Ashley Keleher

Sometimes we get so stuck with challenges in life that we find it impossible to move past it and focus on the end goal. Challenges in life, although are inconvenient and sometimes overbearing, are lessons that we can learn from. It sometimes just takes a minute to look past the challenge at what really matters and remember why you are dealing with the challenge in the first place. 

If you find yourself getting stuck on something that isn’t really the ultimate end goal, take a moment to reset. Remind yourself what you’re really working for. Whether personal or professional we are constantly faced with situations that at the time feel overwhelming but when you get past it and find yourself on the other side, you realize that if you didn’t go through that challenge, you likely wouldn’t be where you are today. When you are faced with something like dealing with a boss from hell or just trying to juggle it all; understand that this isn’t your end game. Here, let’s break it down together. 

I have had my fair share of good leaders and unfortunately a handful of bad ones. The most recent not so good boss, I honestly thought I was going to throw in the towel. I couldn’t handle the micromanagement and disrespect much longer. It was bleeding into my personal life and just causing me to be miserable. I finally asked myself what was I doing this all for? I was still waking up everyday and going to work. I was still working hard and pushing myself. So there was something more pushing me to keep going. If things were so bad I would have walked away right? I remembered what I really wanted. I worked for a company I was proud of and was achieving goals in. I was learning and growing and was driven to be a leader but a better one that motivated my team instead of bringing them down. So I kept pushing forward and started having the right conversations with the people that motivated me and could help me make a change. I remembered my why in that situations and refocused on what my end goal was. It allowed me to see past the “boss from hell” and drive towards change and what I was set out to achieve. 

I understand it’s not always easy. And I definitely get that when you are in the moment it feels impossible to look beyond that. When you feel like you are juggling everything in life – kids, work, home, social life & relationships – and you feel like you are barely getting by instead of getting ahead or doing any one thing really well, know it’s for a reason. You can handle it. You can manage it. In fact, when you get past this moment and look back, you’ll likely think it was easy when you realize how far you’ve come. Have you ever had one of those moments? When you go through something that at the time feels incredibly challenging but when you get through the moment and are faced with bigger and new challenges, you look back and appreciate those past moments because they helped shape who you are today and help prepare you for these bigger moments. It’s a pretty great feeling isn’t it? 

You aren’t always going to realize when you’re in a challenging situation or even once you get past it, what the lesson was or why you were faced with it in the first place. It just sometimes helps when you get in these situations to really reset and focus on your why in that moment. Don’t be hard on yourself and make sure you are giving yourself a moment to really understand your why. What matters to you in that moment? The boss from hell isn’t going to last forever – but if they are going to be a barrier to your current path, maybe it’s time to ask for help. Collaborate with those willing to help and identify how to build a better relationship. Sometimes you need to walk away, but sometimes there are little things that if you work together to repair (and everyone’s actually willing to work together) you can actually build a better balance. Sometimes an outside perspective can give you a better understanding in how to make things work. 

I’ve found that this is something that has helped with both my personal and professional life a lot more recently. Keeping my end goals in my vision helps me get through the hard times a little better. Just remember that the path to get there is all a part of the journey.