Overcome Obstacles and Succeed by Marisa Gonzalez- Unlock your Potential

Setbacks are part of life. We have plans and goals and then life happens and things don’t go as planned. Feeling discouraged when that happens is inevitable.

However, how we react to setbacks will make the difference. Having strategies to accept, manage and bounce back is what will lead us to success.

Part of our personal growth is learning and using tools and strategies to overcome setbacks and remain motivated.

Here are some things that we can do when setbacks and disappointment strike:

Acceptance. This quote by Arthur Rubinstein says it all:

“Of course, there is no formula for success except, perhaps, an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.” Arthur Rubinstein

Part of what life brings is setbacks and disappointment and we need to learn and cultivate the ability to embrace what life brings in order to keep going and strive harder. Easier to say than done, I know…

Although some of the things that happen to us in life are not easy to embrace, like when we lose someone we love or when we put all our energy and love into something that does not work out; the ability to practise acceptance instead of resistance protects us and prepares us to live in this world. It also reminds us that everything happens for a reason and that nothing lasts forever.

When we learn to accept disappointment as a necessary part of life, we appreciate success even more. Acceptance is a choice.

Do not stay in the negative emotion for too long. Take a moment to let the situation sink in but do not allow it to fester. If you keep feeling sorry for yourself you will stay disappointed and you will lose perspective of what can come next.

Get out of that state by accepting the situation and making the choice to live with it, to accept setbacks as part of life. Over-thinking does not change the fact that it happened. Spending time dwelling on it will delay your success.

Step back and assess. Be aware of your thoughts and self-talk, sometimes we tend to make things bigger than they really are. Put things into perspective.

Hindsight will inevitably show you that no setback is as big as you thought it was at the time.

Do not give up. Look at the following examples of very successful people and the obstacles they had to overcome:

Vincent van Gogh:

Sold only a handful of paintings during his life and is believed to have suffered from bipolar disorder

J.K Rowling:

Harry Potter was rejected by nine publishers before over 500 million copies were sold worldwide.

Walt Disney:

Had attention deficit disorder

Abraham Lincoln:

Suffered from severe depression

Ludwig van Beethoven:

Suffered from a gradual loss of hearing

Think about these examples next time you face an obstacle and let them be your inspiration to keep trying. Not giving up is the main characteristic of successful people of all times.

Learn from your mistakes. Acknowledge the disappointment as a learning experience.

If you examine how and why the unwanted situation occurred, then you may be able to restructure your strategy for even bigger and better things than you had originally planned.

Stay positive. Identify negative thought patterns. Remember that an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day and that 95% of those thoughts are repeated and 80% are negative.

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become a habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” — Lao Tzu

Consider using these techniques when you face setbacks and disappointment in your life and do not let them define you. Deal with them positively and confidently, stay motivated and continue moving towards your dreams.

Marisa Gonzalez

RTT Practitioner, NLP Master Practitioner & Empowerment Coach

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