Life is full of swings and roundabouts and sometimes some sideways action too. When things go wrong or don’t go as planned, or something throws us off balance and doubt ourselves, and the proverbial hits the fan, it can be tough to deal with. After all, we all want things to go well and be seen as ‘winners’.
Our mental health is affected even though we know life will always throw challenges at us, and as much as we try, we can’t control everything. It’s not what happens to you but what you do with what happens to you that makes the difference.
Here are three easy ways that you can always come out on top.
1. Strengths-Based Focus
Whether you believe it or not (that’s for another time), you have some strengths, and the truth is that we tend to put more focus on our weaknesses and not our strengths.
Your strength is something you do consistently well– it’s something you’re just able to do, you’re hard-wired to do it well, and you get an inherent satisfaction from doing it.
It could be tackling and solving complex problems, empathising with people, having a lively imagination or being able to make the perfect omelette.
There will always be room for improvement, but with that being said, focusing on what you do well rather than what you’re not so good at builds competence which boosts confidence which leads to success and achievement.
When you look at what you’re not good at, you feel bad about yourself and your ability, but when you focus on and play to your strengths, you’re guaranteed to get results and can even eliminate any negative effect your weaknesses might have.
2. Plan & Journal
Sure, there will be times when you can head into something, do brilliantly at it and get the result you were hoping for (normally if you’re playing to your strengths), but other times you might trip and stumble forwards, wing it and not get the result you wanted.
Whatever challenges or opportunities you’re facing, you’ll stand a much better chance of getting a great result if you plan ahead and set things up to succeed ahead of time.
So what exactly do you want to happen? What solution, outcome or result would be great?
Get really clear on the outcome you want from what’s facing you and how it would feel to get the outcome you’re looking for.
Then start breaking it down – what can you do to set things up so your desired outcome happens? What needs to be put in place? What will help to make what you want to happen, happen? And to ensure the best outcome, what are you willing to do?
= Better Mental Health
Understanding your strengths can dramatically improve the results you get in life. It’s not about being better than anyone else or always being perfect. It is simply about creating the inner tools necessary to tackle any challenge or opportunity and reminding yourself of successes you have already experienced from using those strengths.
If you know what your strength is then use it to your advantage, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if needed when facing challenges. Remember, every success story starts with a plan and determination—and having the confidence to pursue that goal.
So make today the day you acknowledge your strength and never give up on yourself. If you need help discovering yours, reach out today!
