How To Keep Going When It Gets Tough

When we decide to pursue a long-term goal, there comes a time when we feel lost, we lose the path, without ever getting to see the finish line.

The harder the goal, the more likely you are to run into this feeling, and the longer it’ll last.

This feeling will make you question your whole journey, make you question whether what you’ve chosen was right, and it’ll even make you question yourself, whether you’ve got what it takes to succeed.

If you experienced this feeling, or are currently feeling this way, you’ll know that it’s no fun.

Before we go any further, I’d like to hit you with some reality, because the truth is, you don’t.

You don’t know if it’s going to work, if you’re good enough to make it work, and if you’re currently on the path, there’s simply no way of knowing.

I didn’t mean in the confidence and self-belief sense, I mean in the literal sense. You just can’t know if what you’re doing is going to work.

But that’s only because you’re focusing on the wrong thing. So I’d like to offer you an alternative way of looking at the situation that will reassure you that you’re doing the right thing, regardless of whether it ‘works’ or not.

There Is No Finish Line

You’ve heard this one before, but there just isn’t a finish line.

What I mean is, whatever you’ve decided to be the finish line is only the starting line to another race, so what then? Why get so caught up chasing an imaginary ending when the gratification of that ending will only last seconds?

Instead, enjoy the process, focus on the journey. It’s cliche, but only because it’s true.

Every finish line you could ever experience is part of the bigger picture; it’s one big process, so why not enjoy what you’re doing now? 

The hedonic treadmill is always at play.

“The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is the tendency for humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative life events or changes.”

Essentially, it’s always “What’s next”, not because we really want the outcome, but because we’re addicted to the process. And if that’s the case, embrace it.

Focus On You

Although there is no real finish line, there is an outcome.

Now, the outcome you may be focusing on is making a lot of money or proving mother and father wrong, the outcome you should care about it you who you become.

Who you become is much more important than what you have because who you become determines what you get.

When you question the path and wonder whether it’s the right one or if you’ve got what it takes, the best thing to do is focus on how much better you’ve already become and how much better you’ll be by continuing.

When you get better, “The right path” loses its validity, as when you become good enough, you’re able to make any path work.

Sometimes, finding out the path was wrong, or failing at whatever you’ve chosen, is the very thing you needed. Failing isn’t final, it’s learning, it’s getting better.

It’s something that can only really be seen in hindsight, as the feelings of failing overrule any common sense. But it’s there, and it’s true, so don’t get so focused on whatever outcomes you choose, as getting better is always the real outcome.

Hidden Paths

The truth is, sometimes the path we’ve decided is wrong, and as we’ve already established, these lead to valuable lessons and give you experience to become better.

What they also do is lead to hidden paths, ones that could not have been found or even identified without ever trekking the wrong one.

This is why not stopping is the number one indicator for success, above anything else. Because when you refuse to quit, and just simply keep going, you indirectly find success.

Indirect success is not sexy, and no one talks about it because it’s not predictable, teachable or quantifiable.

However, indirect success is real, and it’s always there waiting for us.

The thing is, when you decide to chase something, who exactly are you to suggest that you know exactly what the correct path is in the first place? What knowledge or experience do you have to make these decisions?

Sometimes, we need to just move, aim up, and go. And upon trekking, we gather more information, more experience and more knowledge, and through this, we can make a better decision, or quite literally just stumble on the right path.

This isn’t random luck; it’s generated luck. You create your own luck through trial and error and the refusal to give up. You get exactly what you deserve.

So, although you still don’t know if it’s going to work, you still don’t know if you’re on the ‘right path’, at least you know that you’re headed in the right direction, and that quitting just isn’t an option.

I wish you all the best.