Brick wall
Well it happened. I know it happens all the time all around us. But it doesn't really matter, because when you hit the wall, you have two choices. Give up or dig deeper.
Sometimes you slowly start falling apart, and you can feel it, but you let it happen anyway. It's like sinking into quicksand. But sometimes you can be trucking along at a healthy clip and then WHAM--brick wall. All of a sudden all of your progress comes to a sudden and severe stop.
And that's what's happened to me.
I don't know why. I mean, I can start giving you valid excuses. I've been busy with work. I'm getting ready to move across the country. I am starting a non-profit and that's taking a lot of my energy. My kids have been home for spring break. But regardless of what it looks like from the outside, those are really SYMPTOMS of the chaos that is emerging from the inside.
Something in me is subconsciously slowing me down. It's made my niche feel like a dagger to my eyeball. It's made me hide behind so many projects and drama that I don't have time to build. And the personal progress I was making with my niche (my mindset for weight loss) came to a screeching halt as well. More evidence of failure--something I recognize and welcome like my favorite scarf in the fall.
I know it's all related. There is no doubt for me and I'm sure it's obvious from the outside too. I'm struggling with my mindset which is what my website is about, so naturally I'm struggling with content. It's not rocket science.
But what choice am I going to make this time? Am I going to cancel my account and just quietly slip into the WA abyss? Um, doesn't look like it. Instead, I'm digging in deeper. I'm reaching out and blogging how I really feel so that I can be accountable to myself and my friends here. I have worked my butt off to get this far with my website. I've learned tons of information. And I'm not going to let some scared part of me sabotage all of my work.
I'm sticking it out. I'm gonna continue to do the lessons, and more importantly, the inner work it takes to stop looking at myself as a serial loser, and continue to do the things that winners do to succeed. What do they always say? It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up, right?
I'm not up yet, folks. I feel like quitting and taking more naps. That's the cold hard truth. And it's only been a month and it's not even like I'm disappointed or disgruntled with my progress. I'm just tired. So I'd say I have one knee back up, and I'm leaning over the other one with a bloody nose. Hopefully I'll be standing upright soon.
And I'm really not looking for sympathy. I'm just keeping it real so that one day I can look back and chuckle at myself for being such a baby. Or maybe someone will read this and say, "Hey, I guess everyone has days (or weeks) like that. But it's going to be ok. It's no excuse to quit."
I know it's going to be ok. But today, I'm tired.
Not all rainbows and unicorns,
Aim
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When you hit a wall and you can't climb over, go round it or dig under just knock the bloody thing down! :-)
Cheers
Rich
Writer's block!
When I get the big "WB", I exercise and sweat it out, i complain to a friend (who tells me to "get over it and move on"), I research new and crazy subjects, I freewrite (putting down anything that comes into my mind for 5 or 10 minutes...not worrying about grammar, spelling, punctuation, or...having it make any sense).
What I try NOT to do is: "wait until I feel inspired", watch TV, procrastinate, make excuses. (But, I still end up doing some of this anyway.)
I guess what I'm trying to say, Amy, is that you are not alone. Any writer, who is honest about it, goes through exactly the same thing. So, keep on...keepin' on!
I can see that you are trying to get back up...now get up! And get going...and move forward! The nirvana you are looking for is just around the corner...
Whew! I hope this inspired you! I know it inspired me!
:-)
Take care,
Jim
It totally inspired me, Jim! That's great advice! Procrastination has long been my middle name, but I will take your advice and press on! :) Thanks!
Aim
We all get stuck, and we all get unstuck eventually. there's nothing wrong with taking a break and taking the naps and letting the funk have its 15 minutes of fame, since you know it will pass!
when I get overwhelmed by this blogging stuff (writer's block, the lessons, doing anything concrete with my zillions of ideas), I try to focus on trivial, ancillary things that are easy or interesting. this keeps me in the game without driving me too crazy.
The latest of these was google adsense - finally got it up and running on my sites, and that's been a fun distraction. would recommend if you haven't done that yet! because the pennies start coming in and you can watch them in real time and fantasize about ALL THE MONEY you're gonna make in the future :)
Definitely going to work on that! I know yours are up and running--I'll check them out. Thanks for the comments and suggestions. As you know, we have family stuff happening right now and I may be down, but not out!
Aim
OK Brick Wall; you can rock and roll. tumble over, pick yourself up and cast yourself down again, all that is in life's battle, but the bottom line is:
some of us are having it harder than you are having it for longer period than you have mentioned.
Have we given up? NO! We know full well. That: the race is not for the swift, neither is the battle for the strong; both race and battle are for those who will endure unto the end.
Turn your brick wall into sponge, with bold courage.
DorcasW
Arthur, you really made me laugh with this. No, it's true, I suddenly developed an overwhelming funk. But it's ok. I'm getting through it. If this was easy, everyone would do it. So I just had a few down days and I'm getting my act together.
Hi Amy, I know that you are venting to everyone, but your words hit home with me. I too have hit a brick wall, being stuck in course 2 of my training for the past couple of weeks. I was all "gung ho" and ready to conquer the affiliate marketing world in the beginning, now I feel like I'm mired in quicksand. I'll admit that I have felt like a serial loser, as you so accurately stated, for most of my life and WA is suppose to be my lifeline to success.
Thanks for sharing Amy... May we both find our paths again.
Best Wishes,
Tony
Tony,
I'm right there with you. I've decided to give myself some grace and just keep on keeping on. If it was easy, everyone would succeed. Only the strong survive, right? We can do this!
To you and yours,
Amy
Hi Amy! It's people like you that keeps me going! You started a month ago, and you have come this far? That's amazing to me! I was in a Niche Rabbit hole since I started, couldn't get past it , was overthinking, so, I'm ready to go with my Niche, right? That very day, I ended up with the flu, still have it, but I'm getting back up! Amy, Enjoy living in the moment! Think of all skills you've learned here, and remember it's not going to happen overnight! Yes, your gonna have days like this! Man I had almost a whole month!
But see? Here we are. Lifting each other up and encouraging one another. You have to love this community of people. Thanks Karen. :) Keep moving forward!
It's good to vent things out like this.
It sounds like you can really use a break from everything. I felt that way yesterday. I've had too many snags along the way. I shut my laptop down and took off for the day. I needed air and to remove myself from everything and it helped.
It helped so much I need to do it again...tomorrow, well actually it's today being close to 2 am.
I'm glad you are staying, you never know how it will turn out. You have a whole community from around the world here.
Yes, it will be ok :)
Thank Patsy. :) You know, I don't think I ever really considered quitting all the way. Just felt overwhelmed and tired. Life continues to press on in spite of our new adventures. We can't let this take over our lives until we've done enough work that it's sustainable. I just needed breathing room as you said.
Moving onward and upward!!
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Oh yes, I feel the same way. I hope things have changed for the better for you!
Thank you! Just don't give up!