Working hard towards something, anything is very rewarding. Working on yourself, especially, is very rewarding. Having that breakthrough moment or finally reaching your goal is worth all the time and effort you spent working on whatever it was that you worked on. Being able to say that I made that grade, completed a physically hard challenge, or bettering myself all around puts a huge smile on my face and is something that I look forward to when I know I'm being put to the test. You try time and time again to finally get to where you wanted to be, and that is something to be so proud of.

Sometimes, life happens and you can be set back, and it can feel like all that hard work was for nothing. It's easy to let yourself think that when life gets difficult and challenging, but don't. Setbacks are almost inevitable. It's challenging, yes, but it's important to remember why you started.

For the past year, I have dedicated most of my time to working on bettering myself all around. I made healthy life decisions, which helped me feel better, and I started doing more things that I enjoy, which helped me stop caring so much about the small things. Countless hours have been put into me, and it is absolutely worth it. If you read my previous article, College Can Be Difficult, But Trust Yourself, Girl, you can get the inside scoop on what helped me get through a difficult year, but a year of growth. So, you can imagine the discouragement I felt when all of a sudden I started to feel like I was losing sight of my goal.

Sometimes, it can't be explained why you are starting to have to work harder than normal or why you are having a challenging time at being the best you can be.

It's frustrating to feel like you can't get a grip, but don't ever let that get you feeling discouraged. It's okay to have bad days, weeks, or even months. It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to cry and to feel. It's never okay to let that get the best of you and defeat you.

I'll be honest, that is something that can be challenging for me. Having that feeling of doubt and worry is something that has been occurring more lately than usual. I don't want to feel like I put in all this work for nothing, but I didn't, and you didn't either. Reminding myself that I didn't come this far to just give up is something that is so important. Trusting in myself to know that I can do anything when I set my mind to it can help carry me through this hard time. Getting enough rest and doing things that I love are so important, but also acknowledging that my feelings are valid is also necessary. Luckily, I don't have to do this alone because I have the best family and friends a girl could ask for. No one has to do it all alone because you are so important and joy in people's lives.

I saw a tweet this morning from Kid President that said, "It's okay to get discouraged. It's not okay to stop." Screenshot it, put it on a post-it and stick it to your mirror, and repeat it. It has inspired me to get motivated, and I hope it does you, too. Do it for that breakthrough moment. You got this!