Embrace Challenges

Challenges!
We hate them, avoid them, and even pray against them. We see them as hindrances, stumbling blocks, and obstacles to our progress. Called by different names—pressure, provocation, problem—life is punctuated by them, and no one is immune. At critical junctures, uninvited and unexpected, they announce their presence and rear their “ugly” heads to try and veer us off course. But without challenges, life would be boring, activities meaningless, and progress impossible. For example, no car moves without challenges. Movement happens because of the friction between the road and the tyres. If you remove the friction between the road and the tyres, cars will skid off and cause accidents. So, while we run away from challenges, they are necessary for our success.

In the last newsletter, I challenged you to get out of your comfort zone; this week, I want to admonish you to embrace challenges. In this article, I will address three things: what challenges are, two perspectives on challenges, and two types of challenges you will face.

What are challenges? I define them as any situation or event that requires strength and/or skill to solve. What do I mean? Imagine you are going to work, and your car breaks down; you would beckon to others to help you push the car to safety or use a towing van (strength) but to fix the car’s problem, you need someone with skill.Every challenge you face will require a measure of skill to solve , whether it is the challenge of motivating people, resolving conflict, growing your business, increasing your brand visibility, or getting that promotion you deserve. Usually, people are stuck because they lack the skills to solve their problems. Strength alone will not do the job, just like resources alone will not make you successful. Lasting solutions require a measure of skill. Thus, the continued presence of a challenge like an ongoing conflict, year-on-year failure to meet performance expectations and grow the business reflects a skill gap either at an individual or at an organizational level.

Like the two sides of a coin, every challenge has two sides. The first side is the person facing the challenge. In our case, the worker whose vehicle broke down. To that person, the challenge is a nuisance. But to the mechanic called upon to fix the problem, that challenge is a blessing and an opportunity. The lesson is obvious:your perspective about your challenges will determine your attitude, emotional response, and reward in life. Which mindset should you develop in 2024 concerning challenges? Be grateful for them. See, challenges are opportunities to demonstrate your skills and be rewarded in life. Without problems, there are no rewards. The bigger the problem, the greater the reward. I see problems as entrepreneurial opportunities crying out for solutions. People become successful when they see the problems facing their generations, organizations, and teams as business opportunities and develop solutions to address those problems.

The third aspect of challenges is the classification of challenges. Challenges can be classified based on their complexity—simple vs complex. And if you notice, the reward follows the kind of problems you solve. The person who solves complex problems is usually rewarded more than those who solve simple problems. Why? People will not pay a premium to solve a simple problem. This is why the highest earners in every field solve far more complex problems than the rest.

What is the lesson today? See challenges as the vault of wealth. See them as life’s invitation to do something significant for your organization and humanity. See them as the springboard of greatness. See challenges as life’s test to separate the wheat from the chaff, determine the sincerity of our convictions, and the seriousness of our beliefs in our dreams. Those who give up are easily forgotten, but those who refuse to give up and come up with creative means to overcome the challenges before them are ushered into a world of fulfillment where their wildest dreams are not only met but sometimes eclipsed. As it were, challenges are the gatekeepers we must go through to the next phase of our lives. So, do you want more money in 2024? Do you want to be promoted in 2024? Do you want your dreams to become a reality in 2024? Then, embrace challenges. Think of the recurring and significant challenges facing you and your organization. Then, devise a strategy to solve that challenge, and life will reward you immensely. By all means, avoid the naysayers and complainers in your organization, those who take pride in doing nothing but complain over every little problem. They are the real enemies of progress. Instead, join the camp of winners who see challenges as opportunities and go about solving them.

As I sign off this, remember that you will not get to the top of your career unless you embrace challenges and develop problem-solving skills. Therefore, welcome challenges. They are nature’s guides to point us to where opportunities lie, and greatness hides.

Dr. Maxwell Ubah
@drmaxwellubah