Dealing with the Dip

Seth Godin calls it “The Dip.” Stephen Pressfield calls it “Resistance.” Most of us know it as “feeling like giving up.” You make a resolution. You start working toward a goal. You make an investment in achieving your dreams. Then the initial excitement dies off. You get sick for a few days and lose momentum. You get past the rush of starting and get to the grind. You feel like giving up and moving on to the next thing.

That’s where I was when I sat down to write this post this morning. On the verge of giving up.

I just recently got re-started blogging. I re-vamped my whole site. I punched out a whole bunch of posts in one night. I joined a membership site and started making more of a financial investment into succeeding. Then I got sick. And I showed up with a posting deadline looming this morning with nothing written and no ideas.

That’s when fear kicks in. That’s when I start justifying. “No one will blame you. You were sick. What’s wrong with skipping just this once.” That’s the Dip. That’s Resistance. And they attack us all.

Maybe you started a business and it’s not going as well as you’d hoped. Maybe you started a creative effort and don’t know where to go next. Maybe you landed the dream job and it’s starting to feel like work. Maybe your marriage isn’t the dreamland you’d hoped for. Maybe. . . Maybe. . . Maybe. . . Maybe you’re in the Dip. Maybe you’re on the verge of achieving more than you thought. Maybe if you gave up now you’ll lose out on the opportunity to win in the long run.

Maybe your breakthrough is tomorrow.

Maybe it’s today.

Our culture is characterized by ease and entitlement. We want it all, and we want it easy. But the ones who make a difference are the ones who don’t buy into that lie. They’re the ones who are willing to do the hard things in hopes of a greater reward. Are you going to be one of those people?

What is your Dip. Where is your Resistance. Where do you feel like giving up?