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Rick Whiting Public Speaker and Coach of Second Chances

How to Go on When the Going Gets Rough

There has never been a more opportune time to follow your heart and make your dreams come true. There are a lot of issues in the world, and people need your help, your expertise, and your product or service at a time when a message can go around the world in the blink of an eye. 

It takes dedication, commitment, and the willingness to do whatever it takes. It requires passion and an iron will. We hone our talents, take on      new skills, we practice, read, listen, research, write, record, and try to do the things we’re supposed to do. 

But, how do you go on when the going gets tough? It seems like when so many other people touch something it turns to gold, but you’ve dug and toiled, day after day, week after week, and have nothing to show for it except disappointment and frustration.

Do you say, “This isn’t working” and give up like the gold prospector in Napoleon Hill’s classic “Think and Grow Rich”, who stopped just 3 feet from his pot of gold? Many have done just that.

What do you do when everything you know doesn’t seem to work?

The best thing to do is to take time out! Put down the pen, fold down the laptop, take off the headset, shut off the camera, and step away from the phone. Cease toiling, give your fingers a rest, and make some quiet time because it’s no use just hammering away if your ladder is against the wrong wall. 

The quiet time will help you unfocus on yourself and allow you to reset. You can take a long walk or take a power nap, and there’s another thing you must try. Pray for wisdom. Then get a pen and a spiral notebook or legal pad and reflect on what you have done so far and gain some new perspective. 

Pull back to the 30,000 foot view and see if maybe you’ve rushed a project, have been too much of a perfectionist, or missed something. Did you shortcut a process or skip something you should have done. Is fear holding you back from moving forward.  

Don’t put pressure on yourself, just let yourself go, and the answers will most often surface. Talk to yourself but not like someone who is without hope. Talk like someone who knows he’ll be just fine. 

Most importantly, listen to yourself, and then try again using some of the new insights you have gained from your own work. Let your mind guide you. Then, look through the eyes of your customer. What do they see? Do they understand your messaging? Are you compelling enough for someone to take action? You should be doing this anyway, but sometimes the right timing here will offer many great discoveries.  

Sometimes, you’re at the right place, you just need to go 3 feet further down or 3 feet to the left, or right. Or sometimes the time just isn’t right and you just need to wait a little while longer.

These aren’t things scientific data will tell you. It’s a force inside of you from your subconscious mind that knows everything about you.

That is why it is important to take time out and listen, because if you don’t you may just miss the key you need and waste an awful lot of time and money.

Here’s something else you can do. 

Your best next move is to get with someone and run your thoughts by them. A friend or spouse might help you considerably, and then there are times you need to get the help of a pro. You can’t be an expert at everything, and there’s someone who can give tremendous help to you and your business. 

Stay inspired by stories of hope and inspiration. Know that it can happen for you. If you know you’re on the right mission, never give up, and every time you feel discouraged or a little afraid, remember those who have achieved the impossible.  

You should continuously remind yourself that almost everybody who is now successful was once at the very place where you are now. The important thing is that they didn’t remain there.