When it feels pointless and you want to give up (read this)
- Nikki Cross
- Mar 4
- 2 min read
If you’re in a phase where it feels like nothing is working…
...Business is slower than you thought.
...Your progress feels invisible.
...You’re doing the things… but it doesn’t look like it’s adding up.
If it all leaves you thinking ...“What’s the point?”
This episode is for you.
In Episode 328 of The Inner Work Conversation, I talk about what to do when it looks like it’s not working - and why this exact phase might be the most important one.
The small things matter more than you think
This week I spoke to a room full of 16–19 year olds about careers. The main message was (the most unsexy career advice they've probably receieved so far...)
The basics matter.
The things you keep putting off matter.
The conversations that feel insignificant matter.
The gym class you nearly skipped matters.
The email you don’t think will go anywhere matters.
What you do when you don't think it matters ... matters.
None of it feels significant in the moment...
...But when you look back - those small choices were building you the whole time.
When it feels (...and looks...) like it's not working...
"Chop wood, carry water" - Zen Proverb
In other words:
Do the basics.
Not because they’re exciting.
Not because you’ll see instant results.
But because time compounds them.
...Most people give up here.
Not loudly.
Silently.
They just… stop.
They stop sending the emails.
They stop showing up.
They stop taking care of their body.
They stop doing the boring, invisible things.
And they never find out where it would have gone.
You think you're missing a secret answer that everyone else knows, but you...
In times when it's not happening quickly enough - you just want to know the answer.
You want to know what to DO to make it work...
The thing that explains why it hasn’t clicked.
Truth is:
You’re probably not missing anything. You’re probably just in the phase where you need to chop wood and carry water. And that requires faith in the process.
So when it looks like it's not working...
You have a choice.
You can panic. Flounder. And personalise it - make it mean something about YOU.
Or you can step the steps.
Go and do the thing you’re avoiding.
The small thing... The boring thing... The basic thing.
The thing that will seem "too small to matter".
Your success is inevitable.
Your only job is to keep stepping the steps.
🎧 Listen to Episode 328 below.
Comments