I discovered this remarkable website, www.mixergy.com, where you can get virtual inspiration and mentoring (of sorts) from highly successful entrepreneurs. I’ve been most intrigued with the story of Todd Smith - who faced the pressure many of us currently face:how to rise above our perceived limitations to excel - so that we can support our families!

Here’s a brief bio, from his blog, Little Things Matter…

“Todd’s first job after graduating from high school was rather nondescript. He worked as a ditch digger laying cable for the local cable company, making six dollars an hour. That job only lasted four months because the cable company had financial troubles. Then he became a package runner for UPS during the Christmas holidays.

Being laid off from two jobs within six months was an awakening for this teenager.  He then decided to take control of his life and become an entrepreneur.  This was in the early 80’s — an economic period not much different than where we find ourselves today.  Unemployment was at 10% and getting and keeping a job was hard to do, especially for someone without a college degree. At 18 years old, Todd and his brother launched a silk-screening business from a garage.  After four years, it became the second largest company of its kind in the greater Chicago area.

While Todd enjoyed the personal growth and financial rewards of being a successful business owner, he detested the headaches one experiences with owning a traditional business —employees, paperwork, deadlines, stress, overhead and receivables.  He readily admits, “Almost all of my time was spent doing things I did not enjoy.  I knew there had to be a better way.  I wanted something that would give me greater control of my future without the headaches of owning a traditional business.”

To read more of his story, visit his blog.

Returning to the topic of discouragement…Todd had a great post on discouragement earlier this month. He asks this question..

What will you do the next time you find yourself getting discouraged?

And then offers this overview on the solution…

The secret to overcoming discouragement is to look at it as a temporary obstacle and learn how to process it.  Once you start executing your plan, the discouragement you feel will leave as quickly as it appeared.  Hold on to your vision and remember that ALL great successes came after periods of discouragement and failure. Don’t give up. The dark cloud of discouragement will disappear. You will smile again and experience a productive, fruitful life.

He’s got a great 5-step process to help you deal with discouragement. In fact, he shares that this is the process he goes through when he’s discouraged and need to figure out why.

1.  Ask: Why am I discouraged? If it is not obvious, take a few minutes to sit down and make a list of potential reasons why you’re feeling defeated. Making this list is critical because you can’t take control of something you don’t understand.

2.  As you look at each reason, ask: Why does this make me feel discouraged? Once you know the source of your discouragement, you should explore deeper.

•Is it because of unmet expectations that I feel this way? If so, make sure your expectations are realistic and that you are not setting yourself up for failure.

•Is it because I have let myself down?  If so, what specifically have you done?

3.  Look at the bigger picture. Do your best to gain perspective not just on the issue that is the source of discouragement, but on your relationship to it as well. For example:

•Am I feeling this way because I am burned out? Do I need a break?

•What part of this situation is my fault? What can I do differently? What can I learn?

•Am I making progress, but just slower than I had hoped? What lessons have I learned? Am I a better person because of this experience?

•Who can I talk to for some trusted insight and perspective on this matter? This is always a big help to me because much of my discouragement stems from unfulfilled expectations. Often a fresh perspective is all I need.

4.  Ask: What’s my plan? As I reflect on all the times I have been discouraged, they have been times when I needed to grow. It may be that I needed to learn to set better expectations, that I needed to learn to be more careful in whom I place my trust, or that I needed to have a different perspective. In each case, I was forced to grow as a person.

Next to each item on your list write down your plan to address the issue that is bothering you and quickly move on. Don’t accept a long-term sentence of discouragement. It is a choice. Keep moving forward. Nothing puts an end to discouragement like productive mental and physical activity.

5.  Count your blessings. Make a list of all the things for which you are grateful. Often times, we focus on the one thing that’s wrong and overlook the 99 things that are going well. When you make a conscious effort to write down what’s good and going well in your life, it helps you to put things into perspective.

As part of his presentation, he quotes Vincent van Gogh, the famous Dutch painter, who certainly met with adversity. He said, “In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.”

So, pick up your pencil. And keep writing the story of the life you intend to live.