After a VERY long hiatus, I am easing my way back into the swimming pool.

Growing up, swimming was the ultimate competitive outlet and a great form of exercise.  In the summer, I would swim for miles every morning.  It was effortless and automatic.  But that was then, this is now.

Four lengths into my first swim this summer, I was completely out of breath.  My shoulders ached and I was dizzy and disoriented.   I had a goal of doing a quarter-mile, but was ready to quit after just getting started.  My oh my how times change!

Pride would not allow me to quit immediately, so I tried to salvage some dignity and swim 6 more laps.  Double digits would be a small, Pyrrhic victory!

But just as I was about to break down on my 9th lap, I experienced a major transformation!  My muscles relaxed, I caught my breath and I started to glide through the water.  I had broken through the wall of pain and emerged victorious on the other side!  A quarter mile would be no problem!

And don’t we all need to power through our break down moments and break through on the other side?

Breaking Through Is Never Easy

In sales, it can be frustrating when we are starting out.  Cold calls.  Constant rejection.  Self-doubt.  It is easy to quit when we are under so much sustained pressure.  But our break through moment could come at any time!  We can’t quit on the 9th lap!   We need to stay strong and believe things will get better.  And the only way to do this is through action!  Keep smiling and dialing!

When we are starting a business, the cash can go in short order.  Customers aren’t always lining up for our products or services.  Optimism can quickly turn to despair.  But we can’t abandon our goals so easily.  We have invested too much.  We have worked too hard.  Our signature customer is out there and they need us!  We need to dig deep and hold out for that break through moment!

The same is true when working with a struggling student.  Or a losing team.  Or a difficult client.  It is frustrating and humbling.  We are trying to make a difference but not getting any response.  Changing lives is never going to be simple!  The odds are stacked against us.  It is easy to break down and acknowledge defeat.  But we can’t stop now.  And after so much struggle, imagine how good it will feel to finally break through!

We All Have Our Breaking Point

But what happens if our 9th lap never comes?   What happens if the the pain and struggle continue?  How much punishment can we take?

Eventually, writers and actors have to eat.  Salespeople have to pay the mortgage.  Business owners have to pay the bank.  Coaches have to win.  Teachers have to inspire and connect.

Not everyone breaks through ALL THE TIME.  And, as painful as it is to fail, sometimes we need to re-evaluate and move on.  Sometimes, we need to save ourselves for the next battle.

We Need to Power Through Our Difficult Moments

So how do we know when to power through and when to shift our goals and dreams?  The break down point is different for everyone.  But that point is always past when we initially experience pain and frustration.

We owe it to ourselves and our family to push beyond our perceived limits.  And if we break through, it makes it easier to be successful the next time.  This will give us the confidence to fight through the pain again and again!  And if we ultimately fail, at least we do so with maximum effort and a clear conscience.

Excuses Are Never the Answer

Here is the dirty little secret about finding our break through moment:

It is really hard.

And we won’t ever get there unless we really want it.

It is so much easier to break down and come up with the same tired excuses.  We can blame it on the product, or the customers, or the clients, or management, or the economy or a thousand other factors beyond our control.  We can tell ourselves we never wanted that dream.  And once we quit, it will make it so much easier to quit the next time.

But does that sound like the recipe for a resilient life?

Keep Swimming

Our break through moment is out there!   It may require some tweaking.  It may require a pivot.  But there is greatness on the other side of the pain.  There is glory beyond the incredible struggle.  There is success beyond the failure.

Our destiny lies just beyond the 9th lap.

Keep swimming! Our greatest moments are ahead of us and within reach.