26 Powerful and Effective Tips for Overcoming Hardships

Sometimes we face challenges in our lives that seem overwhelming and insurmountable.  I promise that if you approach things thinking that they are beyond conquering, you’re going to fail already.  I have come up with 26, A to Z tips for overcoming hardships that I hope you will use to start in your triumphant journey.

What makes me qualified to create such a list?  Well, if you don’t know me, 8 years ago, I went through illness, coma, kidney failure, and multiple amputations. Thankfully, I have rebounded from all of those things. However, learning to live without hands and feet has been the ultimate hardship for my family and me.

Everyone has their struggles. However, if you don’t have the necessary faith, tools, and support system, the struggle can be overwhelming.  I would be lost without my faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord, and Savior. I often wonder how people who don’t know his love can get through their struggles. If this is you, please reach out to me,  a born-again Christian friend, or a local New Testament church. We’ll give you the details.

Here is my alphabetical list, from A to Z, tips to help you in overcoming hardships.

A-Attention.  Focus your attention on the direction that you need to go.  If you’re riding a bike, you always look in the way you should go.  If you get distracted and look at a squirrel on the side of the road, you’ll direct that bike right toward that squirrel and end up in a ditch.  So pay attention to the road you’re on.

B-Believe that you have the abilities in you to succeed.  When I was learning to walk again with prosthetic legs, I needed to know that I was going to be successful. If I didn’t believe I could do it, I would still be in a wheelchair.

C-Celebrate your successes, even the baby ones.  Especially the baby ones! Set your goals into mini bite-sized chunks and then pat yourself on the back when you get there.

D-Depend on your loved ones for support.  Lean on the Lord as well. Of course, you should seek God’s will for overcoming your hardships.  Pray about it always.

E-Exercise.  Now, I am certainly not the right person to be giving you advice on sticking to an exercise plan because it is my least favorite thing to do, like, on the planet!  But that doesn’t mean I don’t see value in it. Getting your heart rate up and releasing endorphins will create that positive feeling that you need for overcoming hardships.  It’s also known to reduce pain.

F-Faith.  You have to have the faith that you can overcome your challenges.  When you put your faith in God, he will see you through. Faith, by definition, is not something that you can see or touch.  But it’s a necessary part of your success in overcoming hardships because if you believe that God is able to get you through, then that is half of the battle.  Plus, if you believe you can get through the tough times, you absolutely will.

G-Group support.  This is a perfect time to find yourself a great new Facebook group.

H-Help others.  I always find it easier to focus on the challenges of others instead of my own.  Plus, I learn when I’m helping others. This is another benefit of group support.

I-Invest in yourself!  There are so many things you can do to grow in personal development. I like books and ecourses.  Just Googling the answers to your questions is a huge help. Pick a topic like overcoming hardships and hit the Google machine, as we so fondly call it in our house.

J-Journal about your progress.  Write everything down. Write your goals, your wins, your highs, and your lows. Keep track of your emotions. Approach things from a perspective of gratitude and you will go far.

Stay Positive!

K-Keep a positive attitude.  Focusing on the positive will get you so much further than negativity.  Enjoy the process because you are working through your challenges. What a wonderful blessing that is!

L-Learn from others who have been in your shoes.  Seek out their stories. Their successes and failures will teach you a lot and lessen your learning curve.

M-Make a difference.  Help those who are less fortunate than you are.  Making a difference in somebody else’s life takes a huge load off of your own burdens.  Don’t you agree? Pay it forward. If you would like some ideas on how to do that, visit 20 Beautiful and Loving Ways to Pay it Forward.

N-Nutrition. Taking care of your body physically will move you further along as well.  Coming from a carb and sugar addict like me, this is a tough one. However, I definitely see the benefits!  We are looking for all over improvement here and taking care of your body nutritionally will make a huge difference.

O-Other’s shoes.  Perspective is important.   When you’re working on a challenge, sometimes you have to put yourself in someone else’s shoes in order to see what you’re capable of.  If you reach a point of doubt, what would you say to a loved one who is going through the same challenge?

Pray!

P-Pray at all times.  I personally could not get through overcoming hardships without prayer.  God knows your situation. He knows where you are, where you’re headed and where you’ll end up.  Keeping Him in the loop is essential. Never keep God out of your plans. Make sure to follow His will for your life

Q-Never Quit!  Even if you are taking baby steps, you are moving forward.  Yes, there will be days when the mountain seems more than you can bear.  Those are the days to really push yourself.

R-Reflect and accept.  One of the hardest things I had to do was accept that my situation was not going to change. That took a lot of prayer and reflection.  Sometimes I wonder if I still haven’t crossed that bridge. I have my moments. Through reflection and acceptance, you can reach a point where you’re ready to move on and take the steps you need for overcoming those hardships.

S-Support. Ask for and accept support.  You cannot do it all alone, so why try? The support of your family and friends is such an important part of your success.

Trust!

T-Trust in God’s plan for your life.  Even if we don’t understand things, we have to know that God knows more than we do and that he has a plan for our lives.  One of my favorite verses is Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. So above all, trust God!

U-Understand God’s power.  Whatever your obstacle, you have to understand that God’s power is bigger than your obstacle.  It may not be something that will go away. For instance, there is no possibility of growing back amputated limbs.  But through God’s power, I have the strength to move past that and live a successful and happy life.

V-Value your current life that includes your loved ones, your friends and your church family.  I am so very thankful for the many bountiful blessings that I’m given every single day. I pray that I never take them for granted.

W-Walk forward.  That means taking steps every single day to improve your situation.  For me, I’ve received so many blessings in the process of overcoming hardships.  I’ve learned so much. I’ve tested and tried new experiences and I’ve grown a lot!  Ask anyone who knew me, even a year ago, about how much I’ve grown emotionally and spiritually.

X-X factor.  This is a quality that someone has that makes them very special.  Let me tell you, for someone who has gone through tough times and rebounded with a smile on their face definitely has the X factor.  I challenge you to make that your goal.

Yes, you can!

Y-Yes, I can!  I love the positive thinking of this statement. When we’re talking about overcoming hardships, we have to know that yes, it’s possible and we will succeed.

Z-Zzzz’s. Get enough sleep!  If you’re exhausted, you won’t have the energy you need to reach your goals.

There you have it!  Your A to Z tips for overcoming hardships.  I really hope you will utilize as many as you can. It’s no fun struggling through whatever your challenge is.  Whatever you do, pray, elicit the help of family and friends and come and join our Overcoming Challenges Through Inspiration Facebook group. Plus, as an incentive to join, you will get a printable cheat sheet with these tips when you join the group.  I can’t wait to see you there!