We all reach a day, a month, a year, or a decade where our goals seem impossible to achieve. We have worked for months, even years toward a measure of success that we set for ourselves.

And it remains elusive, avoiding us like poison. We thought we had it once but no, it escaped back into some hidden cave like a lost treasure. Or we were certain it was just around the corner until we turned said corner.

How can we do all the right things and still fail? Haven’t we been told all our lives that hard work is the path to success? That failure only occurs when we give up? Never, never, never give up?

So we persevere.

We tell ourselves that perhaps that time, we really hadn’t done enough…We hadn’t given 110%. And we dig in harder. We try what others recommend. We push. We negotiate. We put ourselves out there. We enlist the help of “experts” who tell us we really are good at our craft. They validate our efforts and tell us to keep going while we pay them exhorbitantly for that great advice.

But that fickle tease (our goal) smiles and wiggles a pinky finger, shaking head as if to say no, sorry, not this time either.

What to do?