Whenever you take on a new journey, you’ll face moments of discouragement. There’s overwhelm. There’s fear. There’s disappointment. There’s confusion. There are moments when you will feel hopeless, and this is when you are ready to give up. You become hard on yourself and start to sabotage your progress when you experience these moments of discouragement.
Discouragement is part of the journey
First, when you are feeling discouraged, I want to acknowledge that it’s okay to feel that way. It’s just not okay to stay there. In the past you may have tried to avoid it. Or when you encountered it, you made that as a reason to stop what you’re doing and go back to where you started. But just know that discouragement and those feelings that go along with it, is part of the journey. You can’t avoid it. So in order to heal, you must learn to move through it.
I get it. I’ve been there. And when you’re in this state, you lose confidence and you begin to focus more on your failures and what should have or could have been. Just know that the biggest part of whether you succeed or fail is how you handle these very strong emotions, because we all experience discouragement when our expectations aren’t met.
It’s frustrating when the weight you wanted to lose doesn’t come off. You didn’t get that promotion you wanted. You couldn’t start the business. The marriage or the relationship just didn’t work out. It’s a part of life. It’s going to happen. It’s what you do with those disappointments that matter.
What typically happens is you eventually become your own worst enemy after facing disappointment after disappointment. All these thoughts get all in your head. You start to believe that you’re not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, or that you’re too old. If that isn’t enough, you begin to make excuses such as, “I don’t have the time,” “the money,” or “the experience.”
Become aware of your thoughts
To heal and move past this period of discouragement, you have to become aware of your thoughts and start taking responsibility for the actions they drive. You must acknowledge those voices in your head and what they are telling you, because your beliefs direct your choices, behaviors, and actions.
Negative beliefs prevent you from achieving more freedom in your life. The examples I mentioned earlier: not being good enough, not smart enough, or being too old… These are self-limiting beliefs, and they love to creep into your mind when you decide to make positive changes in your life.
These negative beliefs are old programs that control your mind. They could have been planted in you in childhood, after a traumatic event, or after you kept making the same mistakes over and over again. Once you recognize this pattern, know you can change these old programs. But in order to do that, you have to first become aware of what you’re thinking about, and you’ll be surprised at what you tell yourself daily.
You have to start monitoring your thoughts daily and replace them with more positive, supportive ones. Because what you feed your mind is as important, if not more important, than what you feed your body. You have to learn to feed yourself words of encouragement, faith, love, and grace.
It’s natural to want to return to your old habits because they are more comfortable. That’s human nature, and it’s something all of us fight. But the good news is you can train your mind to think differently, and when you think differently, you will start to act differently.
Don’t confuse your struggles with failure
I don’t want you to confuse your struggles with failure. Sometimes the beginning of success does look like a hot mess. But success comes from putting all your mess together and becoming who you want to be. Learn to look at your struggles as a test, an exercise, a chance to develop those physical, mental, and spiritual muscles.
Instead of giving up every time things get rough, this is the time to reflect on why it’s occurring and learn how you can get through it the best way you can.
For me, many of my disappointments have come from giving up too soon. But most of my successful moments came after I went through the challenge or struggle. Sometimes what I saw on the other side of the struggle was better than what I could have ever imagined! I found this state to be where I learned the most about myself and what I am capable of. And now, I even welcome challenges. I take them on, knowing something rewarding is on the other side. After I come out of these low points, I realize I have become more resilient and confident.
Trials will come when you least expect them, but you need to be ready for them and love yourself throughout the process.
Discouragement is the biggest thing that keeps many of us from achieving our goals and makes us give up too soon.
One of the biggest mistakes many of us make is failing to reach out or being unwilling to admit that we’re struggling because we’re ashamed. But admitting your setbacks is a very powerful move and is one of the first steps to healing.
You don’t have to go through this alone. There are so many resources, groups, and organizations out there that can help you get closer to success and grow in the process.
That is why I encourage you to reach out to like-minded individuals who can support you. People you can talk to and bounce ideas around with.
Another thing about discouragement is that it comes from being so anxious to succeed in this endeavor, and it means a lot to you. You are so tired of being tired. I get it, but you’ve got to use this feeling to move forward, not hold you back.
Take a moment to reflect on how far you’ve come and appreciate what it took to get here. You had the strength to get where you are today. When those feelings of discouragement start to sneak back into your mind, stay strong and stay on that course of action that will take you closer to your goals.
Don’t give up.
Be patient with the process. You will get stronger as you go, I promise.
Don’t believe your mistakes are a sign of failure.
Take these mistakes as an opportunity to reevaluate, reassess, and move forward.
And remember this:
Discouragement, is not permanent, and don’t make it a reason to give up. Your breakthrough may be right around the corner.
Want to better understand what your body may be trying to tell you?
Take the Metabolic Reset Quiz to identify where your health may need more support and what to focus on next.
Take the quiz at: TheMetabolicResetQuiz.com
And until next time, go out there and achieve more freedom in your health and your life!
