How can you overcome difficult challenges? One approach is to follow the principle adopted by many recovery programmes. It is to focus on acting as a healthy person ‘one day at a time’. Imagine, for example, that you are aiming to recover in your professional life. You may be suffering from redundancy, the effects of recession or another setback. Let’s explore three steps you can take to work towards your goals by acting as a professional one day at a time.

1) You can clarify your assets and long-term picture of success.

“Sometimes it is hard to lift your sights during the midst of a crisis,” said one person. “I have found it is useful to do several things.”

“First, to clarify my assets. These include my health, relationships, talents and other assets. I also look back at previous crises I have managed successfully. What did I do right then? How can I follow these principles in the future? Clarifying my assets helps to build my inner strength.”

“Second, to clarify my lifetime picture of success. This helps to see things in perspective. I can then see the current circumstances as a blip on the way towards my destination. The journey can be instructive, however, because you learn from the pleasures and pains along the way. This is part of living a fulfilling life.”

Imagine you are facing a professional crisis. Certainly it is vital to take short-term action to get back on track. If you face redundancy, for example, you will develop the daily discipline of making ‘getting a job a full-time job’. It is also good to do things that lift your soul. One tool for doing this is to focus on the bigger picture.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Looking beyond today, pick a date in the future – such as when you are 50, 60, 70 or whatever – and outline your long-term goals. Describe what you want to be doing then – your picture of success. Try completing the following exercise.

2) You can clarify how you can act as a professional to achieve success.

Recovering from anything takes time. Bearing this in mind, however, it is vital to do three things. First, to have a clear goal – this is the ‘what’ – the picture of success. Second, to have a clear strategy – this is the ‘how’. These are the key principles you can follow to give yourself the greatest chance of success. Third, to have a daily routine you can follow to reach your goals – this is the ‘when’. Making this happen produces short, medium and long-term success.

The recovering addict or alcoholic knows what they must do to become healthy. They must take responsibility, develop good daily habits and encourage themselves on the journey. The professional also knows what they must do to recover from redundancy, recession or whatever. But this is only the starting point. They must translate this awareness into action and then achievement.

Imagine you have clarified your picture of success. How can you act as a professional on the road towards achieving your goals? What are the key strategies you can follow? What are the specific things you can do each day? Try completing the following exercise.

3) You can recover by acting as a professional ‘one day at a time’.

This is the interesting part – the daily sweat - but it can also be immensely satisfying. It is important: a) To keep focusing on the picture of success; b) To follow your daily disciplines on the road towards the picture of success; c) To be fully present and work as a professional ‘one day at a time’. It is only by being professional in the present – the ‘now’ – that you can positively shape the future. Do a great day’s work – then relax and recover. Rehearse what you must do tomorrow. Then work towards your goal – ‘one day at a time’.

This sounds tough, but it the strategy most likely to succeed for recovering alcoholics and addicts. It also works with people in other fields – such as athletes preparing for a competition and professionals aiming to achieve peak performance. Keep focusing on the overall goal, because this lifts the spirits. But the journey is valuable in itself. You learn a lot about yourself, your character and creativity.

Try tackling the exercise on this theme. Describe the daily disciplines you can follow to work towards your goal. Try completing the following exercise.

There are many ways to recover from setbacks. Whichever route you take, one of the keys is to keep doing the right things in the right way. You can then work towards your goal one day at a time.

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