Initially, during every venture, project, or activity worth doing, everything is great.
This could be a new hobby, like playing the guitar, or a new side hustle, like selling handmade candles.
At some point, the novelty wears off. You start to realize there are struggles and challenges you have to tackle in order to be successful. This plateau is called "the Dip".
There are a few options. You can:
- Keep on going, wasting time & money, but eventually quitting some time in the future
- Quit, understanding that you don't care that much about it, or it's not a good fit
- Push through, because you really want this, and you're ok with the challenges
The first scenario is the worst one. A person can spend 2k for a Fender guitar, visualizing themselves playing in a big stage. But are not consistent. They don't love the annoying finger exercises, or the long hours of practice. They don't give up though, they keep buying more equipment, apps, or books. But there's no progress. They get disappointed and quit, selling everything at a loss.
In the second scenario, the person realizes that they can never give their whole attention to this matter. It sounds good in theory, but they can't see themselves doing the nitty gritty work. So they move on to something else. As Seth Godin states "The opposite of quitting is rededication".
Lastly, in the third option, the person is aware of the struggles, but they are willing to push through them. You need years of practice to get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but getting your ass kicked is part of the process, and they're ok with that. They will show up every day, and they will get better. Sometime in the future, they will achieve the goal, but they fell in love with the process, and it's part of their life.