It Might Suck Or It Could Be Great

It’s so easy to quit and walk away when things start looking sketchy. “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” said Winston Churchill. That’s where you’ll find the good stuff.

We love beginnings

You know when you start a new project or job or exercise program or perhaps a business or course, and you think to yourself: “This is going to be great!”

That’s what beginnings are right?

Full of hope and promise.

You’re pumped. Energized. Adrenaline rushed.

THIS time you swear it’s going to work out perfectly.

Because you planned it.

On purpose.

With lots of thought and front end work.

You can practically taste victory.

The timing seems right.

All the dots connect.

So you begin.

You take the leap. And keep at it. Day after day. From morning until night. You’re on a path and there’s nothing to stop your progress. When you’re in the groove it feels as if you’re flying.

Until…

You get to the middle. Where things gets muddled. And hard.

All of a sudden you crash. You question every motive and intention.

What seemed clear in your mind now is clouded.

You begin second-guessing if this was the right thing to do.  If this was the right time to start.

Maybe the little voice that encouraged you was wrong…

Stop it, okay?

You DO NOT stop because shit happened that made your journey a bit bumpy.

You seriously committed to this thing, right? For like, what? the millionth time?

You’re a grown up person who understands that not every day is full of rose-scented farts. Some are total stinkers.

At some moment you convinced yourself everything is wrong. It sucks. You suck. Everybody sucks…

Well, you might be right. But you won’t know that for sure until you finish. Then you’ll regroup and redo and revise. And keep at it. Because it’s worth it to YOU.

If you’re feeling wishy-washy it’s okay to take a SHORT break. Try these no nonsense suggestions:

Take a long bath or shower

Rinse those self-defeating feelings away. Let the warm water wash over all the negativity and second-guessing. Bonus: Before getting out of the tub or shower spend sixty seconds under the cold water. Turns out there are some serious benefits to taking a cold shower. 

Take a long walk (or a run, if that’s your thing)

Step away and go outside. Get some fresh air and let your mind wander. For an added kick try walking backwards. Besides having health benefits, and making you look foolish (hah!) you’ll need to concentrate on NOT falling. That should clear up the muddles.

Sing it out

C’mon admit it you’ve done it. Crank up the music and belt out your favorite song. Go for the drama — dance moves, hand gestures, shimmy shakes. Singing releases endorphins, which is like a happiness high-five. Sing in public or at your present job at your own risk. There’s always the car radio.

Clean the toilet

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

This is my personal go-to when I’m confused or stressed or muddled. A silly diversion that requires no thought. I consider it a mindful time-out. Both sides of my brain stop competing for my attention for a few minutes. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes not. At the very least I end up with a clean toilet.**

Keep going

Point is, take a break. A SHORT one. Take care of yourself. Eat and drink something healthy.

Think back to the beginning. Check in with yourself. Remember why you started this crazy thing in the first place.

As my mother would say: “Stand up straight. Slap a smile on your face. And do it.”

Don’t short change yourself today. Keep going. Sure it might suck. But it could be great.