.
Even when your situation seems overwhelming and completely
unbeatable, you can choose to think the best of it. Find the good in the
situation, learn from it, and focus on solutions. When you do, you’ll
routinely turn the frustrations of your life into victories.
Try these strategies to focus your mindset on expecting the best:
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1. Use positive self-talk. When you face a challenge, do you find yourself
saying, “I can’t do this?” If that’s the case, your self-talk is sabotaging
your success. Instead, tell yourself you can and will succeed.
• Give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them.
• Resolve today that you refuse to give up until you reach the goal
you’ve set.
• By simply changing what you say in certain situations, you can alter
the way your mind thinks about difficult circumstances.
2. Replace negative thinking with productive thinking. Think about the
road before you in a way that spurs you on toward success.
• Replace thoughts of “I can’t” or “I’ll never make it” with productive
thinking. Tell yourself, “I’ll figure out a solution.”
• Then focus on a solution, instead of the challenge. When
something’s frustrating you, put your mind to work in a productive
manner. Think about what’s great about the situation you’re in.
How can you make it the way you want it? This kind of thinking
can only lead to success.
Remind yourself that the only way to fail is to give up and, instead, resolve
to keep putting one foot in front of the other until you reach your
destination.
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3. Believe in yourself. You’re capable of amazing things. You just have to
trust in your abilities, gifts, and talents.
• Reflect on your previous accomplishments. You’ve certainly
succeeded at many things before, but you’ve likely forgotten. Focus
on previous victories and you’ll feel confident to tackle any
challenge.
With the proper mindset in place, your talents, desires, and abilities will
naturally draw success to you. Even when you fall short, you’ll make the
most of the experience by learning from it and moving forward in a
positive direction.
LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING
In every situation, there is a silver lining to be found and appreciated. Do
you look at something that’s hard and get easily frustrated about how
difficult it is? Do you always believe that the worst-case scenario is the
likely outcome? You can learn to think differently and steer the ship of your
life in a different direction.
What’s the high point of the challenge you’re facing? There’s something
positive about the situation you’re in. What is it? What can you learn from
this? How can you grow from this experience? How will this experience
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make you a better person? How will this event in your life alter your future
for the better?
Think of a stressful situation you currently face. Take time right now to
close your eyes and ask yourself, “What’s great about this?” At first, your
mind will likely answer something like, “Nothing!” Continue to think
about it until your mind gives you two or three satisfying answers.
This is different than thinking that everything is perfect when it’s not.
Instead of denying reality, you’re giving your mind a more accurate,
balanced picture of reality. Allowing your mind to realize that there are
both positive and negative aspects of your current situation puts
yourself in a more productive frame of mind to deal with those negative
parts of that reality.
Discover the lesson. Every situation has something to teach you if you’ll
look for it. Ask yourself:
• What can I learn from this challenge about my abilities and
my circumstances?
• In what ways does facing this situation improve the quality of
my life?
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FINDING SOLUTIONS
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
TO MAKE IT BETTER?
The only way you’ll find solutions to the frustrations you face is to look for
them. Think of something in your life that’s frustrating you. Instead of
thinking of all the reasons this bothers you, think about ways you can make
it better. Is there someone you can ask for help? Are there habits that you
can change? Can you schedule your time differently?
The questions you pose to yourself about your situation will determine
your attitude. And, your attitude will determine your chances of success.
Ask yourself why things are so frustrating, and your mind will return
many reasons for you to be frustrated. Ask yourself how you can solve the
dilemma you face, and your mind will give you the answers you seek.
If you spend your time complaining about your circumstance, you’ll spin
your wheels and stand on the same frustrating ground. Instead of denying
reality, make your reality better by asking yourself how you can affect
things in a positive way.
“Worrying is like a rocking chair; it gives you
something to do, but doesn’t get you anywhere.”
– Van Wilder
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STAY AWAY FROM UNPRODUCTIVE
“WHAT IF’S”
When you worry about what may happen in the future, you avoid the
productive thinking that can make all the difference in your life. You also
miss out on the gift that’s found in the present moment. Challenges can
help you grow as a person, or it can cause you to stop you in your tracks.
The choice is yours.
Be strong and face what’s in front of you. The more you face your fears
head on, the more confident and motivated you’ll become as you
consciously step closer and closer to your dreams.
The list of what-ifs you face could go on forever if you let it.... “What if I
embarrass myself? What if I fall short? What if this doesn’t work?” Your
mind will answer those questions and prevent you from ever moving
forward. Is this what you want – or deserve?
But what if you asked questions like:
• What would I do if it were impossible for me to fail?
• What would my life be like if I attained this goal?
• How would my loved ones be affected by my success?
• Who can I learn from that has already experienced the success I seek?
• What small step can I take today to create an unstoppable positive
momentum toward my success?
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Can you see the difference? Just thinking about those questions makes you
feel more powerful and in charge of your future. One set of questions
makes you huff and puff. The other set of questions gets you fired up,
believing that your success is inevitable.
With the right set of questions and productive thinking, you’ll be a freight
train without brakes that’s destined for the train station that contains
your dream. With a successful mentor and a positive, productive
approach, you’ll continue moving forward until the success you envision
comes to pass.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow;
it empties today of its strength.”
– Corrie Ten Boom
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO YOU
Solutions may come in several different ways:
1. Help from others. Has anyone you know gone through a similar
circumstance and come out successfully? Are there books written by
people who’ve succeeded in this area that detail how they arrived at their
success? Can anyone in your community help you with this project?
• Ask your friends and family if they’ve faced a challenge similar to
yours, and ask what steps they took to accomplish their goal.
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• Listen to what they have to say and see if you can implement their
ideas into your own situation.
