When the journey begins, there's a lot of ambition. There's a goal in sight. There's a plan in your head. But what happens when you're not getting there? What happens when plan 1 doesn't work. And then plan 2. The drawing board starts seems more like a waste of time.

My recovery from bulimia taught me that if you want something, you have to fight like heck and sometimes bang down the doors to claim what's yours.

It was so hard. But it was the most intense, pain-filled moments that still remind me constantly that I can still carry on. Like exercising, you can't see results without putting in the work.

My most candid moment of growth was one night. I was home alone, crying on the bathroom floor. I didn't want to keep down my dinner. If you haven't struggled with an eating disorder, this probably seems a little silly to you. I get it. But in the moment, it was so real to me. And for me, it became one of the biggest wins for me in my recovery. I wanted to give in to my sickness, but I wanted to recover more.

Bottom line, it's the hardest moments that make us the strongest.

Try narrating your life from a future tense. Claim that the hard times will make all the difference one day. Picture it. You're however far in the future, explaining to someone how this moment you're living in (this awful, terrible moment) was pivotal in your journey. It shaped you. I know it sounds kind of silly having a pretend conversation with a made up person, but I promise you it can help you hope a little.

I'm not saying it's easy to welcome painful moments with open arms. But I do believe that if you want change, pain is inevitable. I consider it a key ingredient to any transformation.

We live in an era of instant gratification. We can watch a movie and wonder who the lead actress is in it. We don't have to wait for the credits anymore. We can just google it immediately. There's order ahead now on apps and Uber eats. If you want it, you can have it. Now.

Don't get me wrong, I love it. I'm all for efficiency. I think it's awesome. But what it leads me to a question: what in your life are you trying to order ahead instead of going on the necessary journey to attain?