Sometimes we work hard at something that never seems to happen. That can be so tough. As kids, we try so hard to make the soccer team. Or as adults, we practice for that job interview again and again but just cannot seem to get hired. It can be so disappointing, frustrating, depressing, or even enraging when we cannot quite seem to get what we want, when the fruits of our labor just aren’t seeming to pay off. So what do you do when this happens? You can sulk for a very long time. You can take it out on someone else. You can eat a pint of ice cream. But you can also go to the gym and punch that punching bag until you sweat it out, take a long walk in the fresh air, take a few deep breaths or just sit down in front of a blank piece of paper and write down some of those frustrations.

The first questions you should ask yourself are, how do I want to handle this disappointment? Is this one failure on my way to success? Or is it time to give up? If I’m on a stepladder on which I have mini failures on my journey to success, what can I learn from this moment? Do I have people in my life who have had some success in their own field, which I can learn from? Am I practicing enough and in the right way? Can I overcome my embarrassment in asking for help from others? Is this an issue that I’m only somewhat passionate about or do I want to really devote a ton of time and energy to succeeding?

The idea of grit is a hot topic right now. Ideally, everyone possesses some grit on some issue in their life. Although, not everyone is able to recognize something they care so passionately about, especially in a life where the world is your oyster. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to make decisions about sticking with something or giving up. Getting feedback from others on what they think you might be good at or what they think you’ve been successful at, can be really beneficial here. And keep plugging away until you feel as though you’re really done and you have no more energy, time or money to devote to something. This is a really personal decision and should not be taken lightly. Everyone has their own threshold on when they are ready to give up on a cause but work hard on it and make it your decision. Try not to be overly ambitious. And don’t forget to laugh at yourself from time-to-time.