3 Ways to Turn Your Breakdowns into Breakthroughs

The Do It Scared™ Podcast with Ruth Soukup provides weekly motivation, inspiration, and practical instruction for anyone tired of settling for “good enough.” Each week we tackle topics like goal-setting, overcoming procrastination, finding the time, energy & know-how for accomplishing our dreams, and overcoming the obstacles that stand in our way. Don’t miss an episode; subscribe here.

It’s going to rain sometimes. There’s just no way around it.

But what do you do when it happens? Do you hide inside your house and tell yourself you’re never going out into the world again? Or do you grab an umbrella and make the best of things? After all, sunny days will come. And there’s still plenty of beauty, even on the dreariest of days.

Life never goes the way you plan. Things go wrong. Mistakes are made. Rain will fall. But instead of beating yourself up whenever things aren’t perfect, remember that there’s NO SUCH THING as perfection. Once you stop expecting it, you’ll be more equipped to handle and even EMBRACE the obstacles that pop up in your life.

In Episode 5 of the Do It Scared™ podcast, I talk about our imperfect need for perfection and explain why you’ll be so much happier once you make three fundamental changes to the way you approach obstacles and problems. Once you do, you’ll see that even the worst breakdowns can lead you to your biggest breakthroughs. And while this may have been recorded a while ago, it is more relevant than ever.

Get the synopsis below or listen to the whole podcast on iTunes or on Google Play. (Or just search for “Do It Scared™” on your favorite iPod app!)  Never miss a new episode by subscribing on iTunes. You can also find the full show notes at doitscared.com/episode5.

'There’s NO SUCH THING as perfection.' Click to Tweet

1. ACCEPT OBSTACLES AS NORMAL

We all have this idealized picture of the future in our minds. Whether we’re thinking about what we need to accomplish today or where we’d like to be in the next several years, we become frustrated and even furious when something unexpected takes us off course.

Instead, change your thinking to EXPECT that you’ll face obstacles. Because you will. Everyone does. It’s inevitable. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. In fact, it means you’re absolutely normal.

2. LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING

Once you come to accept that obstacles are an unavoidable part of life, the next step is to see them for what they really are: opportunities in disguise. Every negative has a positive. It’s just sometimes hard to see. Whenever something goes wrong, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” or “How can I do better next time?”

Whether you launched a business that flopped or took a new job that turned out to be a disaster, there’s always something to learn. And that’s what life is all about. We fall just so we can get back up again, and each time we do it, we become stronger, smarter and more prepared for the next time.

3. ADOPT A GRACE MINDSET

'Be humble. Be kind. Be generous. Be encouraging. Be forgiving. Click to Tweet

When you stop expecting perfection from yourself, you also need to stop expecting it from everyone else. (That wouldn’t be fair!) Sometimes our expectations are so high that other people are bound to disappoint us, and that isn’t healthy for anyone. All it does is foster bitterness.

Having grace for yourself and those around you will make it so the obstacles you face have less of a negative impact. Be humble. Be kind. Be generous. Be encouraging. Be forgiving. Instead of blaming yourself or anyone else for the problem at hand, learn from it and understand that whatever you’re up against will be something that helps you down the road. You can do this!

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These are just some of the highlights of this timeless episode! You can listen to all of Episode 5 on iTunes or on Google Play. Visit doitscared.com for show notes from this episode, and never miss a new episode by subscribing on iTunes.