It has been an interesting couple of weeks. Many of us our out of work, out of school, stuck in quarantine. This has led many to find new ways to fill their time. It’s how we choose to handle adversity that reveals who we really are. None of us are immune to adversity, and when this moment passes, and it will, we will be faced with a new test. How we handle our adversity reveals everything. It is in these moments that we find out what we are truly made of. Do we have what it takes to succeed? Do we have what it takes to adapt? Do we have what it takes to overcome the unknown?
How have you filled your days during this quarantine? Are you someone who sits on social media complaining about every little thing? Have you binge watched every episode of eight different shows? Trust me I’ve watched more TV than I usually do, it’s hard not to. Do you waste each day and opportunity to make a different kind of impact? Or, have you spent the last few weeks reading, learning, growing, changing, and adapting? This says a lot about who you are. This adversity has a way of revealing who we really are.
For example, as a coach a lot of my athletes are stuck without school and athletics to fill their time. And as it works with social media I am connected to them, but also to those that they are connected too. Every day I see posts about people missing sports and how much they want to play. Some people post videos, some people just post comments, but the truth is only time will tell if people truly have committed themselves during this time to improve. It’s hard to truly push yourself when there’s nobody visibly pushing you from behind. However, this I promise you, when the ban lifts and sports resume, those who have truly pushed themselves will stand apart from the rest. Don’t get stuck behind the pack.
Use this extra time we have to be creative in your training. Seek out new ways to get better. Don’t just work on the same old mechanics over and over, that’s just boring and eventually you’ll stop doing them correctly which will only lead to bad habits. Instead improve your game in new ways. Use this time to set goals for yourself. Read about why great players are great or what the best do better than everyone else. Spend time working on your mental game. There are so many ways to improve that aren’t just physical. I get that not everyone can lift weights in their basement or run drills in their driveway or hundreds of other things that require space and a team. That doesn’t mean you can grow and improve or that you can’t seek out different ways to get better.
Another thing I see during this time is a lot of people looking for a hand out. Trust me, I get it, who doesn’t love free money. But all free money comes with a catch or a stipulation. I don’t know about you, but I’m not relying on it, I’m not waiting for it as the only way to survive. My business is closed, I’m no longer making money off my training. I’m not stuck though, I’m not lost, I’m just in need of a new door. I am constantly pursuing new ways to make money, new ways to improve my situation, new ways to approach the economic changes. This is true when things are good as well as now when things are bad. This isn’t an end to my road, simply a detour in the path of where I was going.
Look I know everyone’s situation is different and I don’t want you to feel bad if this is the best option for you. Sometimes you have to take the path your given. Yet, sometimes we can forge a new path. All I ask is you be open to possibilities that are all around you. Why is it that our first instinct is to stick our hand out and wait? Why do we not fight to evolve and find a new way? Why do we fear the unknown so much? I don’t fear the unknown, I seek it. It is in the unknown that change is possible, that greatness is possible. Search your unknown and be bold!
Look, I know some situations require us to sit and wait for things to change. But sitting and waiting doesn’t mean we have to stop learning. It doesn’t mean we can’t keep looking for something different. There are a lot of opportunities to better ourself with the time we have now. I have seen people step off their current path to try something new. I have friends who have taken jobs in “essential” markets during this time to offset their loss of income. I’ve seen posts about doing yard work, or odd jobs around other people’s homes. I have fellow trainers who have taken to doing online training. All I’m saying is that opportunities are always available no matter what the situation may look like on the outside. It’s all in how we choose to look at each situation that determines our reality. I could easily sit here and pout and complain about the governor shutting down my gym. I could easily stick my hand out and wait for money to appear. I could easily do a lot of things.
My point is this, during adverse times there are many easy options available to us. It’s the difficult choices, or the hard options that lead to increased success. It’s doing the difficult work, or pursuing the unknown strategy, or doing the work when nobody is watching that defines our true character. I’ve always been the type of person that puts in work whether someone was watching me or not. I love the work. I love purposeful work, I love detailed and difficult work. The hardest thing for me during this time is finding good quality work to keep me busy. But I’m always looking for something, I’m always searching for ways to improve and better myself. I have nothing but time now to search out new ways to grow and become more than I was before this epidemic.
During these next few weeks I implore you to seek out new ways of doing things. To be open to change. To be adaptable to this new way of life. To learn, grow, and develop as a person and leader. Don’t look at the things that have been taken from you, but instead search for the new door that is available to you. No matter what your situation, and no matter how many doors were shut during this pandemic, if you search hard enough, a new door is waiting for you to walk through. You just have to be willing to look, and then once you find it, be brave enough to open it.
There will always be challenges in your life. There will always be some kind of adversity you’ll be asked to confront. Use this time to sharpen the tools in your tool box. Enhance your skills and prepare yourself for future challenges. Change the way you see adversity, change the way you handle difficult moments, and forge into the unknown without fear. Be courageous during this time, be bold and try new things. Most importantly don’t wait for things to return to normal, create a new normal. Create a new you; a better, stronger, more resilient you. So, while you weather this storm continue to grow and when the seas settle and the rain subsides, you will emerge more prepared for what’s beyond the storm.
So, as we part I want you to ask yourself this one question. Are you doing everything you can to emerge stronger after the storm subsides? Only you can honestly answer this question. Others may have their opinions of you. They may believe they know what you’re made of or who you are. However, the true answer to this question is in the eyes of the person in the mirror. That is the only person who matters when it comes to self-evaluation. Coincidentally, it is also the only person you can’t lie to. You may tell yourself that you’re doing everything you can to improve and grow; to change and adapt. You can tell yourself that there’s nothing more you can do. You may even be able to convince yourself of this truth. Until you look in the mirror. When you look into the eyes of the person in the mirror, the real truth emerges. The real truth becomes present and you know if you’ve been cheating yourself. Don’t improve and change for me. Don’t do it for those you love or those around you. Do it for you. Do it for your future. Do it for those who someday will follow you. Be resilient to the changes that are coming. Take on the adversity when it comes your way. Be great!
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