No matter what endeavor you choose, there is going to come to a point when you want to give up. For whatever reason, you hit a plateau or rough patch and you begin to question yourself and your purpose. When the honeymoon hype phase is over for whatever new idea or project or goal you're into now, what do you do? Quit?
Quitting is easy. It's convenient. The unfortunate truth is anything worth building (your body, your bank account, your intellect, your relationships) will take unconditional unwavering commitment. Most people long to be obsessively dedicated to their goals. Having a 6-pack is awesome for obvious reasons, but eating broccoli and bland chicken for 8+ months paired with five-day hour-long workout sessions gets boring real quick. Literally the day after your workout, you are so sore you don't even want to go back. Some reward for all that strenuous effort, am I right?
No matter what your goals are, the journey to achieving them is a lonely one. It is not glamourous. Building a framework that is resilient and habitual helps take the emotion and bias that can sometimes derail us from our path. Success is a mindset. First, you have to believe you are worthy and capable of achieving it. Second, you have to get comfortable with risk. Third, you have to be open to learn and to receive. As cheesy as that sounds, I'm serious.
You have to have an undying belief in yourself and your ability to commit to your goal. Why? Without belief, you will quit. Hopefully whatever it is you wish to achieve has a significant purpose that is of value to you now and in the future. Some folks use negative consequence as a motive to keep them on track. For example, you inquire about a penalty fee for missing your fitness class. Being cheap and the desire to not waste money is a strong motivator to workout helping achieve the greater goal of health and wellness.
Some people say they want to be successful. They will repost BS bot content about millionaire mindset, but never invest a single dollar in the stock market or any appreciating asset. We all want things but not many want to pay the price. Anything worth attaining will require genuine sacrifice. Having a clear mission or intention around your goals can help realign your focus when you wonder why you are making these sacrifices.
If you can implement automation in any part of your process, do so. Automation removes the what if. For the folks longing to be a millionaire, automate a reasonable amount of income to be deposited and auto invested into the S&P 500. That way you don't have to think about it, and you are as you eat, sleep, and breath, working your way to your millions. Want to be the next IG influencer? Schedule out your content weeks to months in advance. Planning out your content creation process will help you remain consistent without stressing to fill content last minute.
Still, even with our best intentions, for whatever reason, we just burn out. The loss of inspiration and motivation does not mean quit. It may mean you need to rest and walk away for a bit to get a new perspective. It is also key to learn about yourself and how you manage stress. What ways do you like to be rewarded? What milestones make you feel accomplished? Reflect on the work you have done. Do you need to adjust your KPIs? Can you apply a growth mindset to your situation? Ask for guidance. Find a local mentor or relevant expert. Burnout can be a teacher, but use it as a reminder to also seek adventure. Life is to be live as much as it is meant to do compelling and hard things. If your goals are sucking all the joy out of your life, rethink your goals or your methods of acquiring them.
The road to success I have found to be one of complete and utter confusion. Still, having an openness to learning and growing is key in maintaining balance as you march towards your goals. Don't guess you will be successful. Don't hope you'll be. Make a framework for it. Each new day is an opportunity to do better than the last, and even if you don't achieve your goals today, there is always tomorrow.
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