By TRWCBlogger
Being your own man can be both a joy and a burden. On the one hand, you get to be acknowledged and accorded more respect in society and you largely determine the course of your own life – and perhaps the lives of a few dependents. On the other hand, you are responsible for so many tough decisions and are expected to grow even in tough times.
With so much pressure on you, you don’t mind a little help (no matter how little) and you’re willing to take a few pointers that can help you make better decisions in terms of navigating the rough terrain.
We don’t talk about these things enough. It’s fine to do so, because it can help water that seed of self-confidence that will help people push through.
To overcome difficult situations in difficult times and keep growing, you need to be mentally and emotionally prepared.
The gist: How you can grow in tough times
First and foremost…
Be self-aware
Every man faces challenges, but those who are not aware of their mental and emotional state cannot know when blocks like fear, self-doubt, bandwagon mentality and desperation take over, nor can they notice them in others. Such people tend to drown pretty quickly.
If you are self-aware, essentially you are able to read and understand your own behaviour. You know when you are facing the fear of missing out, procrastinating, desperate, arguing without listening to the other side, or just lashing out.
To be self-aware, you need to be introspective. Ask yourself why am I feeling this way? What are the influences of society on me? What are the negative aspects of my personality that prevent me from doing the things I absolutely need to? Questioning yourself in this manner can lead to a clearer vision of yourself and the reasons behind your actions.
Then…
Be willing to learn
A great part of your potential success rests on your desire to learn new things. Understand that there are many things you lack (this can be quite difficult seeing as humans generally have the tendency to turn a blind eye to their own weaknesses) and then make the conscious decision to learn them.
For instance, if you observe that you’re terrible at getting things done quickly, then perhaps you need to learn time management.
Image credit: Pixabay
To grow in tough times, you’ve got to hold a firm belief that you can learn and adapt to handle any situation. But just as well, you’ve got to be willing to work hard. There’s no two ways about it.
Finally…
Be ready to edit yourself
Moments of struggle require change – demand it, even. So if you want to grow in tough times, you must be willing to reinvent yourself.
It can be incredibly hard to let go of some of the things you like doing and that you’ve built a life around. If you’re like the rest of us humans, you’ll try to make excuses about why you should continue doing them.
However, in challenging times you might need to take on new roles and try out different approaches, even when they look like they might cause you discomfort at first. That, in itself, could mean the difference between growth and stagnancy, nay, regression.
