One of the most popular external forces that people use as an excuse for not achieving success at the moment is to use the past events of the pandemic to hold them back from achieving success in their future . It’s true that pandemics can have a negative impact on people’s lives, but they don’t have to be a roadblock to success. There are many ways to overcome many of the challenges posed by pandemics, and this post will explore some of them.

One of the most important things you can do when faced with a pandemic is to maintain a positive perspective. It’s easy to let the negative news and events around us get us down, but it’s important to remember that this too shall pass. There are always going to be challenges in life, but it’s how we face them that defines us.

It’s also important to think critically about the situation. During a pandemic, it can be easy to panic and make decisions based on fear. However, if we take a step back and look at the situation objectively, we can often find creative solutions that we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Finally, it’s important to keep an open mind. The world is constantly changing, and pandemics are just one example of that. What worked well in the past may not work so well now, so we need to be flexible and adaptable in our thinking moving forward. This can be a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to learn and grow.

But how do we overcome challenges in our lives and what are some tools that we can use to do so? High Performers know that with new challenge comes a time to learn, grow and to also master our skills. If you are familiar with Brendan Burchard and his teaching when he speaks of struggle, he speaks of being able to honour struggle. To learn from the experience and to use it in a positive way moving forward.

Next time a challenge arises in your life, here are a couple of things that you can do to rise to the occasion and see the opportunity as a way to grow, not as a reason to stop or shutdown. This is what we teach in our Certified High Performance coaching, and this is ultimately what will allow you to view challenge as more of an energising opportunity rather than something that depletes and drains your energy

ZOOM OUT AND LOOK AT YOUR OVERALL VISION

What are you striving for, and why is it important? What excites you about the opportunity being presented to you? Will it allow you to grow? Will it allow you to venture into a change that you are after? Will it allow you to retire earlier than expected? What is your end goal?

Let me tell you about when I was struggling with the decision to leave my successful optical business to venture into coaching. I loved coaching, but I didn’t know if I had what it took to make it successful like my optical business was. I was comfortable where I was. But, I had to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. What was I trying to achieve? Why did I want to do it? I knew I had a vision to help individuals excel and really propel their lives forward. So, I built the business while I had the two stores. I knew my end goal and what I wanted to achieve so I knew that putting in the hard work and challenging myself with early starts, late nights etc would lead me to where I am today. I was clear on my vision.

LOOK AT YOUR MINDSET

Are you letting negativity get in the way of what you are trying to achieve? What are you telling yourself that is holding you back? Do you need to look at things from a different angle? Are you automatically on the defence about particular situations instead of looking at them with open eyes?

So, what is an example of looking at a situation differently? Let me tell you about my friend Sue. For years, she wanted to get back into her profession of being an optometrist. Overseas she was qualified, but here in Australia it didn’t matter, she needed to restudy. Sure, she could have been negative, and she could have just given up and not even tried and blamed the process but instead she said no. This is what I want to do and sure it may be harder and take longer to get in, but she was willing to challenge herself and study in Australia to become recertified as an Optometrist. She was so clear on her vision that the obstacles became her challenges to overcome. In no time she had realised her vision and was back to doing what she loved in her new home country, here in Australia.

HONOUR THE STRUGGLE

What will the future hold for you if you are able to look at this situation differently? What is this experience teaching you that will help you down the track? Is the situation happening to you, or for you?

Let me give you an example of honouring the struggle. For elite athletes, to get to the level they are at, day in and day out they honour that struggle. They are aware that some days will be hard. Some days the weather may be too hot or too cold, they may be tired, they must sacrifice time with loved ones, but ultimately they know that to get to the level they want to achieve, this struggle is necessary.

If you can keep these things in mind, you’ll be well on your way to weathering any storm that comes your way. Success is still possible, even during a pandemic. So don’t let external forces hold you back – you’ve got this!