I have a secret I want to share with you…
A few weeks ago I hit a wall and I felt like giving up and walking away from everything. Have you ever hit that wall too? I started thinking about this and I found out that this happens to most everyone else too. In my mastermind group everyone shared that they too have been in the same boat at one time or another as well. And I started noticing that others who are wildly successful have also hit this same wall at one time or another.
At the time it made me feel better but I was still searching for how to help myself get through this uncomfortable period. And yes it was uncomfortable!
The good news was that I did get through this uncomfortableness AND it taught me a valuable lesson. Or maybe I should say it reminded me once again of a lesson that I had been taught before and that is that oftentimes before a breakthrough there is a breakdown. Ah yes the nasty breakdown before a breakthrough lesson, I’ve been through it before in my life many times before and even more difficult situations and have been able to get myself through it.
And I suspect that this won’t be the last time I have a breakdown either, it’s just a part of life. And if you can look at your breakdowns as just one of those things in life that happens that is a step in the right direction.
Here’s a some simple steps to follow when you feel like giving up:
1. Be aware of your feelings
Sometimes it may hit you in the head with a full on breakdown or you may have a mild case of feeling unmotivated. That’s okay, I’m sure if you took a poll everyone who answered truthfully would say yes that they have either felt like giving up or unmotivated at one time or another.
The thing you need to understand is that building and running a business isn’t always an easy job. Too many people talk about becoming an overnight success and that doing this or that is easy and the plain truth is that from time to time it isn’t always easy.
I work with a lot of people who have built successful businesses and I have witnessed them going through the same struggle too. Take a deep breath and know that you aren’t alone and it will be okay.
Being aware of your feeling is the first step to getting through this.
2. Take a break
This isn’t the time to take massive action and most likely you won’t be feeling like it either!
It’s a good time to take a break and really process what is going on with you. Stopping, feeling and processing your feelings is the best way to get through this. Just stuffing them away and pushing through isn’t a good idea because when you do the universe often has a way putting them right back in front of you until you are forced to work through them again.
So take some time to sit down, start thinking and writing down your feelings.
3. Identify your feelings and stay with them
The best way to get though this now that you have given yourself permission to take a break is to just be.
Yes, just be right where you are as uncomfortable as it may sound and as much as you might not want to, this is key to getting through this yucky place. I know, I’ve was right there myself a few weeks ago. And from experience when I don’t take a break and just be with these feelings it will be that much harder to get through this as they will keep rearing their ugly head until I embrace them fully.
When you find yourself here, take comfort in knowing that it’s like climbing a mountain or a hill and that you will understand it when you get to the other side. This has really helped me get through some difficult times in my life when I tell myself that whatever I need to learn will be revealed when I get to the other side and I will be okay.
And know you aren’t alone, everyone else has taken this journey at one time or another. Just listen to people’s stories, everyone at one time or another has struggled too.
4. Grab a journal and start writing.
This is a powerful way to process your feelings about what is going on. Even more powerful than calling several friends and talking. I did this myself when I was going through a difficult time and my journal about my journey has been a great resource for me because I can read it and know that I am a strong person and I can get through this.
Look at this as an opportunity to become stronger, better at what you’re doing. I find that reminding myself of this really helps.
5. Start focusing on your accomplishments
The feelings you may be experiencing are only temporary and making a list of your accomplishments is a great way to show yourself how far you have come. This will go a long way to getting your mindset into a better place.
I personally like to think about all of the people who I have helped build their businesses so that they can in turn help other people. Yes when you look at it that way, what you do is a pretty big deal.
And wouldn’t it be a shame if you walked away from what you’re doing?
So next time when you feel like giving up, take a breath and know that you’re not alone. Know that this too shall pass and that many others have been, and will be right where you are.
Look at this as an opportunity to take a break and really take a deeper look at what you’re feeling and start looking at your accomplishments. I’ll bet that there are many things that you can be proud of.
When you feel like giving up, don’t throw in the towel and walk away. There’s too much at stake, there are so many people who need what you are offering.
Instead, look at your expectations and maybe they need to be shifted a bit. In general we all put too much emphasis on being happy when we achieve our future goals.
Make a decision to be happy today.
