Have you ever been in a situation where you were anxious and nervous about the outcome? You may have had a deadline for a school assignment, or you were working on a project at work and you were on the hook to make the system work.

 Your gut starts feeling queasy. Maybe you get stress headaches. Or even start having dreams about how you will solve the problem. But whatever it is, it seems to consume all your thoughts.

This happened to me several times, but one event stands out. I was working on software configuration to make our company chat functionality more versatile with the global regions. And the SaaS software I was working with had this particular feature.  I was on the hook to figure it out. 

Of course, there was documentation on how the feature worked, but I had to map out and design the best configuration. I lamented about this for weeks. One day in the shower, my lightbulb moment happened. It’s probably because I had been reviewing this scenario for a while, so I finally got a revelation on how to solve it, or at least a way to start. 

Now the solution worked which was such a sigh of relief. I look back and think did I stress over nothing because now the company moved on and it’s not as big of a priority as it once was? Funny how that happens. 

During that time, doubt was front and center. Doubt makes us think we aren’t capable. Doubt makes us second-guess ourselves. Doubt makes us believe it’s time to quit and let someone else handle it. 

But somehow it all works out, it all comes together. And then 2-3 months down the road it’s not even a thought in your head (or at least not 24/7) and you are on to the next item that takes all your time and energy. 

My point in telling you this is that even with all that apprehensiveness and angst, getting through that and achieving it puts another rung on the ladder of your success. You have grown in your ability just a little more.

That’s why it’s good to challenge yourself and get out of that comfortable place, because if you don’t, then how will you grow? Stretch that muscle. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

That’s not something we like to hear, but what has ever happened that was so great while you were in your comfort zone? Not much.

There is a quote by Robert H. Schuller, “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!”. That software problem I was getting through didn’t last, but I did. And that’s what I want for you.

Mindset matters. Make up your mind that you will figure out your situation and you aren’t going to give up. No phoning it in.

Here are five ways to tackle your problem instead of festering about it in your head.

1 – Write down all the possible solutions as a starting point. Pick one and map out a strategy. It’s easy to pick from a list than nothing at all.

2 – Understand the worse possible scenario and strategize what to do if it happens. If something does go wrong, you have a plan.

3 – Focus on what you can change. No need to worry about something if you can’t fix or solve it.

4 – Start on one of the solutions bite by bite. As you work on it,  other solutions or creative ways will come to mind.

5 – Ask for Help! This is the hardest part for me. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness even though that’s usually the first thought in our head. But if you have exhausted yourself and your current resources, seek guidance. 

Life is going to throw you into unexpected and uncomfortable situations. But it’s how you react and handle it that will propel you through life. It’s not just about you, but once you get through something, you have the experience to help someone else who could be going through a similar situation. 

This doesn’t only have to be on the job but can relate to relationships, personal health issues, family matters, etc. 

Don’t run away from the hard times, but find the joy in the journey.

Interested in more ways to find inner peace, check out my article about finding balance in your life.

The post Resilience: 5 Reliable Ways to Get thru Scary Times first appeared on Angela P. Banks.