Keep Going Through the Valley of Disappointment.

We all have life goals, whether it’s getting rich, owning expensive cars, building a good career, or achieving a healthy body. When working toward these goals, we often expect linear progress. We work hard and expect to see immediate results — which seems fair, right? However, the challenge with long-term goals is that they take time to achieve — sometimes a month, six months, or even years.

We understand that everything takes time, but the real issue is that our efforts often don’t show visible results early on, even when we’re moving in the right direction. This lack of visible success can be a major challenge when pursuing long-term goals. We might work hard for days, weeks, or even months without seeing tangible results, making it feel like we’re shooting in the dark.

During this phase, it’s easy to feel disappointed and think our efforts aren’t working, leading to hopelessness. But the truth is, the path to achieving our goals isn’t linear — it follows a curve (see the graph below, from Atomic Habits by James Clear).

That curve is called the Valley of Disappointment. It’s the stage where people often feel discouraged after investing weeks or months of effort without seeing meaningful progress.

However, this experience is completely natural. In the early stages, results may not be immediately visible, as shown in the graph. We need to trust the process and continue putting in consistent effort every single day. Only by moving through this phase can we reach the greatness we deserve.

To overcome the Valley of Disappointment, we must stay disciplined, focused on our goals, and maintain a clear vision. Keep pushing through — success is waiting for you on the other side.