One of the factors that separate the top performers from the rest of the crowd is their ability to overcome challenges. Often, your biggest challenge is yourself. It can be easy to get discouraged when there are so many obstacles standing in the way of your goals. How do you stay driven to push forward despite the barriers?
I was listening to an episode of “The Moment Podcast” with Brian Koppelman. He was interviewing James Altucher on the topic of meaningful work, parenthood and reinventing yourself. It had been two months since Brian aired his last podcast episode and he started the show with explaining why. It was a very vulnerable episode where Brian explained why he had trouble motivating himself to continue with his project. He was so distraught with the events of the last election that he could not find his motivation to keep creating.
We all have barriers that we need to confront. What may seem like an easy accomplishment for one is a roadblock for another. It doesn’t make it any less real for the one who finds it difficult.
“Never go tapping into the lives of others like you know them and their story! Their story is not yours, tell yours, for that is all you know.” ― Auliq-Ice
When I listened to the podcast, my reaction was to feel encouraged. Not because someone else was struggling but because despite the struggle, he kept moving forward. It reminded me of the importance to keep drudging on even if it is inch by inch.
Our biggest obstacle can be associated with our biggest fear, “the fear of failing”.
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is a delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead-end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” – Denis Waitley
There are so many examples of successful people who faced many challenges and even failures before they even tasted success.
- Arianna Huffington got rejected by 36 publishers before becoming one of the most recognizable names in online
- Bill Gates’ first company, Traf-O-Data failed miserably. It was only years later that he created Microsoft.
- Elon Musk, was ousted from Paypal and Zip2, companies he helped found. If he would have stopped there, we never would have had SpaceX or Tesla. Even then, both companies faced heavy losses and near bankruptcy before finding success.
- George Steinbrenner once owned a small basketball team that went bankrupt before acquiring ownership of the New York Yankees.
Behind every success story, we often find a story of hardship and failure.
If you find yourself discouraged and demotivated, you are not alone. Don’t let your obstacles stop you from achieving your goals. See them as part of the learning journey and keep going.
[tweetthis]“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy[/tweetthis]
In this #5MinMotivation post, I am encouraging you to fail. Fail fast so you can grow from the experience and become stronger. You are ready to face the next challenge. You are not alone.
“The phoenix must burn to emerge.” – Janet Fitch
Our lives can get pretty hectic and it can be easy to get lost in our actions. When we are so focused on what is ahead, we forget to pause, reflect and find ways to energize our minds. These 5-minute motivation posts are meant to give you that recharge. The goal is to give you a 5-minute Vitamin for your mind through quotes, posts and videos. It is also meant to challenge your thinking and inspire you to take action.
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