So you’ve been working towards your goal for a while now and feel like you keep running into one obstacle after another.
Setback after setback.
And honestly, you’re just about ready to give up.
However, one fundamental truth about chasing your goals is that challenges are integral to the process.
It’s never easy.
In fact, it can be downright disheartening.
Perhaps you’re no stranger to this scenario – you’ve attempted this goal in the past, given up, and now find yourself in the cycle of trying again.
But how do you keep from giving up again?
To succeed, you must change your perspective.
The key lies in a crucial mindset shift: instead of viewing these setbacks as indicators of failure, see them as stepping stones toward personal growth and improvement.
Achieving your goals requires navigating these challenges and emerging victorious, armed with a newfound strength and resilience that only the journey can provide.
Your journey towards your goal isn’t just about reaching the destination; it’s about becoming stronger and more resilient along the way.
Okay, yeah. All of that sounds great.
But how do I actually do it?
I keep running into obstacles, and I’m seconds from giving up and accepting that this is just not for me.
How do I keep going?
Well, here are some of the strategies that worked best for me…
Break Your Goal into Smaller, More Manageable Tasks
A lot of times, when I feel like quitting, it’s because the idea of accomplishing the goal seems overwhelming.
Many times, I overwhelm myself by overthinking or setting impossibly high expectations.
Don’t burden yourself with grandiose expectations, paralyzing your progress.
For instance, when I first attempted to start a blog, I aimed for 25-50 blog posts before even launching – a daunting task.
No wonder I became overwhelmed and ended up quitting.
Years later, I decided to give it another shot, but this time, I set a smaller goal: just 10 blog posts before launch.
That goal was less intimidating, and when I finished my first blog post, I felt so great.
Soon after the success of my first blog post, I was met with the disappointment of struggling to write my second.
However, instead of giving up, I adapted.
I broke my goal down further, aiming to write just one post by the end of the week.
This was more manageable.
The thing is, I had to focus on creating a writing process that allowed me to generate blog posts with ease.
I had to learn how to create a routine that worked best for me, a process that allowed me to tap into my creativity.
And the greatest lesson I had to learn was adaptability, to adapt rather than give up.
Remove the structure
My difficulty writing also taught me that sometimes imposing too much structure on the creative process can stifle your progress.
I had all these topics that I had cultivated.
I assumed the next step was to pick one and start writing.
The only thing was that I would pick a topic and then…nothing.
I started to doubt if this was even for me.
If you keep running into the issue of being unable to write when the time comes, how do you expect to start a blog?
The most important aspect of a blog is its written content.
Here’s where I suggest that you let go.
Let loose.
Consider exploring different mediums for your content – perhaps a YouTube channel or podcast suits your style better than written content.
Or maybe you should allow yourself to write when inspiration strikes about topics that truly resonate with you.
This was the advice I received that ended up helping me the most.
It’s how this post came to be.
I felt inspired to write about this aspect of my struggle in creating a blog.
When I decided to write what was on my heart instead of what was on a list, it just flowed.
So, find a space to capture your thoughts, and whenever inspiration strikes, write it down.
Let your creativity flow naturally, and write when you’re inspired.
This is an excellent strategy to try until you get to a place where you can have a more structured writing process.
This approach often leads to more authentic and flowing content.
As I mentioned before, I was still finding my routine, my writing process.
I was still finding my voice, my passion.
I needed to take my time and set expectations based on where I was rather than some arbitrary goal I set for myself.
So remember that it’s okay to abandon rigid plans and go with the flow, especially when you’re still discovering your writing style and creative process.
Focus on the Desired Outcome
Think about why you embarked on this journey in the first place.
As my financial coach advised, focusing on the desired outcome can rekindle your motivation.
We were discussing debt repayment.
I had listed my debts and created a debt snowball tracker, which had me paying off my debt in 2026.
That was so discouraging to me.
Every couple of years, I do that exercise, decide that the 2-3 years is too long, and it discourages me from even trying.
I realized that if it hadn’t been for that pattern, I would have paid everything off by now.
What he told me was that I needed to focus on the outcome.
The outcome that I wanted was to be debt-free, to give myself a raise by being able to apply the money being used to pay off debt for the things that genuinely made me happy and content.
Focusing on that would encourage me to do what it takes to pay off the debt, possibly sooner than calculated.
So, what does that have to do with blogging?
The outcome that I wanted was to produce blog content that inspires and encourages people.
That meant breaking down my 10 blog post goal into something smaller: one blog post by the end of the week.
It meant focusing on creating a writing process that works best for me based on where I am right now.
It meant using talk-to-text to jot down my ideas and then edit them to something concise later.
Having an outcome in mind shifts your focus from the disappointment of running into obstacles to focusing on doing whatever it takes to accomplish your goal.
When you’re tempted to give up, take a step back and reflect on why you started pursuing the goal in the first place.
Remind yourself of the positive outcomes and the personal growth you’ll achieve.
It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture once you start encountering setbacks.
But reconnecting with your purpose can restore your passion and reignite your drive to push forward.
By envisioning the positive impact my content could have, I found the drive to overcome obstacles.
So keep your eyes on the prize and use that vision to motivate you to overcome your obstacles.
Reconnect with your passion and purpose to reignite your drive.
Celebrate your small wins
This brings me to my next piece of advice.
Don’t underestimate the power of celebrating your victories, no matter how small they may seem.
So you’ve followed the steps I laid out and now you’ve got your thoughts on the page.
It might not look much like the blog post you had in mind. However, it’s way further than where you were previously.
That’s a win!
Getting one step closer to finding a process that works best for you is a win!
Each step you take, each idea you jot down, and each moment of perseverance is a win!
And the fact that you haven’t given up and called it quits is the biggest win of all!
Completing even a fraction of your goal is progress and worth celebrating.
Even if your goal is to just spend 30 minutes working on the blog and all that you’ve accomplished is reading another article about starting a blog.
That’s a win! Because it’s information you didn’t have before.
That’s one step closer to your blog.
Focusing on celebrating your wins will motivate you to persevere.
And over time, you’ll find that you’ve built a habit.
Over time, you’ll find you’re more motivated than when you started.
You’ll find that your passion for this goal has grown because you persevered and you didn’t stop.
Instead, you focused on trying to improve yourself so that you could successfully make gains toward your goal.
All of that is a win!
By focusing on your wins, it will help you to minimize the negatives.
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One of my worst habits is focusing on the negative and discounting the positive.
So, I end up easily discouraged and susceptible to fear, doubt, and negative self-talk.
You’re not good enough.
You’re never going to accomplish this goal.
All of those thoughts are lies.
The only way that you fail is by quitting.
Or not even trying.
So keep trying!
That will get you one step closer to successfully accomplishing your goal.
Whether your goal is to start a YouTube channel. A blog. Open an e-commerce business.
Whatever your goal is, just keep trying!
Every step you take is a win and a step closer to your goal.
Recognize and applaud these wins to keep yourself motivated and develop a habit of progress.
Embrace the journey, celebrate your wins, and stay motivated by focusing on the bigger picture – your ultimate dream.
By implementing these strategies and embracing the mindset shift needed to see setbacks as opportunities, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.