1. Take a deep breath and relax

When we hit a difficult period, one of our most natural reactions is to panic. We panic, we get anxious, nervous, frightened, and we overreact.

Our panic mechanisms make us see things as much worse than they often are. Panicking also means that we don't have the wherewithal to calm down and to cope with the situation. Instead, we just work ourselves up over it and worry about it all the time.

One of the best ways to keep motivation during a difficult time is to just relax. Sit back and breath. Calm down. This is not the end of the world, no matter what you think. You will be able to deal with this. But first of all, you need to stop panicking and start thinking rationally. Use relaxation techniques, if they help you. Take a long, hot bath. Try a yoga class. Take a nice, long nap.

2. Reassess your goals.

Now that you are relaxed, you are in a state of mind where you can rationally reassess your goals. Maybe your goals didn't work out because they weren't realistic. Perhaps you hit a rough spot, and it's time for you to change your goals around to fit your new situation.

Whatever the reason for the difficulty, it's time for you to look at your goals clearly and decide if they are still the right ones for you. This leads us to our next step:

3. Readjust your goals, if it is necessary.

Now that you've evaluated your goals, what have you decided? If you think that you should continue on with the same goals, think carefully about how you are going to approach them now. What did you do wrong before? Why did things not work out? In light of your new circumstances, perhaps, how are you going to change your approach?

You might find it necessary to rethink your goals and come up with some new ones. Don't be disheartened by this. Instead, stay motivated to achieve your new goals that are better designed for your situation.

4. Be realistic about the situation.

Being realistic means that you don't see everything as being a disaster. You calmly and clearly see what went wrong, but you don't blame it all on yourself and you don't see it as the end of the world. Instead, step back and try to look at the situation objectively. Look at what you need to change, and go ahead and change it. Dwelling on mistakes only makes us feel worse about ourselves and decreases motivation. Learn from mistakes; don't obsess over them.

5. Keep your vision.

Perhaps this particular rough spot means that your end goal needs to drastically change. But more often than not, we still have the same overarching goal. We just need to approach it differently. Remember what it is that you want in life, and try not to get caught up in the details of what's going wrong. Keep working for what it is that you have as your end goal.