4 Steps to Reinventing Yourself After Hitting Rock Bottom

1. Let yourself be vulnerable.

Life isn’t always sunshine and roses. We hit walls. Sometimes we lose. We struggle. Too often as entrepreneurs, we hide those struggles. The problem is, if you don’t let yourself be real and vulnerable when you’re struggling, then it will actually hold you back from progressing through the tough time.

2. Develop a vision.

It’s difficult to know if you’re progressing when you don’t know where you’re going. In "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," Stephen Covey talks about beginning with the end in mind. Know where you want to end up at the beginning of the trip -- it’s your guiding north star. Vision is critical. If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there?

3. Create an action plan.

Vision is knowing where you’re going. Action is how you’ll get there. You’ve heard “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” While that’s true, there’s an important distinction to be made -- your plan must be based on “action” instead of based on “results.”

4. Persist.

It’s no surprise that things don’t always go the way you planned. Persistence is a decision to keep moving towards the vision no matter the hiccups along the way. It’s not just doing what it takes -- it’s doing whatever it takes. It’s falling down and getting up again anyway

Planning is what gets you moving toward your vision, but persistence is what keeps you going.

Entrepreneurship is a fulfilling journey, not just a satisfying destination. It’s not just about where we are going -- but who we become. Throughout the process of crawling up and out of the dreaded rock bottom. So just remember, when you’re in a tough spot as an entrepreneur, it just means you’re being reborn into the new you. Embrace the new you.