If You Are Frustrated, Then a Breakthrough is Close

Frustration can come on suddenly and last for just a little while – or it may grow until it’s out of control and becomes a long term pattern that can prevent you from reaching your goals and achieving success.

But feelings of frustration can be a catalyst if you let it. In fact, if you’re not frustrated once in awhile, you may not be pushing yourself and your business to new heights. Staying in your comfort zone is a good way to avoid frustration, but no one who has reached the pinnacle of success has done it without pushing themselves a bit.

Psychology defines frustration as a “common emotional response to opposition.” Frustration is similar to feelings of anger and disappointment and can become even more exasperating if your goals and plans seem to be thwarted at every turn.

As you become more frustrated with a situation, your brain works overtime to find a new solution to get you out of the chaos and get you back on track. Eventually, if you keep trying, you’ll have a breakthrough that erases all the frustration of the past and lets you move forward.

How you view frustration directly affects how you react. You can change your emotional response to frustration by viewing it as simply a delay in meeting your goals rather than throwing up your hands and giving up. Know that you will overcome the situation and learn from the experience.

Also, know the triggers that lead to frustration. For example, many entrepreneurs become frustrated when trying to learn something new, like how to build a website or generate traffic to an offer.

Instead of letting it shut you down permanently, take action! Find someone new to learn from who may explain it better and implement the course you buy to test out the results. Taking action will counteract the feeling of frustration and your brain will see it as a success, even if your ultimate goal hasn’t been reached yet.

Taking action will also take your mind off the problem that’s causing the frustration. The action you take doesn’t have to be work-related. You can bake a cake, exercise on the treadmill for a few minutes or work in your garden. All of these activities – if you enjoy them – will temporarily change your focus from frustration to accomplishment. They can also relieve stress that accompanies feelings of frustration.

Another good idea for counteracting frustration is to talk it over with fellow marketers who may have some insight about how to overcome the obstacle. They may suggest something that switches the light on inside your head and helps you move on.

Frustration can boost your creativity and help you move forward – or it can cause changes to your behavior and thought patterns that compound the problem. Negative behavior to frustration might include procrastination, thinking negatively or simply doing nothing at all.

The next time you feel frustration creeping into your thought process, think about what it’s trying to tell you. Frustration can mean a breakthrough is imminent if you understand it and keep hammering away at it.