5 Simple and Effective Ways to Overcome Challenges

Overcoming Challenges Series Roundup

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I was amazed at the response to my series on overcoming challenges. So many people were willing, and even eager, to share their personal stories. Today, I want to highlight all the posts in one place and provide you with 5 Simple and Effective Ways to Overcome Challenges.

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Have you ever traveled on a long road which zig-zags its way up a mountain? Was the view from the top breathtakingly beautiful?

Well, life is like that winding road. It’s full of obstacles and challenges that you must overcome to become a better person.

Maybe you’ve suffered the loss of a loved one through death or divorce. Perhaps, you lost out on a promotion to a junior or your business collapsed or you lost your college scholarship.

Whatever your obstacle, it takes courage to tackle it and overcome it.

Overcoming an obstacle means to find a way to remove a barrier to progress. But most of us only focus on the trauma of the hurdle and overlook the promise of ‘progress’ if you deal with the challenge.

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In this post, I have included the nine articles (in the order they originally appeared) that comprised the Overcoming Challenges Series. The first one is below.

#1 How do Miracles Happen? The Bone That Disappeared
This article tied for the top spot as the readers’ favorites in the series.

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5 simple tips to help you overcome obstacles in life

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1. Come to terms with it

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”
Chinese Proverb

Whether the challenge you face is physical or emotional,  give yourself the chance to process it. Deal with the emotions – often grief – if you are to get out of this crisis.

Accept the challenge no matter how hard it may be. Think of yourself as a precious stone being shaped by this adversity to be stronger and better.

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#2 Finding my Way from Misery to Success

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2.Start a journal

“Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.“
Zig Ziglar

Journaling is a powerful way to work through a crisis. Start by doing an honest brain dump of your pent-up feelings about it. 

As you journal, you will naturally move from emotional ranting to gradually entering a problem-solving mindset.

Therein lies the beauty of journaling. The simple act of putting your feelings on paper helps you to change from a ‘why me ‘ to ‘let’s do this’ attitude.

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#3 How to Stay Positive while Co-Parenting

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3. Get creative with problem solving

This is a process that will take time. There is no quick fix here. Think of this period as an investment in your well-being. This post suggests using these 5 basic problem-solving steps:

1. Identify the problem
2. Brainstorm solutions
3. Choose one solution
4. Implement the solution
5. Assess the results

Let’s just look at the first 2 steps here:

Identify the problem:
For example, your marriage may have broken up and you have no job. You have to move to a cheaper neighborhood and you now have to raise your children as a single parent.

Possible solutions

• Move to a new cheaper area
• Get a job
• Start a side hustle
• Get to know neighbors

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Take a minute to view this YouTube video on creative problem solving:

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4. Seek inspiration from the success stories

Many famous people had to overcome devastating obstacles to become successful. Here are a few:

• Jim Carrey (Homelesssness)
• Richard Branson (Dyslexia)
• Tom Cruise (Abusive parent)
• Benjamin Franklin ( Poor education)

When you expose yourself to the failures and triumphs of others, your mindset shifts from your current misfortune to figure out how to move forward.

You start to think that you are having a temporary setback and that you will be richer for the experience.

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#4 Special Needs Kids Just Want Love

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#5 – 5 Tips for Loving and Supporting Your Spouse’s Mental Health
This article tied for the top spot as the readers’ favorite post in the Overcoming Challenges Series.

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5. Practice self-care

“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”
Barbara De Angelis

Now you have the chance to turn that obstacle into an opportunity.

But, it’s still a traumatic and often life-changing situation to deal with.

So, take some time out for self-love. Some ideas are:

• Having your early morning coffee and paging through a magazine
• Reading an inspirational self-help book
• Listening to a great podcast
• Watching motivational YouTube videos
• Treating yourself to a facial and a long bubble bath
• Going to a yoga class
  

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#6 How to Heal from Trauma

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Final thoughts

Take heart from these words by Walt Disney if you’re caught up in the struggles of life right now:

All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
Walt Disney

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I’m sure you’ll also enjoy the rest of the articles included in the Overcoming Challenges Series.

#7 Surviving Postpartum Depression

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#8 Learning to be Patient after a Cancer Diagnosis

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#9 Hope to Confront Your Pain and Heal Your Soul

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If you enjoyed this series, be sure to share it on your favorite social media platforms so others can learn the tools to cope with challenges.

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I want to thank Poovanesh Pather for her contribution to this article. She blogs about Parenting Teenagers and Personal Growth at Family Growth Life.com. You can access her latest helpful resource, The Happiness List intended to help parents cope with   Teenage Sadness and Depression.

You will enjoy this article Poovanesh wrote.
10 Powerful Tips to Deal with Difficulties in Life.

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