I did not plan to publish a post on facing obstacles so soon, just a few weeks into January, but inspired by the recent events in my life, I couldn’t resist, so here we go!
A few weeks ago, I wrote that part of the action plan is to prepare us mentally for the obstacles we will face while working on our goals (full post here) because it will happen sooner or later. In my case, the obstacles didn’t like wasting time, and I immediately hit the bumpy road.
Situation: “Hit pause, take a break, and restart ASAP.”
Before the ink had dried on my paper, after jotting down my 2023 action plan, I started getting back pains that turned out to be caused by nothing else but COVID-19. The timing couldn’t have been more ironic because January was supposed to be my “health” month without processed foods and sugar and working out 3x a week! High fever and constant aches put me to bed, and instead of the healthy home-cooked bean stew that I intended to cook, I got a Döner Dürüm (popular Turkish fast food in Germany) because if I have a choice between starving and eating crap, I eat crap. For the record, that was my low point. After that initial shock, I started eating more nutritiously, especially when I heard this is what you should do when fighting a virus.
The fact that I was already 4-5 days into my “health” month challenge and just getting excited about my little progress when this happened didn’t help my mood. But when you are lying in bed, shivering and trying to get rid of aches, there is nothing else to do than accept the situation, focus on making yourself feel better, and just hit the pause button in your mind. The challenge can wait, the work can wait, and the whatever-you-wanted-to-do can wait.
Even if it is hard to accept that we sometimes need to take a break from whatever we are working on (especially when we are on such a good track already), it is crucial to allow yourself to pause and do nothing. Believe it or not, it is also a skill. What helps me is to remind myself that the goal/challenge hasn’t disappeared anywhere. I haven’t forgotten about it; it is just stored away for the time being. In a way, I also appreciate situations like this, as our bodies are sending us a signal that something is out of balance. So, I am trying to make this downtime enjoyable for myself. E.g., if I am able to read, I read a catchy fiction book. Or I watch TikTok. Not so bad…
But don’t forget, as soon as you feel better, hit the restart button! Taking a break from working on your goal, whether due to illness or something else, can be a slippery slope. It is easy to say: “I tried, but it didn’t work.” So, do not give up; remember, it was just an obstacle and not a Universe’s sign to give up!
If I am 100% honest, I haven’t gotten back on track yet myself (still Covid-positive), but I am doing what I can do in the current situation. E.g., instead of 1h workout in the gym, I am doing 20 minutes of yoga at home every day. Instead of cutting out all processed foods, I still buy cans with fermented veggies from a supermarket. I also haven’t gone cold turkey on sugar, but I have cut my sugar intake significantly. So, these are my little steps to getting back on track.
Situation: “Find a workaround even if it takes you 5x as long as anticipated.”
Just a day or two before two stripes appeared on my Covid test, my MacBook Air, my indispensable partner in crime behind all the blog posts, gave up. Complete blackout.
Was I smart enough that I had all my documents stored on a Cloud or an external drive? Of course NOT! And I had been writing blog posts and notes basically for weeks. So, everything was gone a day before I intended to publish my next blog post. Surprisingly, I didn’t cry (which I often do when I feel desperate). Luckily, I had sent one of the old drafts to my email, so I needed another 3h to rewrite that specific post.
Needless to say, I also needed to find a new computer that I could use temporally. Luckily there was another laptop at home I could use, but of course, one needs to get used to new hardware, etc. This situation frustrated me and made me think I was somewhat cursed, but the post got published on time! No reason to pause or, even worse, to give up.
These were my two little obstacles from January until now. However, since I am sure I will face countless other challenges in 2023, I summarized some tips to prepare for future obstacles below. Maybe you can make use of them, too?
Tips for overcoming obstacles
- Take a breath and stay calm. Do not let emotions overtake the situation. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” observe the situation and identify the obstacle. If needed, do it from the third-person point of view, e.g., “What would you tell a friend?”. If you tend to get emotional (like me), let the steam out first (go for a run, etc.).
- Adjust your action plan. Evaluate: Is the obstacle big enough to hit the “pause” button, or can I find the workaround? Priorities shift and adapting to change is an essential skill.
- If needed, find support, and ask for help (outsource).
- Last thing we want to hear but: appreciate your obstacle (when you face a setback, it is a sign that something is happening! You are growing!)
- Learn from it (also an excellent moment to journal)
- Once you have overcome the obstacle, celebrate your win!
- If you did have to hit the “pause,” return to your routine ASAP. Whatever you do, do not wait until January 2024 to try again. If you missed the initial start date or needed to pause in between, the next best thing you can do is to take action now. As James Clear said in his book Atomic Habits: “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”
Sometimes I feel that the moment I commit and start working on something, higher powers (God, Universe, anyone else?) are saying “game on” and sending whatever challenge on my way. It’s like somebody testing my limits and willpower to see if I REALLY want what I claim. Has anyone else had the same experience?
It is annoying and frustrating and can make us feel like the world is working against us. Still, then I am asking myself: would I be in this situation struggling and working towards something I want OR would I rather not have any curiosity, dreams, and need for growth? I know my answer, how about you?
Light & love,
Liis