Seth Godin, a wise man, sheds some light on quitting versus sticking it out in his book, The Dip.

The book’s core argument is that any worthwhile pursuit in life starts out fun and exciting, but, after the initial novelty wears off, becomes challenging, discouraging, and even boring for a LONG while before you can emerge out on the other side, competent and truly enjoying the fruits of your labors. He has aptly named this long slog, “The Dip.”

You can think of Seth’s book as the “what to expect” guide for putting in your 10,000 hours.

In terms of my energy level and dedication to my daily habits (including writing this blog), I’m in one heck of a mini-dip right now! A friend brought me out on his sailboat all day today and I hadn’t thought that A. I’d be such a lousy sailor and B. I’d be so drained by the time I got home. Nothing sounds better than vegging out right now.

However, in the name of keeping my word, I’m doing what I can to not break the chain.

Publishing an small / less-insightful post like this one hurts my inner perfectionist, but I’m learning to see life as a marathon rather than a sprint.

After all, taking one step is better than none, no? Even if this post fails to connect with anyone, the habit of always moving the ball forward seems to have a deeply powerful psychological effect.

So, I ask you: is there something that you’re not moving forward on? Something that matters to you that you’re waiting for “inspiration to strike” before you begin?

What are you afraid of?