Quick note - For over a year I have been publishing a motivational blog on the edenchanges.com website. My reasoning is simple - as a development specialist delivering training and coaching to the recruitment industry I know that recruiters could do with all the motivation and inspiration they can get!

Hence the Motivational Monday blogs which I have to say have proven very popular. It's possible that you have come across them on LinkedIn as I copy them into a variety of recruitment groups on there.

Introduction over onto the motivation ...

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts”

On a day where the British credit rating was downgraded to two stars from three it pays to remember that such events are simply steps along the road.

Back at the beginning of the recession I was working for a company which appeared to be immune from the downturn. We had heard the news obviously and we were aware that many of our competitors were struggling but we appeared to be untouched.

People's pipeline was strong, there were strong expansion plans in place and everyone appeared to be doing fine.

And then things fell off a cliff.

In a single month virtually half the pipeline disappeared never to be seen again, the lay-offs started and the political infighting for survival erupted.

Nearly five years later I understand that things are again rosy. The company has relocated to larger offices, rehired staff and is expanding positively into various new market places. Indeed the reality is that the failure of the business back at the end of 2008 was just a point in its history.

Having spoken to the Managing Director recently I know that things aren't as they were but rather they are in a new and possibly stronger place with everyone having learnt some lessons along the way.

Their next challenge of course will be to manage the success that they are having in a more long term and sustainable manner than they did in the past.

To learn from the past and accept that every point on the road, whether high or low, is simply a point on the road rather than the end of the road takes courage and conviction to accept.

Churchill’s words challenge us to avoid complacency and continually look to better our situation.

I also think his words are a personal call for each one of us to focus on what is ultimately the most important thing – carrying on. Few if any of you reading this article will be at the point of retirement. Rather you are all somewhere along your career path. The highs and lows you experience are not show stoppers even if they derail the train for a while your journey will still be continuing in some fashion.

Through my development and coaching work I see a lot of people expending a lot of time and energy over the negative events and knock backs that they have experienced. I’ve also witnessed the laziness that can follow success and the attainment of a business victory.

One of the signs of a truly professional business individual is someone who continues working, and striving, in the face of both success and failure.

So whether you are at a high or low point in your career recognise that the path continues and keep working and keep striving to progress yourself further along your career path.

Until next time; be successful!

Stephen Hart