Embrace The Challenge

One thing I dislike : numbers.

If you send me a link to an excel sheet, I’m probably NOT going to be too excited about it. Ewww.

I think life is about betting on our strengths. It’s about being aware of what comes easy to us vs what struggles to click in our brain. As I’ve said, numbers just ain’t my thaaang.

Back in my college days, I was a frequent visitor at the Math Lab Learning Center on Bentley University’s campus. I kid you not, I was there AT LEAST two days a week for a minimum of two hours per visit. A week prior to a big exam I made sure my ass was in there putting in the WORK! To my surprise, my best grade that semester was actually in that math class. Wait, whaaaat?

The class I feared the most ended up becoming my best class because I was going above and beyond to make sure I understood every aspect of the course. Granted I didn’t truly enjoy putting in the extra work to make sure I did well but I DID what I needed to do and it paid off. I overcame my challenge and ya boy came out on TOP! It felt incredibly satisfying to see my hard work pay off at the end of the semester. *Pats himself on the back*

YesterdayI was challenged to dive a bit deeper on some of the podcast analytics of where we spend our ad money for Liquid I.V. Not going to lie, when I was being told what I needed to have ready for the next meeting I was shook. The good news is, I understood how to NOT show that expression on my face to my team because that wouldn’t have been a good look. Maybe I should try professional poker? Ehhh probably not. 

I was being asked to do something I had truthfully never done before. Part of me instantly started thinking, no chance you’re finding the solution to this problem Bob. 

Something happened rather quick after the call had ended. Like a light switch, my entire perspective of the situation changed in a blink of an eye. I went from being nervous and anxious about how I was going to resolve this problem into game mode. I felt like I was the head coach of a basketball team heading into the finals pepping myself up.

You got this Bearded Man! Lean into the challenge! If THIS is making you uncomfortable, then NOW it’s your time to rise to the occasion! Embrace all these emotions, you got this!

Now this might seem a wee bit overboard but it’s truthful. I was asked to complete a task that was out of my wheelhouse. Something I had no experience doing previously and something I wasn’t thrilled about. Even my manager knew so just based on the smirk he gave me when he said “Maybe you could record you figuring it out… that sounds like some good content!” 

Okay okay we got a funny guy on our hands I see! I appreciated the gesture but this was for sure NOT my style of content.

So what I do? I got to work. I knew what the goal was, what was being asked of me to do and so I started to reverse the steps of how I was going to get there. I knew I needed to gather certain data from different parts of the business so that’s what I started to do.

Step by step, inch by inch, I started making progress. I stopped worrying about the final product and instead started to collect the pieces of the puzzle.

Within an hour or so I was impressed with my ability to actually start making progress. What seemed like the most daunting challenge started to actually come to life. When I got stuck, I YouTube searched how to find the answer and when that didn’t seem to work I asked for help from a team member.

We tend to let our minds get so worked up about a challenge or task that is in front of us that we stall, freeze and we let our emotions get the best of us. The best thing we can do in moments like that is take a deep breath in, breathe and break down the problem into mini steps.

Sometimes we need to be our own coach and hype us up as if we’re entering the finals of a big game. Doesn’t matter what sport it is, YOU pick! Just constantly remind yourself that whatever you’re going through… you WILL get through it.

Utilize the resources around you. Ask for help. Embrace the process of figuring it all out. That’s what life is all about, isn’t it?

As uncomfortable as these type of moments may be right now, they’re the ones that define us the most. They’re the moments that show us what we’re truly made of. They’re the ones that give us the confidence we need. They’re the ones that help mold us into who we become in the future. 

I still haven’t cracked the code on HOW I’m going to solve this problem, please pray for me, but that isn’t stopping me from attacking it head on! There’s always a solution, I just need to find it and that’s the fun part.

You may be facing some difficult challenges in your own life in this very moment but I guarantee it’s only going to make you stronger in the long haul.

You got this.

The Bearded Man