There are days that are simply good, and other days which are just bad.

Here’s a summary of a recent bad day for me.

1.  I learned that I was the subject of complaints from my company’s clients
2. My Washington Capitals began round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a third-period defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins (having a 2-0 lead in the third period, the CAPS allowed 3 goals for the Pens within a 6-minute frame)

For some reason, any time the CAPS fall to their playoff arch-rivals feels like your fault: they didn’t hear my directions or advice because I wasn’t screaming at the TV loud enough, or my not purchasing a thousand dollar ticket for the nosebleeds prevented me from having a direct influence on the game.

(Sidenote: They even the series in game 2, took game 3 in Pittsburgh and will hopefully leave PA with a game 4 win tonight)

But how do we describe what I felt at the other news. I was devastated to hear of the complaints of my work, and couldn’t explain how the errors occured. Just 24 hours before, our marketing VP explained to me how they were finally ready to complete my transfer to a different position, and heard myself exclaim how excited I was, that I was ready to hit the ground running and kick some serious marketing ass!

The next day, I was immediately nervous with how those unexpected complaints made the company look. From one day to the next, I felt like a child finally standing on his own for the first time, about to take his first step–a step towards a long-awaited victory–only to be knocked down by someone bigger.

Ok, maybe I take things a bit hard. I’m working on that.

Great athletes like those in the NHL have to work on it too, day in and day out, year after year. You miss out on the playoffs, you face the criticism, you take a little time for yourself but still push yourself in training all off-season.

Because it’s not always next year. In the NHL–or any other professional sport. You’ve no guarantees for the following season: you don’t know if you’re in your club’s future plans, or if you’ll have to impress a new coaching staff, etc.  Your break is a quick turnaround not just to prepare for next season, but making sure you have a next season.

Other players jump right on the plane towards another challenge. The Ice Hockey World Championship takes place during the NHL playoffs, and those who fail or fall in the playoffs are right back at it playing for their country. There’s little rest to mourn because there’s always another goal within reach.

That’s the hard part: getting over the mountains complete heartbrokeness. Life isn’t perfect. In fact, if you read the news you’ll see how very imperfect it is. But what should get us by is knowing that there is ALWAYS something better beyond the outcomes and results that break our hearts.

You are not anchored to your current job; no level of loyalty is restraining enough to keep you from flying towards what you want to achieve, and it doesn’t matter if the path towards that achievement is illuminated like a pathway lined with tiki torches on a bright summer day or dark like a blank canvas covered in black paint.

You are not damned to a work week of monotonous mechanics, going through the motions and disguising yourself with contentment while you look out the window and think, “if only”.  You will at some point, maybe at many points, eat shit, and you will continue to eat some form of shit on the way to whatever you’re pursuing, attaining or creating. But even if your current job is permanent status, it’s temporary. You can leave anytime or your boss can drop you anytime, and keeping that in mind is fuel to keep you going, and at least adds a little flavor to the shit you’re eating now.

Take that flavored shit on the go and keep moving forward.