Despite being a contested historical figure, Winston Churchill got a lot of things right. 

Perhaps his most celebrated quote is the following: 

As I go throughout my usual week, sometimes I find it's hard to stay motivated. 

Especially in the small things...

It seems like I allow myself to be involved in too many things, and when "life gets in the way", I find myself scrambling for time (or putting things off) just to get the most important things done...

Then, before I know it, I've lost some enthusiasm for an upcoming project. 

And at this point, I'm just hoping to get it done, let alone worry about what kind of energy I can muster while I'm working... 

It almost feels like being cheerful while working, at that point, is a chore. 

Sound familiar? 

I'm sure you've gone through this somewhere along the way... 

It's not that failure is so hard on the mind and soul...

It's that getting from one to another without losing excitement for the overall goal is truly challenging, as Churchill said. 

So, how do we crack the code? 

Beat the giant? 

Keep ourselves going when all we want to do is kick back and watch TV or YouTube for the rest of the night? 

Here are a few things I've found that help me: 

You don't have to do all of these all the time, but find something that resonates with you, and make it a regular part of your approach to your dreams. 

Remember, success is not a destination, it's a journey, so pace yourself on this road. There's no need to rush towards success, because true success needs to be spread out across a lifetime and shared with many people. True success lifts others up; it's not something you hoard or hide. 

I hope this week, you have at least one opportunity to learn how to prioritize enthusiasm despite moving from one failure to another. Remember, too, that failure is where we learn. 

Until next time, to your most exciting writing goals,

Brad