What to do When the Pavement Ends on Your Path to Success

Sometimes you need to hit the brick wall before you will pay attention to the fact you’re going down the wrong road.

My friends and I decided to take a new way back from the movies. We were staying at a condo on the beach and had driven to the neighboring city to enjoy some of their amenities, but because we had gone so deep into the city we decided it would be easier (and faster) to get back to the condo using back roads.

We had a map, because back then you needed a map.

We followed the directions for the path we thought we should take.

We ignored the larger, more defined paths. I drove along on the dark, small roads and each passing mile caused me to look at the gas gauge with trepidation. There was plenty of gas, but I didn’t want to get so far that I couldn’t retreat if necessary. Each time the odometer turned, so did my stomach.

And our pavement ran out – quite literally.

We came to a sign that warned, “pavement ends ahead.” I slowed the car, expecting the road to turn from pavement to gravel or dirt. Instead, the pavement abruptly ended and all that was ahead was a bay of brackish water.

Across the water, we could see our condo, but there was no path to the condo from where we were. We had no choice but to go back and try again. This time we opted for the roads better traveled (and therefore better marked on the map).

I made a choice for my life because I believed it to be the right choice. I didn’t bother consulting with the people around me. None of my trusted advisors or close friends were involved in the move. I simply did what I thought I should do – despite the tension in my stomach that occurred every time I thought about the choice I was making.

It took an outside stepping in to say no to make me stop.

I reviewed.
I refocused.
I realigned.
I moved forward.

If it hadn’t been for the unexpected no placed in my way, then I would have probably continued to drive along and ended up in the bay. The no had been my “pavement ends” sign.

The last several months I have been focused and determined. Every day I have done a little bit more to get me to where I wanted to go. Each step brought more confidence and persistence to keep on keeping on.

And then my computer crashed. I was forced to back up and review. I came up with a better plan, even more aligned to where I wanted to go. Although, deep down in my stomach turned – ever so slightly – when I thought about the path I wasn’t going down.

November arrived and my enthusiasm for the direction increased. The yearly challenges that come with the turn of the calendar added to my eagerness and obstenance to get it done.

And then my computer crashed – same computer, different hard drives.

This time, I stopped.

I reviewed.
I refocused.
I realigned.

And only when I had a moment of calm clarity did I go forward.

It won’t always go the way you think it should go. Sometimes we have to run into the ditch or the brick wall before we will admit that we might be going the wrong way. Other times, it is the no of someone around us that stops us in our tracks.

No matter what happens, you don’t have to stop because it seems to have all gone wrong.

Review, refocus, realign, and then renew your determination to get there.

Things will happen. Life will throw you a curve now and then. Sometimes you will encounter your own “pavement ends” type of signs. No matter what, you have it in you to reach your desired success.

Believe in your dreams so much that you refuse to let anyone or anything tell you that you have to give up on them – and you won’t give upon them.

Be blessed,

Find Your Focus

You have to find your focus to stand strong against what comes at you. It will take focus to get through – through the storms, through the opinions of others, through the next step. Find your focus and then hold on tight.

If you need help finding your focus, let’s talk. Visit CoachforFocus.com to learn more or click below to set up your free 30 min jump start call.