The story we are told is that success is glamourous. Even easy. Just follow this 3 step, 7 step, 10 step plan and success is yours. We celebrate the successful in magazines, TV, Netflix and so on. We want it to be easy. We want to follow a template, a plan, and ride off into the sunset.

And yet, it’s not. Success often comes after or with ‘blood, sweat, and tears’. Sometimes we glamourise the ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ in our stories, but no one enjoys it in the moment. We can improve our response in the moment. We can become more stoic like or disassociate from it enough so we remind ourselves that it is part of the process and it will end. But it is not enjoyable. And because success is not guaranteed, we might not get out the other side of the ‘blood, sweat, and tears’ in the place we want.

However, we will get out of the phase if we keep going.

Often these moments or periods are lonely, frustrating, depressing. And if this is you right now, I’m sorry you are in that place, but try to remember or hear that this is normal. It is part of the process of change. It is not fun or enjoyable, but change and growth has these moments. Always. It doesn’t mean you are an imposter, even if you feel like one. It often can mean or be an indicator that you are going through a change.

‘Blood, sweat, and tears’ are part of the journey. Not a glamourous part, but part of the journey. And if you want someone to talk about it with, get in touch.

Photo by Tomas Tuma