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Do You have the Staying Power to make it through?
“I feel like giving up. Almost every day, in fact. Not all day, of course,
but there are moments.
 My
bet is that you have those moments, too.”
Those are the eloquent words of
Seth Godin,
bestselling author of “The Dip” - a little book that teaches you when to quit,
and when to stick (published 2007 by Portfolio Books).
With the economic reality of 2008, many automotive retail professionals may be
experiencing slower showroom traffic, fewer service walk-ins, and find
themselves repeating these very words. For those of us who have been through the
Dip before, we understand how it works.
What if everyone understood the Dip?
So what exactly is the Dip?
- It’s the fifth job interview where they never even call you back.
- It’s the seventh time you fall on your butt while learning to snowboard.
- It’s any rough patch you have to get through before achieving your big
goal…. if in fact you’re chasing the right goal.
What else?
It’s the key to your career, your company’s future, and just perhaps your
ultimate happiness.
“If I could offer just one piece of inspiration, it’s this: The Dip is the
reason you’re here” says Godin. “Whether you’re lifting weights or negotiating a
sale or applying for a job or lunging for a tennis ball, you’ve made a huge
investment.
You’ve invested time and money and effort to get to this moment. You’re acquired
the equipment and the education and the reputation…all so you can confront this
Dip, right now.”
It’s a quick read at just 80 pages, and I recommend it to our audience.
“Every new job (or hobby, or company) starts out exciting and fun. Then it gets
hard and less fund, until it hits a low point; really hard, and not much fun at
all.
And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle.
Maybe you’re in a Dip - a temporary setback that you will overcome if you keep
pushing.
Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt - until they commit to
beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip.
They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past
it.
Loser, on the other hand, fall into two basic traps. Either they fail to stick
out the Dip - they get to the moment of truth and then give up - or they never
even find the right Dip to conquer.”
Seth Godin doesn’t claim to have all the answers. But he will teach you how to
ask the right questions.
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