Staying Positive Through Setbacks
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If you're an athlete or fitness enthusiast, I think it's safe for me to assume that you had some sort of goals coming into 2026.
Perhaps you've continued moving towards those goals over the past 2 months, or perhaps, like many people, life has been hitting hard, meaning you've faced a setback or two.
In all honesty, it is rare to go through sport (or even life) with no setbacks whatsoever... Therefore, we must develop our mental fortitude whenever we can so that fear, or the desire to give up and/or give in don't overtake us when the hard times come.
Mental fortitude is the psychological and emotional strength to maintain focus, persevere, and make deliberate choices in the face of challenges and adversity.
Successful people, and successful athletes, are not the ones who never go through anything. Instead, they're the ones who learn to excel through the difficult times. They're the ones who've trained themselves to focus on the positive, to do the "hard things" even when they don't feel like it, and to consistently and progressively step out of their comfort zone.
If you want to achieve your goals in 2026 and beyond, you've got to learn to remain positive even when your circumstances are not.
As I write this post, I'm currently recovering from ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair surgery on my left knee, so I'm not sharing these things detached from the knowledge that it gets rough sometimes.
Here are 3 things that I'm currently reminding myself daily:
I CAN and WILL make it through this challenge.
Even the little things I can do matter (lots of little progress leads to big progress).
Focus on the things you CAN do, and the things you CAN control, rather than those that you can't.
You might like to borrow these statements, or perhaps you have your own. Either way, we all have an internal narrative, but it's important to keep it positive.
As we enter the final month of Q1, I encourage you to take note of the internal statements you're telling yourself. No matter what you're going through right now, focus on what you CAN do, and remember that even the smallest of steps forward brings you one step closer to your destination.
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About The Author: Torema Thompson is an athlete, author, YouTuber, qualified personal trainer, and speed coach. She is passionate about helping athletes and fitness enthusiasts to master sprinting & fitness.
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