How to Keep Going Even When the Going Gets Tough
by Lea Brandenburg

Every now and then we may find ourselves faced with a challenge - finishing a creative project, growing a business, moving through a job or life transition, evolving to the next level in a career. Each of us, at some point find can ourselves stuck and wondering when we will get through to the other side of a challenge. Here are a few ways for you to keep going even when the going gets tough!

Have fun. Yes, this is a simple, yet powerful, suggestion. When was the last time you had fun? When was the last time you had a good solid laugh? Oftentimes, when we are working on a project that is really important to us and that has a deadline, we somehow misplace our sense of humor. Things take on a serious tone because we are so focused on moving forward. Take a moment to have fun and to laugh. You may find that keeping things light will help you reconnect to the big picture and you'll find yourself moving forward on your journey.

Connect with your community. Tap into other like-minded and positive people and be ready for a shift in perspective. Make calls, write to an old friend, create an advisory board or an R&D team for yourself and project. There is no reason to do everything alone all the time. If you are feeling drained, now might be a good time to connect with your community and people that care about you.

Indulge yourself. Try being extra kind to yourself those times you are stuck. Try giving yourself a reward or bribe! Take yourself to a movie in the middle of the day. Call in sick to work for the day so you can pamper yourself and recharge your batteries. Schedule a massage. Sometimes a change in environment or a different activity is just the thing you need to jumpstart yourself.

Start a victory log. Anytime you receive praise, put it somewhere or in a book you create specifically for this purpose. Everyone needs a little "pick me up" every now and then and reading about your accomplishments and how people have praised you and your work is guaranteed to make you feel better.

Make an accomplishment list for yourself. You have accomplished lots in your life and work. When was the last time you took the time to acknowledge yourself? Take a moment to make a list of the things you are most proud of accomplishing in your life. This simple gesture and reflection may give you that extra boost of energy you need to move through your current challenge.

Try an attitude of gratitude. Take a moment to see what is going well about the project you are working on. See what is in your life, rather than focusing on what is missing or lacking. This can be like a breath of fresh air when we are concentrated on getting a task completed.

Break down an overwhelming project into bite-sized pieces. Select one action on a daily basis that moves you forward. The Great American Novel gets written, one page at a time. Pick something that you can do in a specific time frame that has a definitive beginning, middle and end. There is immense satisfaction in taking action that creates a direct result. And when we are working on a long-term project, simple linear actions can give us the sense of forward momentum we may need.

Do something for someone else. Random acts of kindness can not only help others, but can help you too. The key here is to give with an open hand and heart and not out of a sense of duty or "should". In being of service to others, we gain perspective on the difficulties we may currently be experiencing.

Focus on the process, not the end result. You'll have a marvelous future if you live well in today. What would like to create in YOUR today?

And one of my favorite ways of getting unstuck comes from the comedian Milton Berle: If opportunity doesn't knock build a door.

Because everyone can use a little inspiration now and then, here are some examples of people who kept on going, even when the going was tough. And many of us have benefited from what they created with their gifts and talents:

The Beatles were turned down by ten recording companies before Capitol took them on as clients. They kept knocking on doors until the right one opened. Their music has now touched billions of lives.

Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old, and didn't read until he was seven. His teacher described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." Einstein reshaped our perception of how the Universe operates. Time Magazine named him the "Person of the 20th Century".

Before he was elected to the presidency, Abraham Lincoln lost nine public elections, declared bankruptcy twice, and weathered a nervous breakdown and the death of a fiancée. He is quoting as saying: "You cannot fail unless you quit."

Babe Ruth, famous for setting a home run record, also holds the record for strikeouts.

Harrison Ford played a bellboy in his first Columbia picture, 1966's "Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round," and a studio executive told him, "You ain't got it, kid," the "it" being star quality. Ford laughs at the story now.

In the 1950's, one of the best ways struggling new talent could start on the road to fame and fortune was to appear on a nationally televised program called the "Ted Mack Amateur Hour." A singer from Tennessee tried out for the show, but failed the audition. Today few people under 50 remember the "Ted Mack Amateur Hour" or any of the "winners" of the audition the singer failed, but every year the legend of the young man from Tennessee, Elvis Presley, grows.

Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for the light bulb. When none of them worked out, his assistant complained, "All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing." Edison replied confidently, "Oh, we have come a long way and we have learned a lot. We now know that there are two thousand elements which we cannot use to make a good light bulb."

Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor for his lack of ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland.

The popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book was rejected by 140 publishers. One publisher said "yes" and the successful Chicken Soup series was born.

Lea Brandenburg is a Personal Development and Business Coach who works with clients to create strategies for extraordinary lives and careers. Her areas of expertise and passion are interpersonal and business communication, inner wisdom and creativity. She also leads teambuilding and communication workshops for corporate clients. You can find out more about her or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter at Creating Strategies.