There’s a common saying, often attributed to Winston Churchill,* that goes like this:
“If you’re going through Hell, keep going.”
Let’s unpack that piece of wisdom because there’s more to it than you might think.
Imagine a person walking through a desert, trying to get from one side to the other.
It’s painfully hot. They’re thirsty and exhausted. Stopping won’t do them any good. The only way to get out of the desert is to keep going.
But there are many types of metaphorical Hell. Most are not physical but mental.
The Hell of Hard Work
For some people, going through Hell could mean doing a tedious project. For others, it could be going on a 5-mile run. For students, Hell often means studying for a test or writing an essay. In these cases, “going through Hell” refers to being in the middle of doing something that you strongly dislike.
There are also many different ways to stop – to not keep going: procrastination, complaining, blaming, and making excuses – anything to avoid taking responsibility for getting yourself through the unpleasant situation you’re in.
All forms of stopping have the same unfortunate result: They keep you in Hell. To slow down, delay, or stop is to prolong your suffering. Even just thinking about the work you have to do makes you suffer.
Stopping is tempting, of course, but it doesn’t do you any good, and this quote makes it plainly obvious why. I mean, if you’re going through Hell, why would you stop? Keep going! Get out of there!
The Hell of Depression
Another version of going through Hell is depression. For that type of suffering, this quote suggests two things:
1) If you’re depressed, you can get through it, meaning it will eventually get better; and
2) The way to get over depression is to get going, to do something.
Research from the field of positive psychology agrees, showing that depressed individuals should take positive action, such as finding a hobby, socializing, working on a project, exercising, or gratitude journaling.1
Now, depression is complicated, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but these things do help most people most of the time.2
Use Your Momentum
When going through any type of Hell, it’s important to use momentum to your advantage. It’s easier to keep going when you’re already moving than it is to start again after you’ve stopped. So don’t stop.
But if you are currently stopped, remember that moving will become easier after you do the hard work of overcoming your present inertia. Just start, and you’ll create the motivation you presently lack.
And the longer you wait to get started, the more you’ll suffer, so don’t delay. Don’t start tomorrow, start today.
Focus on the Next Step
As you march through the unpleasantness of your current situation, keep your eyes on the process of doing the work, not on the prospect of the work to come. Take this step, and then the next one, and then the next one.
Do not think of the 50,000 steps the journey requires. Do not stop walking and contemplate all the pain to come.
So, if you’re going through Hell, keep going.
Don’t stop and look around.
Get it over with.
*I’m not actually a fan of Churchill, who was a racist and is responsible for a needless famine that killed millions in India. Learn all about it in this episode of Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History.
1 Lyubomirsky, Sonja. The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. Penguin Press, 2007. Video book summary.
2 For a deeper look at the techniques and strategies that help you overcome and prevent depression, click here.