3 Qualities You Must Develop

When you feel stuck or things aren’t going the way you want them to, it’s easy to get discouraged, frustrated, or even a little panicked. This is totally normal, but unfortunately, not very helpful to your situation.

The following three qualities, though seemingly simple, will help you through those times, and allow you not just to get by, but to thrive, during times of adversity.

Curiosity

When you are faced with a problem, the best thing you can do is to be curious about it. How did I get here? What do I feel right now? What are possible solutions? Is there anything I can learn?

Being curious allows you to take a step back from the problem and put some distance between you and it. This is important if you feel like you’re stuck. See your problems as an interesting challenge, a place where you can learn things you didn’t know before, and before long you no longer have a problem.

The Willingness to Experiment

When you are stuck, the tendency to panic is very high. You become attached to a certain outcome, making it all the more difficult to get un-stuck. Experimenting with different solutions is one way out of the quicksand.

When you are willing to experiment, you find things that you never thought you would. Solutions that you didn’t think of at first present themselves to you. Possibilities start to expand, leaving you feeling freer and therefore more relaxed. And when you are calm, there is clarity, and problems don’t seem to be the monsters they once were.

A Sense of Discovery

Look to find something. See what it is that you can discover.

Problems often mask an insight or an understanding about something that you never had before. What can you find in this problem? Look closely.

photo credit: Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi

What other qualities have helped you through when you felt stuck? Leave your response in the comments.