Challenge: ‘A new or difficult task that tests somebody’s ability and skill’
Opportunity: ‘A time when a particular situation makes it possible to do or achieve something- Oxford Dictionary
Think about your life, the challenges you have faced, the failures, the obstacles you’ve overcome, and think about the impact it has had on you today. When we look back, we realise that these hard times have played a crucial role in shaping who we are today.
When we overcome a challenge, we become stronger and more resilient, learning new things about ourselves and our ability to handle situations. As daunting as challenges may seem they are crucial in our personal development and ability to deal with adversity.
Here we will explore 5 benefits to having challenges, and the opportunities they bring:
Photo by Balaji Malliswamy
PERSONAL GROWTH
Rather than avoiding difficult tasks, individuals with a growth mindset actively seek out challenges as opportunities for growth. Being pushed out of our comfort zones helps us to discover our strengths and weaknesses, finding areas for improvement and helping us to understand our capabilities. Adversity helps with adapting to new situations with resilience and resourcefulness. Regardless of the outcome, challenges offer new experiences and lessons that quite often will result in an increase in confidence and a can-do attitude towards obstacles in the future.
INNOVATION
Challenges can lead to innovative solutions as often they require us to think outside the box and explore unconventional approaches. As a result of these new problem-solving skills, we find ourselves to be continuously improving and learning better or more efficient ways of doing things. Sometimes if we aren’t faced with a problem, we will not have the opportunity for our creative thinking, or the chance to stumble upon new approaches.
RESILIENCE BUILDING
As we know life doesn’t always go the way we want it to, and by embracing resilience we can strengthen our mental well-being, managing our stress and emotions.
But what is resilience? It’s the ability to cope with difficult times and ‘bounce back’ from adversity. By facing and overcoming challenges we are allowing ourselves to grow and adapt to changes. So, If we think of challenges as opportunities, we can learn from our experiences and gain an insight into how we can handle situations or what we could do differently in the future.
GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
When we are faced with a challenge it is easy to want to give up. But, when we work through them, we feel a sense of accomplishment, understanding why it was essential to keep going. A challenge can help us to clarify what is important in life, differentiating what is necessary and what is not.
As many of us know, it is a rewarding feeling to have achieved something and worked so hard to get there, it shows that we are more than capable.
Remember, success is also about the journey, not just the destination.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Through exposure to unfamiliar situations, we gain valuable learning experiences that expands our knowledge. The new, diverse experiences teach us how to adapt to changes and utilize our critical thinking skills. Quite often when we reflect on our experiences, we understand more about ourselves and the situations we are faced with. Sometimes we will succeed, and sometimes we will fail, but we are all human and the challenges we face contribute to our continuous learning and personal growth.
Photo by Jani Brumat
Embracing a growth mindset by turning challenges into opportunities will open new doors and unlock your potential. As you learn to overcome obstacles, you will open yourself up to a world of possibilities and self-discovery. So, when life throws a curve ball you try to hit it as hard as you can!
“It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, it’s how many times you get back up.”
Useful Links:
Mental Health Support: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
https://www.thinkmentalhealthwa.com.au/
Two Mindsets: https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/Impact
Turn Obstacles into Opportunities: https://drhowardmurad.com/turn-obstacles-into-opportunities/
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