Imagine your heart racing, overwhelmed with both excitement and fear. This is the feeling you get when you’ve got a dream you want to chase – and I’m talking about a big one. Maybe it’s hitting a goal weight, maybe it’s starting a business, or maybe it’s learning a language or a musical instrument. Whatever it is, no matter how challenging or difficult it may be, you’re still fired up to make that leap.

 

But then reality kicks in.

 

I’ll tell you exactly when it happens too. Reality kicks in when you realize that your dream isn’t a soft cloud waiting to catch you if you fall. Chasing a dream is like trying to climb a mountain. And once people come to realize that the climb is much tougher than they expected, that’s when they quit.

 

It’s a sad fact, but a true one. Let me explain. When an aggressive goal or big idea first hits you, it’s exhilarating. You feel energized and alive. You’re fueled by passion and the vision of your success. At this point, most people are reading all the success stories they can find, they watch motivational videos, and spend countless hours envisioning themselves being unstoppable.

 

But then roadblocks appear.

 

No matter your motivation level, life is always ready to strike with events that can derail your progress, challenge your resolve, and make you rethink if you’re even doing the right thing. I’ve seen it. I’ve had clients at the gym start on their weight loss journey and have all the motivation in the world, then they get an injury during training, and it’s all over. I never see some of them again. It doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s times like this when people look to others who have made it and achieved their goals. They look like they are unreachable, don’t they?

 

I’ll let you in on a secret – they all stumbled along the way too. The difference is that they took the bad days, the bad decisions, the bad outcomes, and persevered. They kept moving towards their goals despite setback and didn’t quit when things didn’t go their way.

 

You think I haven’t learned some hard lessons in both life and in business? If you only knew…

 

One buzzword today that gets used a lot is grit. Let me clarify grit. It’s not about being fearless. It’s about being stubborn, but in a good way. Grit is when you go to the gym even when you’re still sore from the day before. Grit is also about embracing discomfort because you can’t grow without it. Those times when your legs are tired and you’re out of breath, it’s grit that’s going to push you to finish that last half mile of your jog.

But they aren’t.

 

When you set a really aggressive goal, it’s ambitious, but it’s also terrifying. But that’s a good thing. Because it means it’s worth pursuing.

 

But what scares people off isn’t the very beginning. It’s the point at which you realize just how big of an endeavor it really is. You’ve heard the term, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” It’s true in this scenario too, except going after something difficult is more like a marathon in which you also have to juggle priorities and dodge obstacles, challenges, and problems.

 

Coming to this understanding is what makes a lot of people quit.

 

Look, we’ve all been at that point in our lives where we can hear that little voice telling us to give up because it’s too hard. Sometimes that little voice might even tell you that you’re not cut out for what you’re doing. But it’s what you do in response to that voice that’s challenging you. So now that the proverbial going is tough, how do you get tougher? 

You also do it by remembering how far you’ve come and not how far you have to go. And once you’ve done that, you keep pushing. You do it because on the other side of this struggle is success. Remember, every moment you spend working on your goals is an investment in your future self. So, when you feel like quitting, ask yourself if you’re willing to let a little hard work stand in the way of what you want?

 

Also, when it comes to progress, you need to pay attention. Progress isn’t always flashy. It doesn’t come with fireworks or red-carpet events. Sometimes it’s just a small victory. Maybe it’s being one pound lower than the previous day. Maybe it’s making the right decision at dinner to skip the processed foods. These small wins are progress!

 

The one thing I want you to take away is that progress isn’t about giant leaps, it’s about consistent steps. Because every action matters. When you choose execution over excuses, you begin to make progress.

 

Now, here is what I want you to do, reflect:  on how you’ve prioritized executing your way to hitting a goal. How did you push through confusion and doubt? Did you have to make adjustments along the way?