Motivation For When You Feel Like A Failure

Like it? Share it!

Giving up isn’t what you think.

Today’s post is for those of us who have gone for something and failed, missed the mark, or given up too early.

Giving up isn’t quitting, throwing in the towel, or scratching your name off the list. It’s much more subtle than that.

Giving up is what happens in the end – but along the way, you just fade, get discouraged, and you stay down after the let down.

Instead of continuing to press on with passion and purpose, you simply take one step after the other, half numb, going through the motions towards what you thought (and might even still) be wanting to bring into reality. Only now there’s less energy and less results.

It’s as if the glimmer you saw at some point along the way has faded. You’re blindfolded but still curious…

Is it possible? What comes next? If I’m not going to make it, reach it, or hit it – then what?

You’re the kind of person who sets goals, big goals, lofty goals, shoot for the moon and land among the stars goals that push you, liven you, and quicken your step.

You don’t want to shoot too low because you might not capture all that is possible – after all, anything is possible.

So off you go, optimism lights the trail, and the adventure is luminous, just like you.

But then you start to feel it – the frustration and discouragement. They don’t show up, you get less than you thought you would, all those hours… and for what?

Doubt, negativity, bitterness, and a pinch of realism shadows the light and brews a recipe for giving up. You haven’t fully given up, although how do you get to 100% without giving 100%?

You’ll barely see this coming – on the outside you might convince yourself that you’re still in the game – but deep down you know you’re on the outside looking in, devoting what energy you have left trying to figure it all out.

Why didn’t it turn out the way you thought it would? Why have you failed again?

Nothing is certain – only this moment. So you notice where you are and see that it could be worse, and it could be better. You’re somewhere in between the worst case scenario and the ideal you want to be real. It’s here in the middle that you must infuse your senses with courage to bring power to the present. It’s where you are, and it’s the only place you can be.

You can’t miss this space. Don’t forget to notice the brightness around you.

In our overachieving, ambitious efforts we focus on the goal – great. But while we’re stretching and reaching, we don’t realize there is actually still bright possibilities. There’s an entire sky full of stars surrounding us.

Next time you’re setting out to get, do, or achieve something, draw yourself a line. Go ahead and do it now.

On one end is your everything-goes-perfect-picture of making it happen. Illuminate it. Go as high as the sky. What do you want? Where do you want to be?

Then on the other end, go dark and imagine the worst case scenario. One short, just missed the mark, failed, wasn’t even on the radar-worst case scenario. What is it? What do you fear might happen? Not because you’re expecting it, planning on it, or are a Debbie Downer on your dreams or anyone else’s dreams. You’re actually the opposite.

You have a tenacious drive and desire to go for it, and you do – every time.

You’ve just shot for the moon enough times to know that it doesn’t always turn out the way you thought it would. Sometimes it happens later than you planned, there’s things you don’t expect, and a new direction you couldn’t have fathomed. And guess what? It all turned out OK.

So draw your line. Label your end points. Not just good and bad, best and worst. Just let them be what they are and write this…

It is what it is.

Then, do what you do best.

Get moving. Do your thing. Strategize and hustle.

Open your heart and throttle wide open doing it with everything you have because why not? Life is short and the only thing certain is now.

When it’s time to check in or weigh-in, the quarter is up, or you’re doing your year-in-review, notice where you are and notice the gratitude. Illuminate the present. Shine.

You’ve shot for the moon, and perhaps if you notice, you’ll see that you’ve landed among the stars.