Years ago, I joined a new gym, and a personal trainer gave me a tour of the equipment. She glanced at the elliptical and laughed, “Getting results is easy: Put it where it’s a little uncomfortable, then leave it there for 30 minutes. See you later!”
Pursuing big goals can feel like an endless training session. You may like the outcome, but along the way, you might wonder if you’ve bit off more than you can chew! However, success is still in reach as long as you also set an uncomfortable intention, the topic of the January series, Four Ways to Conquer Uncomfortable Intentions. In addition to your goal, set the intention that you won’t resist challenges—you’ll meet them head-on. Let me tell you how a farmer used soft skills to conquer roadblocks in his way.
Bil Thorn and Kate Harwell were thrilled to find an incredible farm north of Seattle. The upside was that it had more land than they had hoped for—15 acres—as well as a house and workshop. But the downside was sizeable. The property had been abandoned, and trash was everywhere. Along with their kids, they set to work putting it in order, hoping to make it a commercial farm. The property sprang to life with their tender, loving care.
As awareness in racial discrimination increased in 2020, Thorn felt compelled to share his experiences as a black farmer on social media. He said, “I refuse to let it control my life—my drive, my will to succeed. I saw that with my Dad, and I can’t do it.” Unexpected donations poured in, and the family was able to purchase a Kubota tractor and materials like a station for washing produce. They immediately put the equipment to use supporting their exploding community-supported agriculture program and new partnerships, such as distributing healthy food to home-based hospital patients.
As Thorn reflects on past situations, he says, “If you want anything bad enough and you put your mind to it, you can probably get it. You just have to stay on it. Most people give up. I don’t give up.”
Are you pursuing a big goal where problems are starting to pop up everywhere you turn? You could be thinking, Going big was supposed to be fun and exciting—Why me?!
But let me give you some good news: 2020 showed that you’re able to manage any surprises Life throws your way. Whether you know it or not, the past version of you has been upgraded to someone who automatically turns to their natural creativity to handle challenges.
However, just like the Sky Island Farm team, you’ll have to set the uncomfortable intention to keep going. Their success happened because they overcame challenges, not because they never had any. They pushed forward, even when the property was a mess, and the pandemic upended their business.
Instead of allowing challenges to upset you, change your thoughts to Adversity is part of the game. I’m not stuck—I just don’t know what to do yet, but I’m creative enough to figure it out. Here are three ways for you to power past adversity:
Honing patience and diligence is tough in today’s one-click, microwave world, but that adversity is pushing you to level up. Difficulties may slow you down, but don’t let them stop you. Go slowly, but go.