Turning Setbacks Into Opportunities

About this time of year is when the New Year’s resolutions that you made in January start to fall apart. I believe the reason for frustration and failure around resolutions is our inability to move beyond setbacks. They happen all year long, but this time of year is when the obstacles start coming at us with full force in the face of our new goals, systems, and ideas.

We would all like to win, accomplish our goals and have everything run smooth. Winning feels good and gives us momentum. However, it’s nearly impossible to always win and sustain it at the highest level. Even the best of us have difficult days. The balance to winning is setback. The remarkable thing about setbacks is that our capacity to learn and grow is fueled by them. It is how we develop character and perseverance. It’s how great innovative ideas happen. It’s the way things get accomplished.

I do not often refer to the Bible in this space, but I am going to share this because James 1:2 reminds us of a very fitting thing here.

“When it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can.” (TPT)

Winning is great, but just think if we didn’t have setbacks. There would be so many things that wouldn’t happen.

• Lessons learned happen best through failure
• Growth happens when obstacles force us to adapt
• Improvements come when failure moves us forward with added information
• Opportunities open when a setback happens, and a new path is forged
• Motivation and energy can come with the chance to prove someone wrong

No matter the setback you’re dealing with – a lost job, mistake, project failure, an illness or unforeseen damage to property – there is a way to look at what has happened and move forward. Time spent agonizing over what happened will not change much, but you can choose to look at setbacks and obstacles in a way that helps others, has influence, or allows for progress.

The last 3 years have personally been challenging for me and others, but I know that God has wonderful things in store for you and me. My hope is something in the words above inspires you to put the past behind you, grow from it, and move forward as the best version of yourself.?