Have you ever had the experience of something pulling you off track? You're merrily going along your way, pursuing your Big Dreams, whistling as you forge your own path in the wilderness of life…and then something (often quite small) happens to pull you violently off your lovely track and into the ditch at the side of the road! This happened to me on Monday - I've been merrily Setting Myself Up For Success in January, making exciting plans, finding new ways to work that are working well, implementing habits, rules and practices that help me to live my best life (enjoying it, energised and getting shit done!). And then. I read a comment on Facebook. Gasp! Not a comment on Facebook, I hear you whisper, horrified! Dun. Dun. Duhhhhhh. This comment was not aimed at me, not even vaguely related to me, it was a comment about running a business and what you 'should' do (don't get me started on shoulds, we'll be here for weeks!). Normally, I would read such a comment, disagree, and move on. But on Monday it seemed to open a little door in my mind and let in every negative thought I could possibly have about my business. For the first time in 6 months, I seriously considered giving up. The 'giving up' thought normally comes up as a result of working too hard and not having a social life, and is usually quite a mild thought, easy to overcome. But yesterday it was a much deeper stab - it went right down into the realms of hopelessness, melancholy and gloom (normally it's just a little light discouragement and disheartenment). I found myself at one point sitting on the sofa in my office staring into space with a sad face on. Let me repeat: the comment was not about me, was not directed at me, was absolutely nothing to do with me, and I disagreed with it…but it sent me off into a total tailspin and dumped me in a muddy ditch at the side of the path I'd been happily skipping along. It was just a comment made by someone expressing their opinion about what you should do in business. Why on earth would it have such an effect?! Today, I really have been wondering that, because today it's not affected me at all - I've woken up back on the path and skipping again! But these things happen. And they happen often. You're dancing joyously along in life, then something happens that puts you on your arse, wondering if you could ever do the thing you're trying to do. Something opens the door to the thoughts that freak you out in the wee small hours of morning, all your fears and doubts and insecurities. Here's what I really want you to know: That's normal. Everyone has fears and doubts and insecurities. Everyone gets pulled off the path sometimes - often when they're putting someone else's opinion over their own inner wisdom. Sometimes you might just be feeling a bit Monday-ish and something lands a blow that just hits a bruise you didn't know was there You can, of course, explore exactly what the bruise is they caught, and if that bruise gets pressed more than once, I recommend you do. But otherwise, when something knocks you off your path into a ditch, the very best thing you can do is reconnect with what you're trying to do - reconnect with your Big Dream, reconnect with the why of what you're doing and let that pull you out of the ditch. Over the years, I've ended up in that metaphorical muddy ditch hundreds of times - sometimes it seems the ditch is filled with stinging nettles, sinking sand, or Devil's Snare (the plant in Harry Potter that tries to eat you!), and it's very hard to get out. But every time I've got out of the ditch and back onto the path - scratched, bruised and crawling at times, but out! The faster you can get back onto the path, the quicker you will reach your goals. So let those goals and dreams and desires help you get out of the ditch and merrily following your yellow brick road to the joyful life that awaits you. Fix your eyes on the prize and keep moving, even if there are Facebook Comments lurking in the underbrush, waiting to trip you up and dump you in the ditch! This is probably the best set yourself up for success tip I can give you: Fall down 100 times, get up 101! I would love to hear your experiences of 'falling in the ditch', and your thoughts on this article…please leave me a comment below. Love Donna.x