Celebrate Change

Seth Godin calls it “The Dip”. Alex Hormozi calls it the “Valley of Despair”. No matter what you call it - there is a very predictable pothole on the road of change and success when initial energy and enthusiasm gives way to doubt, loss of momentum, and large doses of second guessing.

Sometimes these doubts are justified, and it really is time to throw in the towel. In most cases though, this moment in the crucible of despair is the very point when the engines of true change are ignited and we start to power upward towards new heights. How do we light these engines? Here are 3 steps for moving out of the Valley of Despair.

1). Discipline Your Mind
As Henry Ford famously send “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” The most important skill for dealing with the valley of despair is to strengthen your mind. This heightened resolve needs to match and even exceed your initial enthusiasm. There’s a Chinese proverb that goes like this. ‘If your mind is strong, all difficult things will become easy. If your mind is weak, all easy things will become difficult’.

2). Keep Taking Action
Action is the number one antidote for despair. No matter how small, keep taking steps forward towards your goal. The behaviors needed for success must be practiced day in and day out - even if the road has become shrouded with doubt. These steps not only keep your momentum alive, but they continue to re-affirm your identity as the person who will ultimately succeed. As author James Clear describes, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”

3). Think Strategically
Massive work might be the fuel to carry you out of the dip - or it might just dig you deeper into the mire. Take time to consider whether you need to adjust your course and trajectory in order to conqueor the next hill. “Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” - Marcus Aurelius


When practiced together, Discipline of Mind, Consistent Action, and Strategic Thinking are the unbreakable bridge that will carry you out of the dip and onward to the mountain top of success.