Your greatest challenge is also your greatest opportunity

A surfer prepares to surf a large wave

Ten years ago the challenges you face today would probably not have arisen for you: you were likely in a different role and you probably didn’t have the skills or experience to be able to do what you can do today.

In the same way, situations you found challenging then are probably routine for you now.

This means that

the abilities you have today are a direct result of the challenges you faced in the past.

And so

what seems like your greatest challenge today is actually your greatest opportunity to learn and grow.

The biggest wave is the most difficult to surf. It’s also the most exciting.

And if you’re not quite ready to surf it today, that’s still OK. We’ve seen that in any situation there are always five types of outcome you might choose to create and five ways that you might choose to learn and grow. This gives you ten different options for how you might choose to move forward, perhaps with several different opportunities for each. And you get to choose how you respond. You get to choose which option(s) you preferYou get to choose which option is the greatest opportunity for you today.

Realising that your greatest challenge actually brings your greatest opportunity to become who you most want to become, by taking the step that is right for you today, is yet another step to becoming antifragile.

In the past, have you ever learned or grown from a problem or crisis you faced? Are you treating the ‘problems’ you face today as opportunities to learn and grow again, to become who you most want to become?


Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times of change.

You can sign up to daily posts here.

You can buy the book here and the workbook here.

(And remember: you can’t learn to swim just by reading about swimming, you also need to do the practice.)


Photo By Mike Sutherland via StockPholio.net

Leave a Reply