A question that came up in a recent coaching session was, “how do I keep moving forward even when it seems like things are against me?”
And the answer comes back to mindset. I know that I talk about mindset a lot (ok, maybe all the time), because I know first-hand how important it is to everything we do.
I share this from personal experience and from testing the practices that I teach to clients. I know this work because I have experience watching it work for myself and for my clients.
“How do I keep moving forward even when it seems like things are against me?”
Here are the quick steps and I’ll then explain them in further detail
- Know that you can change your brain and thoughts – this is neuroplasticity
- Become aware of when you are falling into negativity/challenges
- Have a plan for what to do when the situation/challenge arrives and put that plan into place
- Review your actions and results after the fact, to celebrate your wins and make a plan for how you can do better next time
- Repeat
Essentially, if you approach your life like a science experiment where you are exploring the results with curiosity, you can take away the self-blame and instead take away the lessons to improve next time.
You will never be perfect. (Unfortunately! This coming from a recovering perfectionist)
1. Neuroplasticity – Changing Your Brain and Thoughts
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt and change over time, creating new neural connections to adapt and master new skills. This relates to you as it means that your thoughts can actually change the physical makeup of your brain!
It means that your thoughts have the power to physically affect your body!
So first off, you want to have a positive mindset so that you are always looking for the good things happening to you and the evidence that your goals are coming to fruition. I explain how this works with the reticular activating system in How to Prioritize Your Dreams.
2. Become Aware of When You Are in A Negative Situation
The first step to change and progress is awareness of where you are and it is essential to be aware when you are in a situation that is challenging. The awareness of It is a win itself.
3. Have a Plan of Action
The biggest part of managing a challenge is having a plan of action for how you will approach it. This is a huge part of project management planning as the faster you can pivot and take action, the more momentum you will maintain. It’s easier to step sideways or even backwards and continue your movement than to have to come to a complete stop and then start up again.
The next step is to put that plan in place as soon as you become aware you are in the situation. Having a plan of action is a small win in itself because you know what to do. And I strongly emphasize having wins to celebrate the gains that you are making.
4. Review Your Actions & Results
This is another very valuable tool in continuing to move forward towards your goals because what you measure and track grows. To get out of the day-to-day grind of tasks and lists, you need to be able to measure the gains that you have made and the lessons that you have learned.
This is where you need to treat your experiences like a science experiment, without getting emotional and looking at them with curiosity. How did you react? What went well? Where could you improve and do better next time? What lessons have you learned?
5. Repeat
Life is a process of learning. At every stage of growth and development you will face new challenges but these challenges help you grow and become a better and stronger version of yourself. It’s just like building muscle…workouts first tear apart the muscle fibers to be rebuilt to create increased strength and mass.
How to Keep Moving Forward Despite Adversity
For example, if you are running your business and suddenly lose a large client account, that can seem devastating.
You could get upset, blame yourself or your team, or get angry…but what does that really get you but negativity.
Instead, give yourself a timeframe of 5, 10 minutes, or a half day, and then move on. How do you move on? By becoming aware of when you are in the negative state, and choosing a more positive thought.
Maybe the client was taking up a lot of time and energy and now you have the capacity to take on more ideal clients.
Maybe you didn’t enjoy the work you did for them so now you have space for projects that you will enjoy more.
Or maybe it frees up your plate for other activities or actions.
One phrase I love is, “The Universe is rearranging itself for my best interest right now. I’m so excited to see what good comes from this!” Not only can you get excited because this means new changes, you are looking for the positive changes and new coming from it.
You get to choose to frame the meaning you give to your experiences, so choose to look at them in the best possible light, they happened for you, not to you.
When I coach clients, I help you rewire you brain to work in your favor. With techniques, customized examples, accountability, and holding a coaching container that gives you the space to step in to your highest self, we change the trajectory of your life together. You have everything you need within you, I just help you clear the path to living as your best self. Download my free guide to living your life of adventure, or schedule your “Reclaim Your Badass Life” call today to see how we can best work together.
