Big Picture Success: Overcoming Short-Term Setbacks
“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Do you ever feel like life throws you one curveball after another? Setbacks can be overwhelming, leaving you questioning your path and wondering if you’ll ever reach your goals. But what if those setbacks were stepping stones to growth instead of roadblocks? This article delves into the transformative power of long-term thinking and how reframing challenges as part of the journey can unveil a whole new perspective on success, brimming with hope and potential for personal development.
It’s a natural tendency to blow certain situations out of proportion. The mind has a built-in negativity bias from thousands of years of evolution. That’s why life should be evaluated, not just by our failures. I compare it to visiting an art exhibition and examining a painting from six inches away. We will only see the bold brush strokes up close, not the entire masterpiece. However, if we step back and view it from a proper distance, we will appreciate the beauty of the canvas as a whole. Similarly, many people focus on one aspect that isn’t going as planned and judge their lives based on this measure. Remember, setbacks are a natural part of life’s canvas, and it’s okay to experience them.
If you’re lucky enough, you will live a long life. So, it pays to avoid paying too much attention to your setbacks since you’ll likely bounce back. In other words, don’t exaggerate what is happening, but consider your experience part of a larger plan. Does it make sense that even though your setbacks are real, you will overcome them to the best of your ability? It’s part of the human condition to overcome, grow, and expand into a greater version of yourself. Therefore, cast your attention away from negativity and what is not working and focus on your long-term plans. Consider the following questions when you find yourself caught up in negativity:
- What could be happening behind the scenes that I’m unaware of?
- Are there hidden lessons contained within my setbacks?
- Is this setback a temporary detour or a nudge in a new direction altogether?
Growth Through Challenges
“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” — Confucius.
The value of adopting a long-term view means we don’t take life seriously because, ultimately, our problems will resolve themselves if we are patient. It requires developing a clear picture of our intended future instead of focusing on the setbacks. Recall the mind’s negativity bias I mentioned earlier. It requires vigilance and purpose to readjust our focus, and it is certainly worth the effort if we’re to succeed. Obstacles are part of life. While they’re difficult to deal with, they allow for crucial personal growth for the journey ahead. Knowing this, we should adopt self-control and discipline as we think long-term.
No one knows what the future holds, but we can overcome our short-term pain with a purposeful vision of what it might look like. Long-term thinking helps us to appreciate that conditions will improve and we are never trapped in our current circumstances. Time tests our inner resolve, character strength, and ability to withstand challenging conditions. Emotional growth occurs when we allow a situation to play out as it should instead of hoping for an easy path. An easy life seldom leads to the fruit at the end of the branch. It isn’t easy to take a long-term view at times because our minds are not accustomed to thinking that far ahead. We are used to dealing with what is happening before us and have a limited view of what tomorrow will bring. This comes at a cost to our mental well-being because if we follow this script, we constantly put out spotfires instead of working on our big-picture goals. To think long-term, we should set our sights on the future and review our plans to get there.
You can take small but impactful steps toward your goals by engaging in self-reinforcement, affirmations, or visualizations. Success is found in the most minor details. The key to long-term thinking is to imagine our proposed future and focus on the smaller destinations instead of the larger picture. For example, if your goal is to lose 22 lbs. (10 kg) by the end of the year and you are injured (setback), exercising and achieving your goal will be difficult. You could focus on the setback or what you can do during this period. In other words, use the time to tweak your nutritional habits by consuming fewer carbohydrates owing to inactivity. Later, when you can exercise again, you will likely enhance your weight loss due to following sound dietary habits.
Small Steps, Big Wins: Taking Action for Long-Term Goals
“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.” — Napoleon Hill.
Are you comfortable with this understanding because there is always something we can do to move us forward toward our goals? Long-term thinking is something I’ve pursued throughout my adult life. While others excelled in individual areas and gained instant results, I focused on long-term outcomes. I experience setbacks and obstacles like most people, though I don’t allow them to consume me. When I find myself stuck in a situation, I consider it a minor speed hump in what is a long journey. This is the essence of the message here: use your setbacks as a stepping stone for future success. It is what the Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck calls developing a Growth Mindset. “It’s difficult to maintain confidence in a fixed mindset without distorting the world, such as acting defensively or blaming someone or something else for setbacks,” says Carol Dweck.
Remember, life is a marathon, not a sprint. While short-term setbacks may sting, they don’t define your entire journey. By adopting a long-term perspective and using challenges as opportunities for growth, you’ll be on your way to achieving your dreams. So, take a deep breath, shift your focus to the big picture, and start taking action toward the life you envision, no matter how small.
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Tony Fahkry
Expert Life Coach
