As wintry weather makes ordinary travel more difficult for many people north of the equator, it can feel like there will be no end to wind, snow or rain. And I'm reminded how certain ongoing challenges can seem endless, too. Some are personal; others are work-related. The most difficult ones often have roots that reach back to our formative years.
Ongoing challenges vary from person to person. Some possibilities that come to mind are attaining and maintaining a healthy weight, sticking to a sensible budget, reaching a long-sought sales goal, diversifying your merchant portfolio, having a long-lasting intimate relationship, achieving work-life balance, getting control of your temper or conversely being assertive and sticking up for yourself, keeping presence of mind when a prospect hurls objections at you, mending broken relationships with parents, siblings or co-parent, taking time to relax and pamper yourself, enjoying time with family and friends without becoming distracted by thoughts of work, learning a new language, pursuing a new hobby, finding a faith community where you're comfortable, furthering your education, and letting go of toxic people and making friends with people who truly support you.
Some of the challenges I listed may resonate with you, or you might have thought of other things you face year after year with minimal success. You may be lucky in that your life is mostly just the way you want it to be, and things that aren't quite right are niggling matters you can easily shrug off or work around. Or you might be facing something that is creating a huge barrier to your success.
Whatever the case may be, don't give up on changing long-standing habits and difficulties. No matter how old you are or how defeated you may feel when it comes to a specific area of your life, there is always hope, and help available to you.
I believe the first step is to appreciate yourself in this moment for the unique person you are now, and think of all the things you've done right in your life so far. Then acknowledge what the difficulty or deferred goal is, and envision what life will be like when you overcome the difficulty or attain the goal that's been in limbo.
Vision boards have become a popular way of depicting life as you want it to be. Journaling is another tool many people have found helpful. And support groups for people with common interests can also be effective. Coaches and therapists can also help people tackle specific issues that hold them back.
Adopting a can-do, positive attitude and appreciating the journey life is taking you on no matter where it leads is one of the best remedies when you find yourself languishing in defeat. None of us gets everything we desire in life. Even after you conquer one challenge that may have been bothering you for years, another one will surface. Appreciate all that you have and everything you accomplish along the way, and the things that dog you will seem less like winds that chill you to the bone and more like a gentle snowfall perfect for making angels. 
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