CONNECT with Sheila Botelho Podcast

When Success Feels Far Away—How to Keep Going Anyway | Ep 467

• Sheila Botelho

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You’re doing the work. You’re showing up. But the results? They’re taking longer than expected. And if you’ve ever felt like you’re pushing through deep snow with no clear path ahead, you’re not alone.


In this episode, I’m sharing a real-life moment that perfectly illustrates what perseverance actually looks like—not the Pinterest quote version, but the part where you question everything, want to turn back, and have to decide whether it’s worth pushing forward. We’ll talk about why most people quit right before things get good, how to recognize when you’re in that moment, and what you can do to stay in the game without burning out.


If you’re on the edge of wondering whether it’s time to keep going or pivot, press play. You might just hear exactly what you need today.


PS: Thanks so much for listening. I would love your review! If you enjoy what I share in this episode, rate, Review & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/connect-with-sheila-botelho/id1527363160 I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Sheila:

No matter what you're building whether it's business, a leadership team, a healthier body or stronger relationships it happens one step at a time, and sometimes those steps feel frustratingly small. Hi, welcome to the Connect with Sheila Botelho podcast. I'm an entrepreneur, self-care strategist and creator of the Season Self-care app. I'm committed to helping you reconnect to your purpose, elevate your wellbeing and build your version of a happy, successful life. Today, we are going to talk about something that we all face at some point, no matter what stage of life or business that we're in, and that is what happens when success feels far away. You're showing up, you're doing the work, you're making the moves, but the results, well, maybe they're taking longer than you expected. And in those moments, you have a choice you can stop, you can turn back, or you can rest and then keep moving, and this is something that I walk my clients through and that I walk myself through regularly when I'm starting new things. Sometimes stopping is actually a good thing to do, because maybe it's not an aligned step for you to be taking, and sometimes, maybe you do need to turn back. Maybe there's value that you're leaving behind that you hadn't fully seen. So really making sure you take time to reflect is so important. But what I really want to emphasize today is the third option resting and then keeping moving, because so many of us confuse pausing with quitting. And the truth is, perseverance isn't just about pushing forward endlessly. It's about knowing when to push, when to rest and also how to stay in the game long enough to actually see the results you want. So today we're going to talk about what perseverance really looks like in action. Not the glossy motivational quote version, right, the kind we hear all the time, but the real life sometimes frustrating, often exhausting version that actually leads to sustainable success. And I'm going to share a story about a recent moment where I literally had to decide to push forward. And we'll talk about how this exact pattern shows up in our business, in leadership and in any area where we're striving for more. So it's a fun story. It's not super serious, but it's a beautiful word picture for you.

Sheila:

Recently, we had a huge snowfall in my area and, after being cooped up inside for the day, I was so excited to finally get outside for a long walk. I have been going to the gym, I've been using the treadmill, I've been lifting heavy circles, I've been going to a hot yoga class. It's been amazing, and if you've been listening to this podcast for a while, you know how much I love my walks. It was really icy out, though, recently, so I was happy to be able to get movement elsewhere, but I was really yearning to just walk out under the trees. So this particular day, the sun was shining, the air was crisp, but it wasn't too cool. The sidewalks had been perfectly plowed, and it was one of those ideal winter days where everything just felt fresh and clear. And so I was walking along on this new area where I love to walk that leads to a forest, like my favorite little community forest where I love to walk through. There's a trail that goes through it, and you can see houses around there too, so I'm not walking alone in the forest.

Sheila:

And as I'm walking along, my heart kind of sank, because I was halfway through a very large section where it's like either keep going or you have to turn back. Well, I hit a section where the sidewalk wasn't plowed and it really caught me off guard. I had forgotten they were putting up a special fence along this particular pathway, and so there was construction equipment off to the side and stacks of different things to build this fence. And so I thought oh, of course, why would a plow for the sidewalk go over that area, not knowing what's under all this snow? It was like 15 centimeters of snow had fallen. So one minute I was moving with ease, enjoying the walk, and the next I was staring at a stretch of deep, untouched snow that went like halfway up to my shins, and in that moment I had a decision to make. In fact, there was someone walking behind me, about two 300 meters behind me, and I thought, huh, interesting, I wonder what they're going to do. I didn't turn around, I just said well, I'm just going to keep moving. Right, I could turn back, take the easy, clear path home, or I could push through the deep snow to get to my favorite forest trail at the end of my walk.

Sheila:

And now, logically, turning back would have made sense. It was an easier choice. The wind would have been at my back instead of at my face, I wouldn't have had to struggle through the snow. My face, I wouldn't have had to struggle through the snow. But I really wanted to get to that forest, and so I pushed forward, and let me tell you, it was not easy, because I also was avoiding some things that were like different equipment and things like there was space enough, it was safe, don't get me wrong. But I was moving and the wind was in my face. I thought, okay, I really want to not be in this situation for a very long time.

Sheila:

So I kept moving and with every step my legs actually were burning because I had been doing a leg workout a few days earlier. So it was the leg workout. My legs were already sore. So here I was, moving through. I was lifting my feet higher than usual, trudging through snow that went up to my shins. My breath got heavier and for a moment I was like okay, what am I doing? Is this really worth it? I couldn't go on the road because there were cars and it's not safe.

