Finding the Possible Within the Not Possible Right Now

In the pursuit of my multi-year goal to run a half marathon in every state, I just took GA off the list last weekend. I started the race strong. I was flying down the course feeling it was going to be my best race ever. Then, at mile 7 after an insanely steep downhill, I felt a sharp pain on the outer part of my right knee. The pain got progressively worse every time my foot hit the ground. From feeling like a Greek Goddess, I became that wonky runner limping across the finish line.

Congrats to me! I am a runner and the unlucky winner of ITB syndrome, “hello knee pain.” My initial response was that of a typical runner - denial.

“But I can still jog, right?” – Typical Runner?

It is both a blessing and a curse to be able to endure discomfort and pain. This is how I intentionally push myself out of my comfort zone in order to keep learning and growing. However, when it comes to an impact-related overuse injury, it’s clear that to keep pushing through pain is not the answer, and I need to be more strategic. I, now, have to give my body time to heal and find new ways to work out without overdoing it in order to avoid overuse injuries.

It just occurred to me that this principle is also true for running a successful career. To maximize career potential and reach career goals, it is critical to know when to push but how to avoid burnout; how to continuously recover, refuel, and recharge. When faced with an obstacle to your career goals, start with a pause and a bit of patience to take a look at where you are and strategically assess the situation. There might be things that are not possible, yet. It’s easy to get discouraged when facing a setback. Your challenge is to search for that place within yourself to get motivated to do the things you can. Think strategically to identify all you can do within all the things you have to give up for the time being.

Making things possible requires a can-do attitude believing that there is always a way through to keep moving forward. To do that, you have to be willing to let go of unfulfilled expectations. First, and most important, make your physical and mental health a priority. And always work to cultivate a positive attitude for success, especially when things don’t go as planned.

When you are facing a challenge, it will test you physically and mentally. Our emotions stem from our thoughts. Thus, you can reframe your mindset to start your upward spiral. Choose hope as a practical strategic response. Practical hope is an action plan designed to solve for challenges to see the possibilities. Practical hope can move you from a state of despair to getting a grip through focus on action, the things still within your control. Hope is about bringing awareness to your inner experience, so that when you feel overwhelmed thinking “I can’t do this,” you learn to “see” that there’s a way forward.?Real life is like TV, you can switch the channel. Don’t get stuck in the same script. Try a new program. Find new resources. Explore your options to chart a new path. Hope is choosing to do what you can regardless of the web of conspiring circumstances.

Being practically hopeful means knowing at the deepest level possible that you can transcend apparent limits, that while you may be down, you are not out. Yes, you have hit a wall, have felt the pain, and might be limping along, but you are not defeated. You can try new things, keep on trying and do more. As painful and unpleasant as the experience may be at the present time, it needn’t determine future outcomes. The human spirit is as expansive as life itself. No matter what the challenge is, you can prevail.

5 strategies to practice practical optimism when facing a setback:

1. Feel the pain: allow yourself to be vulnerable, to effectively “metabolize” the pain. Then let go in order to move forward. Feel the emotion, then reframe it.

2. Accept the things you cannot change: living fully involves risks, constrains, challenges, and lessons. Some things cannot be undone. Accept the unchangeable.

3. Shift your focus to the things you can do: identify the things you are willing, able, and ready to tackle It may take time for the possibilities to come into view. Brainstorm ideas for action.

4. Outline your options to redefine your action plan: think about the big picture of what you want to achieve and determine a sequence of steps to take to keep moving forward.

5. Be kind to yourself: treat yourself the way you would someone you care about. Let go of impossible perfection and harsh self-criticism. Embrace the opportunity to do things differently.

How can you apply practical hope and creative problem-solving to better your situation to redirect your future?