If you’re reading this chances are you’ve got dreams of doing something bigger and more significant.  Maybe it’s personal or maybe it’s for an organization you lead or are part of.  If you’re anything like me, it’s not happening as fast as you would like.  Growing up my mom always told me anything worth doing was worth working for and life has taught me she was right.  The challenge is where do you find the motivation to keep moving forward when you’ve been working toward something for a really long time?  Maybe you wouldn’t dream of giving up but you lead a team or have a friend who might benefit from today’s inspiration.  Please share this with them.

Here are seven things recommended by INC.com that help you keep going when you want to give up

• Feel the Dip: You need to allow yourself to feel the negative emotions.  Don’t sweep them under the rug.  Deal with them.  Process them.  Then, you’ll be able to move on.  
• Contraction Leads to Expansion: Dips lead to expansion and achievement.  They lead to your change and when you change you get to higher levels.  I don’t know anyone who likes changing themselves, but I can honestly say when I get to the otherside I have a huge sense of accomplishment and I’m more prepared to take the next step.  
• See Doubt as a Positive: A gut check helps ensure you’re on the right track. Your gut can also tell you you’re on the wrong track which gives you an opportunity to change directions.
• Go Play: Make time for play.  I’m sure you've heard the saying work hard, play hard. Anytime you’re struggling to get to the next level and feel like it’s just not going to happen, take a time out and go do something that feeds your soul.  Go camping, dancing, shopping, reading a book, whatever brings you joy and allows you to clear your head, rest and renew is exactly what you need to do.  Then, you’ll have a freshness and renewed vision to keep working toward your BHAG. (Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal)  
• Get Active: Yep, I mean exercise.  Nothing clears your head like sweat. When I put some 80’s music on and get moving everything feels better.  My messy, depressing thoughts tend to ooze out in my sweat.  That’s a little gross but you get the picture.  Exercise actually trains our brains to respond differently to stress.  We all have stress, and we need a way to get rid of it.  Exercise does the trick.  It gives us something different to focus on, which allows us to think more clearly and move forward with the actions necessary to make our dreams reality.  
• Talk it Out:  This might be easier for the extraverts than the introverts, but it helps everyone.   As an extravert when I have too many thoughts rattling around in my head, I sometimes get paralyzed and can’t move forward.  When I talk about it with a trusted colleague, family member or friend, I think more clearly and can usually come up with the next step to take to move my goals forward. Sometimes I’m still stuck but whomever I’m talking with gives me a great idea.  Either way you make progress.
• Keep a Gratitude Journal: Sometimes we lose sight of all that we have to be grateful for because we’re focused on what we don’t have or what goals we still long to make reality.  When we think about the most special person in our lives and imagine if they were gone, what would we give to get them back?  Most people say they would give EVERYTHING to get a significant person back in their life.  Think of it this way.  If you would give everything to get them back.  You ALREADY have EVERYTHING so be grateful for it.  

Yes, I know you have dreams you’re working toward and it’s not happening as fast as you’d like.  Instead of giving up on them, use these seven strategies to refocus, rest and keep moving toward making your dreams happen.  Whatever you do, just DON’T GIVE UP!  The world needs you to make your dreams come true.