The situation is dreadful.
You had a vision for your business. And things started well. But as you got nearer to your goal, nearer to your big breakthrough, the whole thing began to unravel. And here you are.
Suddenly, momentum has come to a screeching halt. People close to you are letting you down, and you feel as if they judge every decision you make. Money pressures are mounting, and you haven't reached financial success yet. The stress of the whole thing is making you sick. It takes all the strength you have to just wake up in the morning and get working... and when you are awake, your shoulders are all hunched up by your ears. Remember the old you? That comfortable, relaxed version of you from before? That person is at odds with this brutal journey you've insisted on taking to reach your vision. And you're seriously starting to feel like this is not worth it. If this is what it takes to succeed, man, forget it. You will take the old way. This isn't for you. You cannot do this.
Congratulations. You have reached the panic point.
Let's call it the big breakdown before the big breakthrough. The good news is, if you can navigate your way through this... on the other side, you'll find your goal. And you'll experience incredible growth along the journey.
But how do you navigate something this difficult, something you don't understand, when you're incredibly stressed? By learning from people who have survived the journey. There are three inspirational thinkers who have given me three different perspectives on this same problem, and I would love to share their wisdom with you.
First, Steven Pressfield, author of the War of Art. He calls this feeling Resistance, with a capital R. If you begin a business, an art project, a diet, or kick a habit, Resistance is your enemy. Any act that derives from your higher nature, that rejects immediate gratification in favour of long-term growth, elicits Resistance. It's impersonal. And it's universal.
Resistance has two rules of thumb. Number one: the more important an action is to our personal growth, the more Resistance we will feel pushing back. And number two: the greatest danger is when the finish line is in sight. Resistance knows you're about to beat it, and it will hit you with everything it's got. Be prepared.
The second version of this problem comes from a business coach, and my personal hero, Fabienne Fredrickson, who describes the peak of resistance as the Panic Point.
Fabienne says that when you create goals for yourself, opportunities for you to reach them will arise from above the level you currently are. That means, to reach those goals, you have to be pulled into your future, outside your comfort zone. When we strive for big change like this, we ourselves are required to change in a big way. What steps in to protect you? Your ego. Change threatens your ego. And under threat of annihilation, your ego manifests as fear of change. This fear is destructive, and it's paralyzing.
The panic point hits when your old paradigm tries to mix with your new beliefs and actions. You may feel unworthy of success. You may unwittingly sabotage your best efforts. But you're not alone.
The third description of this process comes from Seth Godin, who calls it The Dip. Godin says that everything worth doing in life is governed by The Dip. Imagine a curve that rises, then falls, then rises again exponentially. The dip is that part where it falls. It's the place in between beginner's excitement and true mastery. The dip is what weeds people out because it's the hardest part of the journey. It's where everyone else quits. This creates scarcity. It also creates value. If everyone got through the dip, the reward for success would not be as high. The key is in determining whether your situation is a true dip, or if you're stuck in a dead end.
The solutions to the panic point are elegant. They're incredibly simple. But they're not easy.
Remember this: the opposite of resistance is Assistance. You'll recognize Assistance when you see it. As you focus on your goal, and you begin pouring your energy into work that supports your vision, you will begin to feel a tailwind. You will begin to attract opportunity left, right, and centre. Keep your eyes open enough to see it.
To take advantage of Assistance, you must push through Resistance. To do this requires taking a quantum leap out of your current comfort zone. For you, this simply means continuing to take decisive action. Take one small step. Then do it again. And again. Consistent daily effort will power your journey to a place of true achievement.
Pressfield tells us to be stubborn. You don't have to be a hero to be stubborn. You just have to be a pain in the butt. Grit your teeth, keep your eye on the prize, dig in your heels, and don't let go until resistance loses.
Jim Rohn perhaps said it best. We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is: discipline weighs ounces, while regret weighs tons.
The next time you find your panic point, you'll recognize it. Like a quirky old friend. And you'll know you're around the corner from your next breakthrough if you can focus on your vision, take consistent decisive action, and be stubborn about it. Don't worry. It gets easier every time.
