If only you could have the innocence and resilience of your childhood self right now, as a professional chasing after your dreams, then maybe you wouldn’t be afraid of getting a few bumps and bruises along the way. Unfortunately, adults remember all those minor setbacks, which is why many professionals would rather settle for a decent paycheck and secure job, rather than risk it all and go after what they want. If you are one of the few who decides to take the road less traveled and dream big, then here are four important things to remember when you feel like turning back.

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1. Be patient with yourself and the process.

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Achieving your dreams isn’t going to happen overnight, which is why it’s extremely important to remind yourself to practice patience throughout your journey. You will have times where the going gets almost too tough and you feel like calling it quits, but those are the moments that usually lead to breakthroughs into the next level.

Remember, the pyramids weren’t built in a day. You don’t have to master patience right off the bat. Your tolerance and endurance will build as you mature along your journey. Once you start seeing the payoff of your hard work, you’ll begin to understand and appreciate the lessons learned from the good, the bad, and the ugly.

2. Understand that failure is a crucial component of success.

Part of being patient with yourself and the journey is learning how to accept failures and use what you’ve learned to fuel your determination and success. If and when you come face-to-face with failure, recite this Japanese proverb, “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” In doing so, you will be reminding yourself that each and every failure is an opportunity to become stronger, wiser, and better equipped for the road ahead. Just as there cannot be light without darkness, there cannot be success without failure.

3. Know that you’ll change during the journey.

I would argue that success isn’t a destination, like the peak of a mountain, for instance. Instead, success is the entire journey from beginning to end, especially all the hurdles and triumphs you will encounter along the way.

Who you are at the beginning of your journey won’t be who you are by the end, because you will learn how to work harder and smarter along the way. Additionally, as you mature and progress in your career, you will see that you will become more efficient and strategic in your work and life.

4. Keep your eye on the prize and your blinders on.

Haters are going to hate and it has nothing to do with you or your ambitions. It’s best to ignore the negativity and simply keep your eye on the prize. Letting the opinions, doubts, and negativity of others influence your life in any capacity is a recipe for disaster, especially when it comes to pursuing your dreams in your career.

As young professionals, we’re all so impressionable and eager to prove ourselves in the world that we cling on to every bit of advice and criticism thrown our way. More times than not, this negativity instills fear and doubt in us, and we end up nixing our dreams and taking the easy route – climbing the corporate ladder to a career that is hardly what we desire. With that said, be open to constructive criticism and inspiring advice along your journey, but be wary of anyone who tries to tell you that your dreams are foolish or unattainable. Blinders up!

Words of Wisdom

Your dreams are your dreams, so don’t let anyone tell you that they’re foolish or impossible. Likewise, don’t let a little misstep or failure along the way deter you from continuing your journey, because some of the biggest success stories today attribute their success to failures and rejection that, in turn, pushed them to want to achieve their dreams even more so. Believe in yourself and the sky’s the limit.

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