Get All Access for $5/mo

It Does Get Better: Surmounting Obstacles (Again and Again) No matter how this state you are in pans out, rest assured that, as cliché as it may sound, it does get better.

By Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

The other day, my team and I were dwelling on a particularly stressful period at work last year, which had pretty much everyone involved in various states of distress. Back then, tempers were frayed, frustration loomed supreme, and it's safe to say that all of us were tired out of our wits. However, these weren't the aspects that we were talking about as we looked back on this phase in our work lives: instead, we found ourselves snorting in laughter at the now hilarious hacks we made use of to get past every hurdle thrown in our way, or the funny episodes that were entwined in this seemingly tortuous course we were on.

In addition, as we looked back on when either of us faced setbacks that, at the time, felt like the end of the world, we now found ourselves bonding over how, in such instances, we would swoop in to help the other, band together as allies, and keep moving ahead on the goals we had set ourselves up with.

I'm bringing all of this up now, because of a couple of accounts I've heard recently from entrepreneurs and enterprises in the region on how they're finding themselves in tough phases with their business today, which sound quite similar to the crunch situations my team and I found ourselves in not too long ago. Now, I'm neither a soothsayer to predict how such scenarios will unfold, nor can I profess to have any kind of knowledge that'd function as a silver bullet to get yourselves out of such challenging circumstances.

But in light of my aforementioned reflections on such tough times at work, I'll claim to have a few ideas on how you can get yourself through these situations, and come out of it, scarred, maybe, but not broken. For starters, know that, no matter how this state you are in pans out, rest assured that, as cliché as it may sound, it does get better.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that if someone chose to come at me with this kind of a message when I was going through hell, I'd probably have told them to take a hike, along with a few choice expletives. But today, I'm willing to say that if one does manage to keep this notion of an insightful outcome in mind -regardless of whether it's perceived as a positive or a negative result- it is something that will allow you to keep soldiering ahead, no matter how the circumstances may turn.

There will always be something you can learn from the experience in hindsight, be it the ability to identify warning signs earlier than you used to before, or the understanding you get of the mistakes you committed along the way. Perhaps best of all, if you've got the right people around you, you'll find that at the end of it all, more than mulling over the things that went wrong, you'll be bonding over how all of you came together to rise to the occasion.

And that, I believe, is worth every sweat and tear you may go through today- so, just keep the faith, people.

Related: As An Entrepreneur, Being Self-Aware Can Only Ever Do You Good

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. In this role, Aby is responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front, while also working to build the brand and grow its presence across the MENA region through the development and execution of events and other programming, as well as through representation in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

The Most Downloaded News App in the U.S. May Have Published Dozens of Fake, AI-Written Stories

The stories were fake but had real-world consequences for the app's 50 million monthly users.

Business News

She Tracked Her Missing Luggage With an Apple Device — Straight to an Airport Employee's Home

Paola Garcia flew into Terminal 4 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport last month when she noticed her luggage never made it to the carousel — then her Apple Watch started pinging.

Growth Strategies

Cultivating A Growth Mindset: Strategies For Personal And Professional Development

By helping nurture meaningful relationships and embracing life the way it unfolds, cultivating a growth mindset is a must for personal and professional growth.

Women Entrepreneur®

Here Are The Shortlisted Nominees Of The Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards 2024

The nominees have been selected following a rigorous vetting process by the Entrepreneur Middle East team, as well as a judging committee chaired by Mastercard and industry leaders.