Ever wondered why some people succeed and others don’t even in similar circumstances?
Success is the sum of many factors but there is one key factor that I want to focus on.
Think about two men venturing into the world of entrepreneurship or two college students embarking on a journey of higher learning.
What will be the determining factor in whether or not they triumph and rise victoriously?
One thing is common among these situations and that is that they will face challenges. You will hardly find a path to success that has no challenge or obstacle.
Two persons may even experience similar challenges but one person does not overcome. Their victory depends on several factors such as willpower, attitude and mindset.
However, there is an external factor that can play a tremendous role yet it is often underutilized.
That is support!
Why Support is So Important
Support provides encouragement and accountability that can help to push you along even when you feel like giving up.
It helps you to remember why you began in the first place. It also helps to clean your foggy and misty lenses so that you can see the goal with clarity.
Willpower, a good attitude and the right mindset are all great. But they often depend solely on the individual that is striving for success.
The reality is that sometimes you meet roadblocks that cause you to expend all that you have which ends up leaving you physically and mentally fatigued and even pessimistic.
Those on the sidelines are not affected half as much as those who are in the race towards the goal. So the people on the sidelines are the ones who are well enough to assist you and give you the fuel you need to continue the race to the end.
In the midst of the challenge, it is easy to think that giving up is the best decision. That is why it is important to have a support system that you can turn to for encouragement. Your support system should also be understanding and confidential so you can share your struggles openly without fear and judgement.
What is a Support System?
A support system is a group of people who help you emotionally and practically. They encourage you and provide you with resources. They also keep you accountable so you can stick to your goals until you achieve them.
You can get support from:
- Parents
- Other Relatives
- Friends
- Spouses or partners
- Mentors
- Books
- Classmates
- Co-workers
- Pastor or church members
So you may be wondering how a support system will help you to be successful. Well, here are 4 benefits of good supporters and how they will help you to stay the course and achieve your goals. You can also use these benefits to help you identify good supporters.
4 Benefits of Good Supporters
1. Good supporters help you to realize when you are reacting from a place of emotion rather than logical reasoning.
They also skillfully highlight the pros and cons of quitting.
They are not in the race so they usually don’t feel half as much of the weight that you feel. So they can provide more strength and encouragement to help push you along the way.
2. Good supporters help you to see the ray of hope and the cloud with the silver lining.
This will help you to gradually build up enough momentum to keep going to the end.
3. Good supporters provide accountability.
They will check on you daily or weekly to ensure that you are focusing on what is important. They also ensure that you are taking the necessary actions for progress.
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You know that you will need to give an answer or even provide evidence to this person. So this will help to get you going and complete the necessary tasks.
4. Good supporters provide resources that you may not have known about or may not have had access to.
They will help you to identify solutions to your problems that you may not have known or thought about.
They may even be the connector who leads you to someone else that has the solution for that difficult situation.
Here’s My Experience
I have experienced the benefit of having support along my journey. When the challenges popped up, I had someone there to remind me that if I don’t push through and complete the programme then I would regret it.
I was constantly being reminded of the actual consequences of quitting. I also had accountability which was great.
The support of friends and family helped to lift some of the weight so I could move along the journey easier and I gradually built momentum.
Others lacked support so when the challenges came, their lenses became foggy and they were left all alone to decide in the midst of their ‘blindness’ and pessimism so they chose to quit.
Takeaway
When you require help, you need to reach out for support. Don’t try to do it alone. Advantageously, we live in an age where the internet provides a global community. Even those who are orphans, singles or even isolated can seek support online.
The reality is that some may never reach out for support so you will need to reach out and offer to help. No man is an island, no man can stand alone.
It may seem fine to be self-reliant for now and you may even achieve much. But a community helps you to achieve even more than you could ever dream of because of the encouragement and the diversity of strengths.
The best supporters are the trustworthy ones so practise being honest, confidential and reliable so that you can offer the best support to others.
Next Steps
Here are two questions to consider today. You can also use them as journal prompts.
- Who can you support today?
- Who can you turn to for support?
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Instagram: @rejoicingwithpurpose
YouTube: Verneisha