Spotting the warning signs of discouragement

Discouragement is one of the fastest routes to defeat. I would even say that it is the most deadly factor to watch out for when you are in pursuit of a goal. Discouragement is so lethal because it creeps into your mind using seemingly rational arguments and then grows like wildfire into crippling indecisiveness and self-doubt that prevents you from achieving your dreams.

For example a woman who has a dream of running a successful restaurant may have trouble getting a significant number of customers to her restaurant and consider closing her restaurant now in order to cut her losses. That is where it starts, with compromising. The idea of giving up her restaurant makes sense considering the economic climate and lack of customers. However, just because it makes sense does not mean its right. The problem is perpetuated as she goes back and forth between her decision to keep her restaurant or give it up. This state of indecisiveness is like dealing with the devil, he uses seemingly rational arguments to add more weight to the decision of giving up. During this battle with the devil, doubt enters her mind as she realizes the small percentage of people who actually become successful in operating their own restaurant. She begins to think that she is not good enough or may even feel that she is an unlucky individual who is always going to be doomed for failure. At this point the discouragement has become so strong that it entices her to give up on her dream.

If you find yourself slipping down the slide of discouragement, quickly reaffirm to yourself your goals and come up with sound plans to achieve them. If you are not getting the results you desire, don't give up by changing your desire, but change your plan in getting what you desire. Too often we use our own rationale against us by looking at the past and facts and figures to tell us what we can't do. Let's change the role of our rational thinking in our lives from one that is discouraging to one that is empowering by helping us form sound and reasonable plans to accomplish our goals.