Learning From The Curve Balls In Life

While once touted as 'America's Pastime', baseball is now a sport with fans around the world. The recent World Series win for the Chicago Cubs is a lesson in perseverance. Long-time fans were overjoyed to see their team finally win big. You probably do not face the same types of obstacles as the Chicago Cubs did in their 108-year drought. But everyone has roadblocks in their personal and professional lives.

You can let these situations bring you down emotionally, mentally and physically, or you can learn something about the situation and yourself.  

When You Could Go Either Way

Have you ever been in the position where you were passed over for a promotion, or perhaps you did not land the big deal? You probably felt very disappointed. You may have felt sad, angry, and upset with yourself. Did you learn from the situation? Or did you give in to your emotions and react bitterly?

When you face a tough moment at work, try not to give in to your feelings. Try to learn from that moment. Read why a proposal was rejected, and keep these notes in mind for next time. If you didn't get the promotion, ask why and how you could enhance your work performance. 

Use these times of difficulty to look into yourself. Ask yourself honestly if you could have done a better job. And realise that sometimes, no matter how hard you worked or how perfectly qualified you are, you may not get the deal or promotion. Your response after these unexpected moments can define who you are as a person. Do you sink into despair, or do you learn and adapt?

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.

Chinese proverb

Exercising Your Brain

We can train our minds to respond better during stressful or disappointing times. Research has shown that like our bodies, our minds can be exercised and trained. When playing a sport such as baseball, our brains require parallel processing across domains. To train these parts of the brain, researchers have broken down the tasks or domains. Motivation is a critical component of learning, however, and learning is most efficient when motivation is high (Green, 2008). 

Athletes must train their minds as well as their bodies. You must also do the same at work. You can learn from past mistakes and how to process and deal with obstacles in your life. 

Learning from the Obstacles in Our Lives

Imagine if the Cubs had simply given up. If the fans didn't attend events and the players didn't have the desire or motivation to play. Instead, the Cubs and their fans persevered, working through extremely difficult times to finally prevail. This is the quality of drive in action. This capacity can get us where we want to be and give us the persistence to bring our ideas and innovations to fruition.

You may not be a Cubs fan or even a fan of baseball. But you will certainly face difficulties in your life. You have the power to either break and give up or bend and learn from those trying times. 

Citation
Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2008). Exercising Your Brain: A Review of Human Brain Plasticity and Training-Induced Learning. Psychology and Aging, 23(4), 692–701. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0014345