Written by: LeAnn Smith, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
So often we are going along, things are good and then - BAM! Something kicks us off course. We stumble, we fall, and we feel defeated.
At that moment, we feel like it's a setback or that we have failed. All the work we did up to that point has been for nothing.
That's the moment people stop.
They feel their progress to that point isn't worthy; it’s not important.
And that, my friends, couldn't be farther from the truth.
As the writer Ash Alves puts it:
“You can have your shit together and then something happens that knocks you off course. This does not invalidate your progress. Sometimes you need to fall in order for a new, better you to emerge. At any time you can recommit to your growth.”
Life isn't a straight line. It has twists and turns, peaks and valleys with a few potholes thrown in. Don't give up on yourself. You haven't lost anything. Your progress to this point is still valid and important.
As a health and wellness professional, I work with clients who feel they continually fail in their well-being. Part of my job is to educate, motivate and inspire them to shift their mindset from ‘failure’ to ‘learning opportunity.’
Here are some proven ways to look at setbacks and re-commitment:
Tip 1: Shift your mindset. Let's flip how we look at this. Maybe what you deem as a failure is actually the best thing that could have happened to you. Perhaps slipping up is preparing you to change, shift and evolve so progress can continue. Evolution equals progression, not failure.
Tip 2: What did you learn? Part of the process of recommitting and moving forward understands what made you stumble in the first place. That moment you stumbled was a learning opportunity to take a step back, re-evaluate, assess and switch things up.
If you aren’t pausing for the learning opportunity, then you are doing a disservice to yourself. You will stumble again, and probably for the same reason. Pause. Assess. Evaluate.
Tip 3: Form a plan. Part of recommitting has a plan to move forward. Take what you learned and put it into action! What do you need to change? Do you need help from a friend, family member, or professional?
Your plan doesn’t need to be complicated, just something to cement your resolve that will help you recommit to yourself and your progress.
Tip 4: Give gratitude. For me, this is most important. Pause to give gratitude for the learning opportunity. Like all learning opportunities, it’s a gift because it’s a chance for personal growth. As we all know, growth comes from hardship, struggle, and falling. You just got handed a gift of evolving into a better person. Give some much-earned gratitude for that!
Listen, you have a choice to either stay where you are and continue to stumble and fall, or you can get back up, dust yourself off, and recommit. The choice is yours.
LeAnn Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
LeAnn works with clients that are ‘stuck’ in their wellness journey either by injury, illness, disease or otherwise. Her approach is to meet you where you are, partner together to create a customized plan to support your goals and lifestyle. With over eleven years of experience, LeAnn provides a full spectrum approach of wellness modalities to her clients such as Personal Training, Yoga Instruction, Health & Nutrition Coaching. Her motto: Welcome home, your vibrant self awaits!
LeAnn also offers Corporate Wellness solutions for organizations of all sizes. With over fourteen years of corporate Human Resources experience, she brings a wealth of corporate, organizational knowledge and understanding, as well as the ability to provide customized and engaging health and wellness solutions.
