6 Steps For Transforming Frustration Into New Possibilities And Growth

Let me give you the bad news first: No one is immune to frustration. But there is good news. Depending on how you deal with it, frustration can be a powerful catalyst for change in your life. Frustration itself won’t help you change, but your response can help you cross over to the other side. Frustration can be a stepping stone to realize your fullest potential.

Consult not your fears and frustrations, but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfilled potential.– Pope John Paul XXIII

All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is to act like it is impossible to fail – Dorothea Brande

Here are ways frustration can help us move forward:

New Possibilities: Without frustration in our current situations, it’s unlikely we will look for new ways of doing things.
Growth in Faith: Frustration can help us put a focus on seeking God in deeper ways. Often frustrating seasons lead us to sweet times of trust and faithfulness in our spiritual lives that would not have otherwise happened.
A Desire To Change: Without the occurrence of frustration, the desire to change doesn’t emerge. For example, until we become frustrated with clutter in our lives, we don’t organize. Losing our keys or shoes one too many times can become a catalyst for doing something about our clutter.

Frustration is the conflict between expectation and reality. Frustration often opens the door to change in our lives. Small inconveniences don’t cause us to look very hard at making an changes, but over time, these frustrations can build and cause us to do something about it.

Here are six steps you can take to move from frustration to action.

1. Pinpoint the Cause

What is the cause of your frustration? Take a good hard look and get down to the actual reason. Ask yourself, “Why am I frustrated?” Keep asking “why” with each answer until you understand. For example:

Why am I frustrated? Because John yelled at me at work.
Why did John yell at me at work? Because I was late again.
Why was I late again? Because I overslept after staying up too late.
The cause of my frustration is my own sleeping habits and discipline.

We may pinpoint the cause and determine there is nothing we can do about our situation. If that’s true, we can work with what is given to us. Here’s a related blog that might help: Determine if it’s a problem or an obstacle.

2. Change Your Focus

We need to change our focus to what is working and how to improve. When we focus too long on issues, we get into stalemates. So much of life is about perspective. When you are frustrated, try taking time to focus outward. Help someone, pray, reach out, read, volunteer, or anything that takes your focus away from your frustrating situation.

3. Think of Solutions

Be a solution person, not a complaint person. According to author John Maxwell, anyone can think of what’s wrong, “but what I want is the leader who comes into my office with possible solutions.” When you get frustrated, brainstorm all the possible solutions. Then take a look at the list and see what might work for you.

4. Be Enthusiastic

Have you ever noticed that small problems don’t rise up when things are going well? When life is upbeat and the sun is shining, little problems don’t seem to matter. But when we’re already down in the dumps, little things hit us hard. Become enthusiastic about life and the opportunities. Your attitude will thwart some of the little frustrations that come your way.

5. Overcome Negative Self Talk

It’s often those voices in our own minds that cause us points of frustration. Take your thoughts captive. Don’t tell yourself, “you can’t” or that things are worse than they are. It can be difficult, but we must overcome the negativity we feed ourselves each day.

6. Take Action

Taking action may be one of the best steps for turning frustration into good change. Take a step toward doing something. What will your action step be? Do you need to: Quit something? Learn something? Grow in discipline? Read the Bible more? Organize your schedule better? Whatever it is, take a step into action.