Sheila:

And then I saw it a break in the snow, the path had been cleared again and suddenly walking felt easy again. I could breathe more freely, I could move more freely, and at that point I felt like, wow, look, how easy it is to walk without deep snow. And then, just as I was celebrating, another section of deep, unplowed snow appeared, and this time I just had to laugh, because this is exactly what the journey of building anything looks like. There are the stretches where everything feels smooth and where you're making progress and things are clicking and you feel unstoppable. And then suddenly you hit resistance, you feel stuck and you wonder is this even worth it? But what I've found when I look around at mentors, peers and aspirational leaders in my life the people who succeed, they're the ones who keep going anyway. Yeah, it's going to get hard, but they keep going because it's worth it to them there is their version of a forest that they want to go traipse through. At the end of this experience and what was interesting is, partway through, I just had to know was I being followed? Was this other person going to do this also? Which would have made it more fun, frankly, because, oh hey, look at us trudging through the snow. Isn't this fun? Being the connector that I am, that would make it even less work. But I turned around. They were nowhere to be found and it made me realize how long it took me to get through the snow, because they weren't that far away, but they had doubled the distance I had taken going back up a hill because I was walking down a hill.

Sheila:

Now, I've seen this exact scenario play out so many times in business. Back when I was growing my direct sales business, I worked with so many people who were right on the edge of a breakthrough, but they just didn't stay along enough to see it. We would spend months building leadership into an organization, training, coaching, pouring into people, and then they'd get impatient, they'd get uncomfortable, putting themselves out there, thinking like, well, I've already asked one time or two times to have a meeting with someone or to present something to someone, and they started to get really uncomfortable and like, oh no, I'm bugging people and they'd lose belief in themselves. They would come and they'd coach with us and we'd strategize and they'd feel really excited about what was possible because they were so committed to their vision in that moment. But then they'd go out on their own and they'd try, but then they'd talk themselves out of it and so they'd quit. And it was not because they weren't capable and it was not because the opportunity wasn't there. There were so many people doing so well in that organization but it was because they didn't stay long enough to see the results they were working for. And what's crazy is the people who did stay, the ones who stuck with it, even when it felt slow or uncertain. They built businesses that still exist today us today. Some of our customers and some of our business team have been with us for over 30 years because they found something that worked for them and stayed consistent with it. And this is the power of perseverance. It's not about having one big breakthrough moment. It's about showing up even when you don't see the payoff yet. No matter what you're building whether it's a business, a leadership team, a healthy body, a stronger relationship it happens one step at a time and sometimes those steps feel frustratingly small.

Sheila:

I've worked with clients at every stage of business those just starting out, those who have seen some success and you want to scale it, and those who are pivoting into something new. Some who have very, very large businesses and they're maybe entering a new arena, or they want to take a different arm of their business, maybe going online from a traditional type business. And the pattern is always the same the beginners tend to struggle with belief. They have to push through self-doubt and imposter syndrome before they even start seeing progress. So that inner work I mean for all of us the inner work is so important, but it becomes so crucial at the beginning with the beginners. The established entrepreneurs tend to struggle with patience because they're already successful in one area, and so they assume starting something new should be easy. But they forget that every new thing requires a foundation, and that takes time. And so, yes, there's elements that will go much faster for them when they're building their business, but they still have to do that kind of boring foundational work at first. So, no matter where you are, the key really is the same you need to stay with it long enough for the results to show up.

Sheila:

Think about it If you've ever worked out, if you've ever started a new exercise regimen, and you are feeling really good the first day, maybe even the first week, and then you're looking at yourself in the mirror. I'm never a proponent to weigh myself. For some people, okay, fine, but not very often. But mainly it's like how do you feel in your clothes and do you see any definition, starting in your body, muscular definition, whatever? We don't see that stuff right away, and so it takes time. So I invite you to consider this.

Sheila:

If you are feeling stuck right now, try this. Write down one goal that feels really really far away and identify one small action that you can take today, something that moves you forward, even if it's tiny, even if it's like literally having one little connecting conversation with someone saying, hey, I have an idea. I wanted to float an idea past you, even if it's something so simple like that, and commit to doing it, no matter what. Then repeat it tomorrow. So, for instance, if you want to write a book, which can feel like a really big task, could you write the outline to what the book could be about? Could you maybe think of just what the theme is that the book could be about, or several themes to choose from? That's something that's a start. And then, if you do that every single day and keep repeating it, that's how things grow, because momentum isn't built in giant leaps, it's built in tiny, consistent movements. So here's my question for you Next time you hit an obstacle, will you stop or will you turn back?

Sheila:

You do have options, and neither of them are bad. Okay, neither of them are wrong. But when you consider stopping or turning back, will you consider the middle ground of resting and then continuing on your journey forward and then continuing on your journey forward? If you are in a season where you wanna push forward and you need support, I'd love to invite you into the Season's Growth Accelerator. This is for women who are committed to long-term success, without burnout and without chasing shiny objects, with a community that actually gets it. There is a link to join the wait list in the show notes and I'd love to hop on a call with you and see how you feel about what your next big moves are in your life and business. Thank you so much for listening and I wish you a wonderful rest of your week. I'll see you on another episode. Big blessings, thank you.