Success is a journey, not a destination. Along the way, there are certain stages that we must go through in order to reach our ultimate goal. These stages can be compared to the challenges of facing dragons in a medieval fantasy story. We just need to figure out how our goals also have dragons. Remember your life is like a story.

The first stage of success is “Uninformed Optimism.” This is the initial excitement and enthusiasm we feel when starting anything new. We may not fully understand the challenges that lie ahead, but we are optimistic about the outcome and the goals we have. This stage is called “Uninformed Optimism” because at this stage it is easy to have fun because we are learning quickly. Remember, however, that the road ahead will be more difficult than we expect.

The second stage in our journey to achieving our goals is “Informed Pessimism”. This is when we begin to understand the challenges and difficulties that lie ahead. We may become overwhelmed and pessimistic about the possibility of success. This stage is where we see the practice getting harder and learning slows. It can feel difficult to overcome, but it’s important to remember that this is a necessary step toward success.

The third stage now seems to come quickly it is the “Valley of Despair”. This is the point where we may feel like giving up, we may be exhausted and feel like we’ve hit a dead end. This stage is represented by a Dragon and is one of the most difficult dragons to overcome. This stage looks like depression for many, it looks like anxiety for some. This is the stage where the personal story and self-doubt can keep us stuck. Often causing one to quit. Here it is important to remember that this is a normal part of any journey to success. You must pass through the dragon to make it to the other side of your goals and dreams. This really means that no goal lacks challenges.

I have found only a few ways through the Dragon. First is to discover what narrative you are saying to yourself that is holding you down. This may include therapy to identify why we run from or stop our goals when we face the dragon. The other one is deciding to practice regardless. If you decide to practice you will succeed. “You become what you practice.”

The thing about facing our dragons is often the place people leave dreams behind. This is the place where people stop and maybe start something new. Quietly leaving goals behind. For most of us, we can see this cycle repeated, never quite achieving our goals because we are always on to the next distraction.