Right after Raw Nationals, I broke my right hand. I never wrote about it because I was having trouble dealing with other things that were happening in my life. You may have noticed my workouts being only lower body because of my hand. I hate feeling lazy and unproductive. That’s how I have been feeling, but after talking to my coach and some close friends, I realized that my goals envelope my lifestyle. I realized that I’d be on this journey for a long time and that I needed to take a step back now to heal up correctly and get back on it full force. The other day I met with a hand specialist, he said that I will be able to return to lifting with my hand in around 2-weeks because my bone is mostly healed. I still have a pain when utilizing my right hand so for the next 2-weeks I’ll just focus on not using my hand and letting the damage heal. I would like to leave you off with a few tips to help you deal with your own setbacks; some are things I’ve learned recently from this experience.

• Focus on the long-term – Your short-term goals will be affected by small set backs, but the main thing to remember is your long-term goals and how to reach them even with the obstacles life brings.

• Stay Positive –If one thing’s clear, setbacks have the largest effect on one’s mentality. Most importantly, you must try your best to think about positive things in your life and to focus on the future. Don’t spend any time worrying about the past or what has happened. It’s out of your control now and you must be able to move forward. To stay positive overall, I recommend listening to some positive music, podcast, audiobooks, or watching some awesome movies.

• Have Support– One important factor in getting over any obstacle in your way is making sure that helping individuals are always by your side. For me, this is my family, friends and my coach, Tyler. Have a system in place for when you need help to get yourself back on track.