Areas of Success & Struggle

We all experience times of success and times of struggle. When I was in a time of struggle I often found that it was because I was off track with my plans and purpose. I have also been working with other coaches and find myself that it is also associated with not working on our gifts and skills. When clients pull me into an area that I have little experience or skill, that is when the struggle happens. 

I have read before a story of a man who went to hear a great and renowned speaker and ended up seated beside the speakers’ wife. During the presentation, the man noticed that the great speaker had monogrammed socks, a sure sign of success. Intrigued by this he looked closer and saw that instead of his name initials were the three letters ’TGIF’. When the presentation was over the man complimented the speaker to his wife and asked her, ‘how come your husband’s socks say TGIF. Does it stand for ‘Thank Goodness It’s Friday?’ The wife replied, ‘oh no, the letters stand for ‘Toes Go In First’. The monograms are there to help him get dressed, which is a particular struggle of his. 

This reminded me that things are rarely clear in success and that others struggle just like me. I also took away the lessons that we have to find ways of acknowledging our struggles and then coping with them so that success thrives. 

First, having self-awareness is the key. We need to be constantly aware of our gifts, skills, and experience. We also need to be aware of and make our clients aware of their skills and abilities too.

Second, we have to accept that struggles will come and that we should not ignore them but take time to work out why!

Third, we should not let the success of others darken our progress and be jealous of their success. Everyone is struggling. We need to accept that when we see other’s success, things are rarely perfect and there is usually something that they are struggling with.

Lastly, if we want to reduce the areas of struggle and have more success we need to get back on track and use our skills to their fullest potential. 

If we want to be great achievers ourselves and enable our clients to do likewise it is vital that we examine the causes behind both success and struggle.

Take-aways or actions for reader

• Always remember to look at struggles as an alarm that either the plan or skills are off track.
• Take heart that you will soar in some areas of success when aligned with your gifts but struggle, just like others do when they are not.
• Self-awareness is everything, with knowledge and faith we can face struggles ourselves and as coaches using the same tactics with clients we can enable them to do likewise.
• Use the gauge os success and struggle to keep improving and embrace the challenges faced as an opportunity for realignment