It’s no secret that everyone has been through hardships in life. Every life has issues and challenges.

It’s also not much of a secret that this year has been a lot for me. I’ve had a lot of new challenges I’ve had to face as a teacher, and I’ve done a lot of learning, growing, and figuring things out. And I know I still have a ways to go.

But I was thinking the other day. You’ve probably heard the quote, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” And I just really got thinking about that quote. Where do you go when things get tough?

The way I see it, there’s a few options. First option: you can face the problem head on until you find a solution. Second option: you can run away from the problem. Third option: find people who can help you focus and figure out the problem. Fourth option: take some convoluted route to solve the problem. (Hey, no judgment.) Fifth option: overthink the problem and make it a bigger problem. (ABSOLUTELY no judgment there.)

I have done all of these any number of times. My most common way to problem-solve? Overthink the problem, ask people for their help, and then face the decision. I’m not saying any of these ways are wrong. But I also know there’s room for improvement. I want to overthink less and solve problems sooner.

In any aspect of life, your resolve is put to the test when you encounter tough things. Relationships, trying new things, and working towards your goals is easy when everything goes well. But everything doesn’t go well all the time. So what do you do when things go bad?

I’ve been doing something I love recently that has been expanding my horizons. For the most part, it’s been something that has come easily to me. I do well in it, and have been steadily achieving goals. But I hit my first actual roadblock this past week. All of a sudden, I had to question how I felt about this. Was it worth all the time and effort I was putting in?

When things get tough, I often look to my goals and where the road I’m on will lead. I have to ask myself if it’s a worthwhile goal. If it’s not, then change it. Figure out if the goal is something you want to accomplish and then the roadblock can be something incredibly small. If the goal isn’t worth it, then use that stopper as a way to figure some other route to take.

And this applies to almost anything in life. Jobs, hobbies, relationships (platonic or romantic), or whatever it may be. Things may be easy for a while, but at some point, things will get tough. And at the point, you’ll have to make a decision what you’re going to do.

It’s easy to be caught up in the euphoria of life. New things are exciting and enjoyable. But when the enjoyment stops or lessens, then it’s really about what drives and motivates you.

It’s not about where you’ve been, but where you’re headed. So because I know that you’re tough. So when the going gets tough, where are you going?