February 06, 2025

Six Cs for Conquering Challenging Times

At some point in life, we will all face difficult circumstances, some more challenging than others. We may be victims of someone else’s actions. We might have created the situation without even realizing what was happening. Or circumstances may have transpired and conspired to present us with a difficult challenge.

These times can be particularly difficult because, once they are set in motion, it can feel as though we have lost our ability to control what happens next. Yet, close examination almost always reveals that there is more we can do than we initially imagine. In fact, we have available to us a set of superpowers we can engage if we choose to do so.

These elements deserve to be called superpowers because they hold the potential to help us navigate, overcome, and triumph even in what may seem like the darkest, most challenging circumstances. Equally important, they are completely within our control. We just need to employ them. No one can steal or force them from us unless we allow them to do so. Let’s examine these six superpowers and how we can engage them to guide, support, and help ourselves—and others—to prevail during tough times.

Confidence – Confidence is our belief in ourselves and our potential. No one can bestow confidence on us; it is self-generated. Therefore, it is within our control. We may need to reflect on and revisit times in the past when we have faced difficult decisions and challenges and recall past victories. Confidence alone can help us to get started and persist. Sometimes even acting as though we are confident can lead to our feeling more confidence, especially as we start to see progress; sometimes you just need to fake it ‘til you make it, in other words.

Courage – Tough times can be frightening and anxiety inducing. They can lead us to worry about how things might turn out. Yet, in most situations, our fears outpace what reality is likely to create. Sometimes it helps to ask what the worst-case scenario or scenarios might be. What we discover may not be nearly as bad as we fear. Further, if we can manage the worst outcome, we have no reason not to act. Remember, courage is not an absence of fear. Courage is the willingness to act despite fear. One thing is certain: Failing to act means that others will likely decide the future on our behalf.

Commitment – During difficult times it can be tempting to look for ways to exit the situation without seeing it through. Yet, this choice can mean giving up on what is important to us. It can be helpful to revisit why the challenge or goal we face matters. Recalling our why can help us to align our energy and effort with our purpose. If we waiver, we risk reserving energy and options and undermining our success.

Concentration – Difficult times often feature lots of distractions. We can worry about possibilities that sap our energy but remain beyond our control or ability to influence. Sorting and shutting out distractions and distractors can preserve our energy and help us to focus on what matters and what we can control. Identifying and shutting out useless “noise” can make a big difference. This step can also reduce our temptation to engage in second guessing.

Creativity – When we face tough times, we can feel pressure to return to what is familiar and what we have done in the past, even if what we have tried in the past did not work particularly well. These are good times to step back, seek a new perspective, explore possibilities, test and be willing to abandon assumptions and question old beliefs that may be holding us back. In fact, difficult times can be the stimulus for a new direction, new answers, and future success, but only if we are willing to see them as potential opportunities rather than something just to get through.

Compassion – We need to remember that in times of challenge and even chaos, not everything will be perfect. There will be missteps and setbacks. These are natural and often unavoidable elements in the process of finding our way forward. We may become emotional and say things we later regret. We may make decisions and take steps that we later learn are not useful. Rarely are these things unrepairable. We need to resist blaming ourselves or others and be quick to forgive and move on. When others are involved, we can remind ourselves that while they may not fully understand or share our purpose or commitment, that does not make them bad people.

Rarely would we choose to face difficult circumstances and tough times. However, it can be reassuring to know that when these times come along, we have access to an array of superpowers to see us through them.