Stop Thinking It Won’t Work Out.

Many times before we start working towards a goal or dream, there’s a little voice in our heads telling us that we shouldn’t hope for things to work out.

To prepare ourselves for the worst.

This is our ego trying to protect us from the possibility of disappointment.

Let’s be honest, disappointment sucks. Things not turning out how we hoped sucks.

But what’s even suckier is letting that one disappointment fool you into thinking it’s never going to work out because it didn’t happen the first time.

I often quit on myself or opportunities because just the thought of failure had me running away in the other direction.

Other times, when I encountered my first challenge or made a mistake, I thought, ‘This is a sign that this isn’t for me.’

The reality is nothing is for us.

Nothing has ever happened to someone by chance.

When we see other people triumph, it’s because they’ve been working behind the scenes, day in and day out, to make their dreams a reality.

So stop thinking your dream, hope, or goal won’t work out.

You’re guaranteed to accomplish it if you never quit.

Most people fail on their first attempt.

First attempts are there so you can get a taste of the real thing.

I did this with affiliate marketing.

I bought a course with a family member of mine. We were full of hopes and dreams of making the big bucks, but soon after, I realized that wouldn’t happen.

I spent thousands of dollars to learn this lesson.

The good thing is it sunk.

When I started writing on Medium, I hoped to go viral quickly.

After two and a half years and no viral posts, I’ve learned that virality shouldn’t be the goal if you’re trying to make money online.

The goal is to build an audience genuinely interested in what you have to say and find what you’re sharing valuable.

Will this take time? Yes. Will it take longer than expected? Probably. Actually, yes. Will there be unexpected twists and turns? Definitely.

So stop falling into the trap that if something doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant for you.

If you’ve done everything you possibly can and it still doesn’t work out, that’s probably a sign.

But if you haven’t given it your best effort over a relatively long period of time, keep going.

What you first try may not be what you end up with.

You need the journey, not just to learn how to deal with obstacles and problems.

You need the journey to discover who you are, what you truly value, and what you want from life.

I learned this lesson after graduating college and starting my first 9 to 5.

I graduated with an MBA, thinking I would be a corporate ladder climber.

I was so sure I would be satisfied with that path.

But after working a year and a half as an account manager, I realized this wasn’t what I wanted for my life.

Around the same time, COVID hit, and my life, along with everyone else’s, was up in the air.

The future was uncertain, and all I could do, all anyone could do, was take it one day at a time.

During the lockdown, I was able to explore my mind and ideas.

I developed a better sense of who I am, what I value, and what I would like out of life.

In February of 2021, I was laid off from the account management job, which gave me an incredible opportunity.

I took my time to see what other options, besides jobs, were out there.

I took chances during that time — I worked as a grocery sorter at Amazon and started writing on Medium. I bought the affiliate marketing course I mentioned, found a temporary stay-at-home job as a data entry clerk, and started bartending.

I took chances during this time like it was my job.

Eventually, I settled on bartending (I was laid off again).

Oddly enough, some dreams became a reality after all this.

Shortly after I started bartending full-time, I made the decision to move out, and thanks to bartending, I could afford it.

I still can.

I’ve lived on my own for a year and a half, and my bartending/server job has kept a roof over my head this whole time.

This may not seem like a big deal, but if you’re in your twenties, living in Long Island, New York, and can afford to live independently, you’re doing what very few in your age group can do.

I’m not saying this to toot my own horn like I’m doing something special no one else is.

I’m saying this because I know how much it costs to live independently and how difficult it is for someone in their twenties to afford it.

Most people can’t, and that’s why they’re forced to stay with their parents/family or friends.

The point of all this is to stop thinking that because your dreams have not become a reality now, it can never happen.

I’m twenty-eight and will be twenty-nine next year. My life has just started.

Even if you’re in your thirties, forties, fifties, or sixties, it doesn’t mean what you want can’t happen.

We need to stop giving ourselves arbitrary deadlines.

Vera Wang didn’t design her first dress until she was forty. Harrison Ford was working as a carpenter when he was forty. Coronel Sanders, yes, the KFC guy, didn’t start selling fried chicken until he was in his sixties!

All these people bet on themselves and took a chance. They thought there was a chance things could work out; why don’t you?

Most importantly, we only have one life. Why can’t we believe we can?