“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” – Oprah Winfrey If you want to achieve your dreams don’t expect overnight success. There are no quick fixes. There is no life hack or shortcut that’s going to make it easy. Let’s embrace the reality that you’ll get knocked down and beat-up. It takes endurance and grit. If it was easy to achieve our dreams everyone would do it. The path to your dreams is like running a marathon. The race takes only a few hours, but it takes months to prepare and train. You have to deliberately push through pain and improve your weaknesses so you’re ready for the race. I want to help you be resilient and committed for the long-haul. I want you to do what it takes even when you feel like you don’t have much more to give. Here are six tips to be more resilient and never give up on your dreams. 1. Adversity is not failure “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford Every successful person has a story of adversity. You’re not the only one who faces hardship. Expect to tested. Adversity is a part of life and a necessary part of your evolution and growth. Don’t confuse adversity with failure. Failure is giving-up. Adversity is meant to make you stronger and more equipped for what’s to come. Look for ways to grow and learn through hardship. Be prepared to fight when adversity strikes! 2. Grow your resilience “Fall seven times and stand up eight.” – Japanese Proverb Now that you’re prepared to face adversity, you can start to grow resilience. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) resilience is “…the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.” In other words, resilience is the ability to bounce back stronger when knocked down and faced with adversity, and it’s a trait that anyone can develop. Here are three ways to build resilience. 1. Take care of your mental and physical health. Exercise regularly, and make time for relaxation and rest. The healthier you are the more emotional reserves you’ll have at your disposal. 2. Focus on your strengths. Turn to your strengths during hard times. When a problems arises consider what has helped the past. Ask yourself, “What’s one thing I know I can accomplish today that will help me make progress and deal with this?” 3. Keep an optimistic attitude. Remember why you’re doing what you’re doing and why your goal is so important to you. If you’re facing a momentary difficulty remember that it won’t last forever. The situation will eventually get better. 3. Have a reasonable timeline “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius From my work as a coach and from studying human performance, I’ve found that people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in 3-5 years. When it comes to your long-term goals, don’t set yourself up for disappointment by having unrealistic expectation. Success won’t be immediate. Be patient and give yourself a realistic timeframe. Dream big but make sure to take it one day at a time. Set clear daily goals that you know will get you closer to your long-term goals. 4. Some days will suck “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” – Walt Disney Don’t expect to be fired up and super productive every day. Remember that resilience requires self-care. This means part of success includes prioritizing relaxation and rest. Sometimes you need to rejuvenate and recharge. Just do the best you can today. When you have a bad day don’t let this throw you off course. Everyone gets off track at times but the successful person doesn’t get lost. They find their way back on track. They don’t let a mistake or setback derail their momentum. 5. Find people who are light in the dark “Some people come into your life as blessings. Others come into your life as lessons.” – Mother Teresa When I have doubts or feel stuck, it’s important to be around supportive people who won’t let me give-up. Sometimes I need a reminder that I have great potential and that I’ve made progress. Whether it’s a professional relationship or an encouraging friend, we need someone to talk with when things aren’t going as planned and self-doubt is prominent. Use the YHAC community for support, create a mastermind group, or get a personal coach. 6. Don’t let problems keep you stuck “Successful people spend 10% of their time focused on the problems and 90% of the rest, focused on the solution.” – Tony Robbins When people are stuck, it’s often because they don’t want to face a problem. You can’t simply wish your problems away and pretend they don’t exist. A problem is something that can be solved and if you’re willing to face it you can take decisive action to make change and improve what’s not working. Take accountability and full ownership of problems and face them head on! Your dreams won’t be easy to achieve so make resilience a priority. Being a dream chaser will test your resolve and commitment. Give yourself time to achieve your big desires. Surround yourself with supportive people and realize that problems won’t last forever.  Photo credit: Romain Toornier

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