Frustration is a sign you're moving in the right direction

​In an interview with Rangan Chaterjee, Steven Kotler talks about research that shows that if humans could self-stimulate their brains, they'd choose the part of the brain that leads to frustration. That's because frustration happens just in front of something just challenging enough to require courage. And courage, he says, may be be our favorite emotion.

He also says that we often read our emotions wrong. He says that because frustration doesn't feel good, it often makes us quit, when in reality frustration is a sign we're on the right track.

It's actually a sign to keep going.

I thought about that through the lens of a couple of things that are important to me.

With my writing, frustration is always there if I'm writing anything meaningful. I'll get frustrated that I can't find the right word or sentence. I'll get frustrated that I can't find the right way to end the article. I'll get frustrated that when the piece is done it doesn't sound like I wanted it to; it doesn't make the point I'd hoped it would.

It's that frustration that ultimately pushes me to keep going and searching and improving until I get it to a place where it sounds and feels right. Where it feels fulfilling.

I also thought about frustration through the lens of my running. Late in any race - often times BEFORE late - I feel myself start to get frustrated. Frustrated with myself or with the environment or even the people around me.

It's that frustration that comes before the challenge to keep going - the challenge that requires courage. And it's courage that ultimately results in me finishing the race and feeling fulfilled.

There have been many times frustration has not worked well for me. I've interpreted it as a sign things weren't going well, that I was going the wrong way. Surely the right path wouldn't feel so frustrating?

Turns out it often does. Frustration is often a sign of progress.

So let's remember that this week. As we head down the path to whatever it is we want to pull of this week, remember that frustration is a sign of progress, it's a sign you're moving in the right direction.

So don't quit in frustration, use it as motivation to keep going.