Hardships Can Be Opportunities for Growth

Written by John Cioffredi

Our perspective shapes our reality, and whether we’re conscious of it or not, our mindset can have a powerful impact on our health and wellness journey. 

Having a positive mindset is easy when things are going well, when you’re crushing workouts and see the amount of weight you can lift continue to climb. But it’s difficult to stay positive when you have a nagging injury that’s taking longer than expected to heal, or work is stressful and you’re not able to put up the numbers you’d like to in the weight room. 

Change your perspective

It’s important to realize that these are challenges most people face at some point on their health and wellness journey, and that we can choose to see them either as insurmountable barriers, or opportunities for growth. Like making a mental note when we’re crushing a workout to remember the strength we feel, so that in the future we can draw on that confidence to push through a workout that isn’t going the way we’d like it to. This difference in perspective allows us to feel empowered by hardships, rather than burdened by them. It gives us agency in our own narratives, instead of making us feel that we are at the mercy of life. 

Maintain a positive outlook

If we can maintain a positive outlook, remembering the numerous challenges we’ve overcome in the past, and understanding that with persistence and positivity this too will pass, then we give ourselves the opportunity to transform what could have been perceived as a setback into an opportunity for personal growth. These mental victories during physical struggles help instill lasting confidence in our ability to overcome hardship. They can take the stress and fear out of slumps and setbacks, because we know we’re capable of rising to the occasion, and even though it may not be pleasant, we’ll be stronger for it in the future. 

Overcoming challenges can make you stronger

So the next time you’re not feeling in the mood to workout, or you don’t quite hit the numbers you were looking for during your session, instead of getting down on yourself, use it as an opportunity to strengthen your belief in your own ability to overcome this challenge, and recognize that you will be stronger for it in the future. 

The metaphorical growing pains we experience on our health and wellness journey are often challenging and uncomfortable, but they are a sign that we are changing, evolving, and growing. While it may not always be a straight shot on the road to success, if we can intentionally shift our perspective to view these hardships as part of the growing process, and an opportunity to strengthen our confidence, then we may find that overcoming them is what makes the experience so rich and rewarding in the first place.

 

Feeling inspired? Book your free fitness consultation and first workout with John or another of our qualified, encouraging personal trainers!