2. Research. Thankfully, you can succeed even if you lack some knowledge
about the path you must take. The web and your local library contain a
wealth of information that can shorten your learning curve and speed
you on the path to your success.
• Look online for websites or references about your situation.
Read through discussion forums and message boards to see what
others have to say about similar challenges their readers may have
faced. How did they overcome them?
• Why waste time making mistakes, when you can learn from others
who’ve gone before you? Stay focused and determined to find
solutions to your challenges.
• Find out how others have succeeded and you’ll be well on your way.
3. Creative thinking. Out-of-the-box thinking can help you see your
situation in a whole new perspective. Brainstorm new ideas and
consider the benefits of each idea as a possible solution.
“Lack of resource has hanged many a person.”
– Irish proverb
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MAKE A PLAN OF ACTION
YOUR PLAN
Starting today, map out a plan for your project. What’s the next step you
need to take? If you don’t know what the next step is, then your next step is
to find out what comes next.
When you complete the first step, what do you do next? What do you do
after that? Coming up with a game plan is simple. All you do is list the
steps you must take in order. You can tweak and improve your plan as you
receive feedback on what is and isn’t working. The first draft of your plan,
therefore, is a preliminary list of steps to your success.
For example, let’s say you’re battling a fear of heights. Your action plan
might look something like this:
1. Go to a high place.
2. Take a step up.
3. Take deep, slow breaths when you feel anxiety.
4. Take another step up.
5. Take deep breaths and remain calm.
6. Take another step up.
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This is your plan of action to start conquering your fear of heights. Once
you have a plan in place, that plan will be your tour guide to the
destination you’re seeking to reach.
“A good plan is like a road map; it shows the
final destination and, usually, the best way to get there.”
– H. Stanley Judd
Sometimes, the best way to lay out a roadmap is simply to brainstorm and
write down ideas for possible tasks as fast as you can. You can always edit
the list later. Whatever you decide to do, write your list quickly and then
get started on the first task. Your task list and plan will evolve as you
progress toward your goal, gather feedback on your progress, and learn
from others.
TAKE DECISIVE ACTION
Once you’ve set out your plan of action, take the first action step
immediately. Instead of sitting around and looking at your plan, hoping
things work in your favor, make things work in your favor by taking the
first step forward. This will create momentum and motivate you to truly
believe in the probability of your success.
Following through is the key that unlocks your success. You’re strong
enough to accomplish anything you want if you’re willing to follow
through. As you go, notice what is working and celebrate those victories.
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Notice what’s not working and tweak your plan as you go, learning from
your mistakes and seeking the advice of successful people you trust.
The hardest part about accomplishing any goal is getting started. The good
news, though, is that once you’re moving in the right direction, you’ll be
unstoppable if you choose to be. Challenges that seem insurmountable
when you begin your journey will seem like stepping stones that propel
you upward.
Troubles along the way simply serve as feedback. They serve as markers that
tell you that a course correction is required. See them for what they really are
and allow them to help you on your journey.
Remember that the path to your destiny is far from a straight line. You’ll
meander to the left and to the right, but you’ll achieve what you seek when
you keep moving forward.
Whether you succeed or fail is entirely up to you. Often, you have far more
ability and creativity inside of you than you think. Even when you lack
these things, someone else who has already succeeded can show you the
steps and strategies you need. Your success awaits, and it’s worth the effort.
“No one will believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.”
– Liberace
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LEARN FROM YOUR CHALLENGES
Learning from challenges is a key factor that separates successful people
from those who only wish their future was bright.
When you take the time to reflect on the things you’ve accomplished and
how you got there, you’ll find patterns that you can repeat for many other
goals you set in your life. Why make the same mistakes, when you’ve
already learned how to succeed?
Every situation is different. But often the same creative approaches and
tactics you’ve applied in previous situations can be applied again to
overcome new challenges. When you succeed, write down the steps you
took and the results you got. Let this be your success journal that you refer
to again and again when making plans for new endeavors.
As an added benefit, you’ll grow as a person when you reflect on your
successes. Too often, we vividly remember our failures and shortcomings.
But there are many things in your life that you’ve accomplished, so magnify
those things by taking the time to remember and celebrate those victories.
When you take the time to meditate on your successes, you’ll begin to
jump at the chance to go after new and more challenging goals. Instead of
cowering in fear, you’ll welcome the pressure because you know the
talents and abilities you possess are perfect for overcoming any obstacles.
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REMEMBER THE NEGATIVES, TOO
Thinking productively requires you to focus on the downsides, too. We all
make mistakes. The key, though, is to learn from those mistakes. Decide
today that you’ll welcome mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
When you do, nothing can stop you.
As you reflect on the steps you’ve already taken to reach your goal and
begin to create a plan to conquer your next challenge, ask yourself:
• What obstacles did I overcome to meet my challenges so far?
• How do I overcome the newest obstacles?
• What can I learn from my past challenges that can help me be a
better person in the future?
• How can these lessons improve the quality of my life?
Productive thinking is a balanced approach. If you ignore the positive
things you’ve achieved in your life, you’ll miss the value of those
accomplishments. If you ignore the challenges you faced and the lessons
they bring you, you’ll miss the value in those as well.
Together, your successes and lessons are the teachers and tour guides
that will lead you to the fulfilling life you’ve always dreamed about.
When life gets scary, read your success journal and remind yourself
what you’re capable of. When the negative voice inside of you wants to
close your dreams before you get started, your success journal can
silence that inner voice.
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The only thing that separates a successful person from one who only
dreams of success is a willingness to decide what you want, take action,
and respond effectively to the feedback you receive as you go. Learning
from others can make this process much easier, but you have everything
inside of you to succeed.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment
that something else is more important than fear.”
– Ambrose Redmoon
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