Negative change is the hardest form of change to face. Change that is unsolicited, and typically comes out of nowhere. Change that is forced on us, without warning.

An injury or major life change can feel negative at the time. There could be an illness or something else that just seems too big to conquer. However, what seems like a negative could be a catalyst for positive growth.

Negative change can hit us hard. It causes negative emotion as well, at times, and a negative response or shift in our thinking. Whether stress from feeling the event, or from the mental aspect, a ripple effect can lead to further devastation. When we bring a positive change out of the negative, we are turning the focus to growth which can be a game-changer in and of itself.

Why is it important to have a positive focus?

It’s a vital part of one’s success to be able to turn these negative moments and use them to create something positive. No matter how bad something may be in the beginning, if you can use it as a catalyst for growth, you will be better for it.

No matter the situation, it’s important to recognize and acknowledge what happened. Grieving is just as vital to growth; however, when we focus so much on the negative we get stuck. Mourn the loss or the injury. We must grieve what has occurred, but then we must move forward.

For some, an injury or setback in training halts all progression. A big loss may cause us to pause and we never move forward again. It’s important that we not allow this to happen. It’s when we get stuck and focus on the pain for too long that it becomes more and more difficult to come out of it.

Un-due, or unexpected, stress can cause us to be so focused on the negative aspects of what has occurred that we forget about our goals and purpose. We forget the “Why” and that’s when it becomes dangerous. All in all, having a growth mindset is important and will impact your life, longevity, and well-being in many ways.

Keys to Turning Negative Change into Positive Growth

Every person, and every situation, is different, but the process will always be similar. To work towards growth after a negative and unexpected event, it’s important to remember the following:

1. Acknowledge what happened. Don’t ignore it and try to pretend it doesn’t exist.

2. Allow yourself time to grieve the event. Set realistic expectations for yourself and allow yourself to grieve and process what has occurred.

change is necessary.
Growth takes work but can lead to a lifetime of positivity.

3. Refocus on your goals. After you have allowed yourself to grieve the event, get refocused. You may need to adjust and change your goals and that’s fine. Make the necessary adjustments and get yourself refocused

4. Have an “I Will” mindset. It’s important not to allow any negative event to keep you from achieving. “I will get better, “needs to always be a part of your self-talk, especially as you continue to process the event.

5. Never stop being honest with yourself. Even after you have gone through all the steps, there will be days you will be reminded of what occurred. You will be reminded of what you once had, what was taken, or what changed. Be honest with yourself in these moments. If they go ignored, new challenges will begin to creep in. Combat this by allowing yourself to acknowledge the bad days and remember that tomorrow is a new day and that you will be better.

Get to Work for Your Next Achievement and Personal Best

In some way or another, we have all been through this. We all know the stress and negative change will come.  It’s what you do with it that will matter. It’s whether you allow yourself to fall, or if you push for growth that will really matter. It takes work. It takes grit. Go and fight for growth, even when things that are outside of your control try to knock you down.