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How to Overcome Setbacks and Keep Moving Forward

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Chapter 1: Embracing Setbacks as Part of Growth

Setbacks are a natural part of life, but surrendering is not an option.

Gymnastics as a source of joy and resilience

When life nudges you to retrace your steps. Photo by Rob Wicks on Unsplash

Gymnastics has consistently brought me joy, and after becoming a mother of two, I was determined to keep that passion alive. I enrolled in an adult gymnastics class to pursue my fitness objectives. The journey has been rewarding, albeit fraught with challenges.

On my first day at the gym, the coach asked me about my aspirations. I shared my wish to regain my previous skills, but his expression revealed that my goals were far beyond my current abilities.

Despite the physical toll of having two children, I was resolute in overcoming this setback. I recognized the importance of starting from my current situation rather than my past peak. With the coach's guidance, I gradually made progress.

Two years later, my coach departed for other opportunities. On his last day, I achieved the final goals I had set in my first class. Although the timeline was slower than I expected, I reached my targets, and the strategies I employed have benefitted me in numerous aspects of life beyond gymnastics.

As I progressed, I aimed to master a skill I had never acquired even during my competitive years: the press handstand. By early 2019, I felt I was on the brink of success. My persistent effort on this challenging skill was finally yielding results.

However, in November 2019, I suffered a back injury that sidelined me until mid-January. Shortly after returning to practice, I experienced a severe illness. While the fever subsided within days, it took a month before I could manage stairs without fatigue. This month of illness concluded on March 13, 2020, and I only managed to attend the gym twice during that period.

By summer 2022, after a year of getting back into shape, I faced another setback when I injured my wrist and couldn't put any weight on it for seven months.

Progress often feels like two steps forward and three steps back.

I began writing this article over a week ago, eager to discuss my recovery from my wrist injury and how I refused to let limitations hinder my passion for gymnastics. However, last Friday, while leaving my office, I accidentally walked into a door frame, resulting in a black eye and a mild concussion.

Just as I believed I had overcome the setback from my wrist injury, I found myself facing a new one. This article doesn't stem from a place of having resolved all issues; rather, it reflects the reality that setbacks are cyclical and unavoidable. Nonetheless, we can continue to move forward, recognizing that both setbacks and recoveries are temporary.

Here are four strategies I utilize to navigate setbacks without giving up:

Section 1.1: Shift Your Focus

Sometimes a setback clarifies that a particular goal isn’t feasible at the moment. When I injured my back, I couldn’t practice gymnastics, so I channeled my energy into writing instead. People are multifaceted and have aspirations that often defy categorization. If one avenue closes, it may be an opportunity to develop another passion.

After my concussion, I needed to find activities that engaged my hands without straining my brain. I picked up embroidery and began learning a new skill. Sometimes, a setback simply affords you time to explore different interests, which is perfectly acceptable.

Subsection 1.1.1: Stay Innovative

My wrist injury was distinct from my back injury. I couldn't perform basic gymnastics elements like somersaults or cartwheels. However, I could still focus on conditioning and flipping. I pivoted my goals—while I couldn't work on the press handstand, I improved my aerials and backflips.

Moreover, I asked myself what aspects of achieving a press handstand I could still work on despite my wrist issue. The answer lay in strengthening my core, enhancing flexibility, and building leg strength.

Developing strength and flexibility during recovery

Training on pistol squats and scales while managing a wrist injury: enhancing core and leg strength alongside flexibility. © 2022 by Rochelle Deans

To prepare for returning to back handsprings, I focused on improving my shoulder mobility, which had contributed to my initial injury. I dedicated time to massage and physical therapy for both my shoulder and wrist. Last Tuesday, I successfully completed my first back handspring in nearly a year, and it looked better than ever. This improvement is undoubtedly a result of creatively pursuing what mattered to me, even amidst injury.

Section 1.2: Revamp Your Goals

While the concept of SMART goals is popular, the "Time-Bound" aspect often leads me to sabotage my efforts. If I realize I won’t meet a self-imposed deadline, I may abandon my goal altogether. For example, if I aim for 50,000 words in November but only reach 40,000, I might dismiss the entire goal.

To counter this tendency, I establish specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant objectives while opting for a different kind of time constraint: allocating time each day, week, or month to work towards that goal.

This approach shifts the focus from “I will achieve a press handstand in one year” to “I will practice press handstand drills three times a week for at least fifteen minutes.” I may not reach my goal within a year, but when setbacks occur—and they will—I can pivot creatively to stay aligned with my aspirations.

Subsection 1.2.1: Document Your Journey

It’s often said that we fail to appreciate our progress until we look back, and for good reason. Given my inconsistent nature, I prefer various methods to document my achievements. In gymnastics, I often record videos. In writing, I track word counts, time spent writing, and even retain old pieces to gauge improvement.

Other documentation methods include spreadsheets to monitor completed workouts or writing milestones. The key is to find a way to track progress that motivates you to persist, even when you face setbacks. For me, that involves avoiding comparisons to a perfect standard, as I tend to experience bursts of productivity interspersed with rest periods. Nevertheless, this irregular yet consistent effort still yields results, and witnessing that progress encourages me to keep pushing forward.

Chapter 2: Conclusion

Each small step contributes to progress, even if it deviates from your original intentions. It would have been easy to abandon gymnastics while dealing with my wrist injury; instead, I sought ways to adapt my practice to my circumstances.

Although I didn’t plan to excel at beam routines last year, they became my focus while nursing my wrist. Surprisingly, these exercises proved beneficial for core strength, shoulder mobility, and leg conditioning.

When I eventually returned to more dynamic gymnastics, the work I completed during my recovery significantly influenced my performance. The mental pause I took due to my concussion provided clarity on my goals, and I even learned a new skill or two while embracing the role of a beginner.

The next time you encounter a setback—likely sooner than later—I hope you feel equipped to transform these challenges into opportunities for growth and progress toward your dreams.

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