Don’t Let Temporary Setbacks Keep You Down

It happens to everyone.  We’re going along fine, achieving our goals, fulfilling our commitments, and life is good.  But then, an unexpected expense, an illness, a major disappointment, or some type of loss occurs, and we may get the impression that we’re right back to square one.   And if we are, so what?

You could take the approach that would have you throw in the towel and give up. Just accept your perceived fate and that’s it.  Is that where you want to end up?

Or, you could take another approach.  The better one.  I might suggest it is the only one worth doing.  Dust yourself off, pick yourself up, and get yourself back on track.

Two weeks ago, I had my annual checkup.  My blood sugar numbers were still low, but trending higher.  My weight, which I had been doing such a good job at maintaining over the last two years, was up.  How much, you ask?  Twenty pounds. That’s a third of the weight I had lost nearly two years ago.  Ugh.

So, driving home, I asked myself what happened.  I blamed it on the long, cold, winter.  No way to get my walking in.  You know how those rich foods of winter can sneak up on you. Too much fun and not enough…

Discipline.  That’s the word I was looking for.  In today’s world, some have the perception that discipline should be viewed with suspicion and negativity, even hatred. Who needs it?

Everyone.  For me, it’s the discipline of exercise and proper nutrition.  For you, it might be something else.  But we all need discipline in our lives, in one form or another.    Discipline is what keeps us on track to achieve our goals and dreams. When we don’t have it, we may feel as if we’re on a little dingy being tossed about in a storm at sea.

If you want to move past your setbacks, bring back some discipline to the situation. To be honest, shouldn’t have been surprised when I jumped on the scale at my doctor’s office.  I check my weight a few times a week, and I know it’s been creeping up for months.  I knew how much I had gained before I walked in the door.  My put it out of my mind, thinking, next week, I’ll start working on it again…

Taking the next week approach will only get your deeper into the hole, and those temporary setbacks become more permanent as each week passes you by.

If you’ve had a setback recently, don’t be discouraged.  Assess the situation, go back to the drawing board, and start again.  As for me, I’m going to the gym today, and I’m having a big salad for lunch.  And I’ll do the same tomorrow, and the next day. Discipline helped me once before, and it will help me again.

How about you?  Have you been able to overcome a temporary setback?

If you feel like you’ve been lacking discipline in some area of your life, what steps are you going to take to get it back?

Let’s have a conversation…