Greetings!
Lots of us are happy to see 2020 go, yet we’re all still facing challenges. In fact, what I hear most from people is that the one thing holding them back from accomplishing great things are the challenges in their paths.
It’s time to take the lessons learned from 2020–especially the one about how challenges always precede success-and apply them!
Remember: challenges are a vital part of the Bold Life equation, so we should do more than just say “good riddance” to those challenges–we should learn from them.
In the book, I share an approach to “taking on challenges” and share the stories of inspiring people who successfully took them on. I even distill that approach down to three steps. They are:
- Acceptance
- Find Some Positive
- Move Forward
The first step, acceptance, means recognizing that you’re actually facing a challenge, which is something many fail to do. Denial is always a mistake!
In a previous Notes From Ed, I discussed how to find some positive things in challenges. Just remember that there are good challenges and bad challenges, and a healthy dose of perspective will help you see that, compared to others, maybe your challenges aren’t so bad after all.
The final step, moving forward, is simply that. Put one foot in front of the other, and keep going toward your goal. Feelings of discouragement and despair are transient things that will eventually give way to progress. So keep going!
These three steps enable us to learn from the challenges that get in the way of accomplishing our Bold Goals. As I said in my book, these steps “may seem like an oversimplified cure for something that can often feel complex and overwhelming, but don’t forget that after a century of medical innovation, the best treatment of the common cold is still chicken soup–simple cures work!”
When discussing challenges in PROJECT BOLD LIFE, I tell the story of my good friend, Pam Sloate. Without going into too much detail here, I will say that she’s had to deal with not one, but two major medical challenges in her life. As she wrote on her blog:
You see, The Little Engine That Could started out as The Little Engine That Tried. “I think I can” goes to the heart of the trier. Although we don’t always beat the odds, we persevere in the face of them.
The bottom line: If you want happiness and success, you have to take on those challenges first. So don’t forget everything that 2020 put in your way. After all, if 2020 was about taking on challenges, then 2021 should be about getting that happiness and success!
I am grateful for your support in 2020. I hope you have a fantastic New Year!
Stay Bold!
P.S. PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success is a complete system for planning your life to get what you want. It continues to hang out at a top seller in three categories: “Motivational Growth & Spirituality”, “Personal Success & Spirituality” and “Management Skills”. I hope you check it out if you have not purchased a copy. And if you haven’t purchased a copy and want to learn more about it, you can always download the first chapter for free!
P.S.S. You can even get a PROJECT BOLD LIFE mug, so you can start your day off with a big cup of Bold!
