When I hit “publish” on Episode 150 of the 9 to 5 Wellness Podcast, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Not because 150 is a nice round number.

Not because podcasting suddenly became easy.

And certainly not because the journey went exactly as planned.

The truth is, I almost didn’t make it to Episode 150. So, what’s the truth then? So, here’s the truth about perseverance, overcoming difficulty and achieving success.

Just six months ago, I was ready to walk away from podcasting entirely. I had convinced myself that it was time to quit. I was uninspired, overwhelmed, and struggling to balance the demands of a full-time career with the responsibility of producing a podcast every week. I had even drafted a farewell message and was preparing to shut everything down.

But something happened that changed my perspective—and ultimately reminded me why perseverance matters.

Today, I want to share the biggest obstacles I had to overcome on my journey to 150 episodes and the lessons I learned about determination, overcoming difficulty, and achieving success along the way.

Obstacle #1: Continuing When the Results Were Invisible

One of the hardest parts of podcasting isn’t recording episodes.

It’s continuing to show up when nobody seems to be listening.

When I launched the 9 to 5 Wellness Podcast in January 2024, I had big dreams. I wanted to help people improve their health, careers, and overall well-being. I spent countless hours researching topics, booking guests, recording interviews, editing audio, and promoting episodes.

But growth was so so slow.

Sometimes it felt like I was putting my work out into a void.

I remember recording episode after episode and wondering if any of it was making a difference. Like many creators, I fell into the trap of measuring success by immediate results rather than long-term impact.

Then I learned one of the most important lessons of my life:

Results lag effort.

My running coach says this to me all the time. As a distance runner, I know firsthand that you can spend months training before seeing meaningful improvements. When I train for my races there is a whole process to follow which includes a long foundation building period. Building the foundation takes running many miles at a steady pace. It takes a long time to see improvement, yet alone the final results you’re hoping for. The same principle applies to business, health, relationships, and creative work.

The effort comes first.

The results come later.

That’s exactly what happened with my podcast. The growth I saw at the end of 2025 wasn’t from anything I had done recently. It was the result of hundreds of hours of work I had already invested over the previous two years.

What You Can Do

If you’re working toward a goal right now:

• Focus on consistency rather than instant gratification.
• Track your effort, not just your outcomes.
• Remember that meaningful growth often happens behind the scenes.
• Give your work enough time to compound.

Perseverance isn’t glamorous, but it’s often the difference between quitting too early and achieving success.

Obstacle #2: Overcoming Difficulty During a Season of Change

The year 2025 challenged me in ways I didn’t expect.

My life changed dramatically in 2025. I lost everything other than hope. But I gained a new and better perspective on life. It was a difficult transition. I took on a full-time job, experienced significant personal transitions, and struggled to maintain the schedule I had once followed with ease. Suddenly, I felt like there wasn’t enough time for everything that mattered.

Podcasting started to feel like another obligation instead of something I loved.

I found myself asking difficult questions:

Should I keep going?

Am I spreading myself too thin?

Maybe this chapter is over.

What made this season especially difficult was that I couldn’t see a clear path forward. Everything felt uncertain.

Then a friend asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks:

“Are you going to prove other people the nay sayers right?”

That conversation shifted something inside me.

She shared a powerful idea that has stayed with me ever since:

Growth starts when things crack open, not when everything is going your way.

At first, I resisted that thought.

But the more I reflected on it, the more I realized she was right.

The difficult seasons of life often create the conditions for our biggest breakthroughs.

The discomfort isn’t always a sign that something is wrong.

Sometimes it’s a sign that we’re growing.

What You Can Do

If you’re facing a difficult season:

• Stop viewing life’s challenges as proof that you should quit.
• Ask what the experience is teaching you.
• Stay flexible and adapt when circumstances change.
• Remember that growth often feels uncomfortable before it feels rewarding.

Overcoming difficulty doesn’t mean avoiding hardship.

It means allowing hardship to transform you.

Obstacle #3: Letting Go of Scarcity Mindset

One of the most important mindset shifts I experienced was moving from scarcity to abundance.

For a long time, I focused on everything that wasn’t happening.

I focused on the audience I didn’t have.

The opportunities I hadn’t reached.

The milestones I hadn’t achieved.

The growth I thought should have happened faster.

Then one day, while cleaning out my inbox, I discovered an email from Buzzsprout congratulating me on the growth of my podcast.

I assumed it had to be a mistake.

But it wasn’t.

The email showed that the 9 to 5 Wellness Podcast was being heard in 70 countries and more than 500 cities around the world.

I sat there staring at the screen.

And suddenly, everything changed.

I realized I had become so focused on what I didn’t have that I was completely overlooking what I had already built.

That realization reignited my determination.

Instead of focusing on scarcity, I began focusing on gratitude.

Instead of asking, “Why isn’t this bigger?”

I started asking, “How amazing is it that this exists at all?”

That shift saved my podcast.

And honestly, it changed my life.

Today, one of my favorite reminders is:

More is on the way.

Those four words remind me that I don’t need to start from scratch. I already have something meaningful to build upon.

What You Can Do

If you’re feeling stuck:

• Celebrate progress, even when it feels small.
• Practice gratitude daily.
• Focus on what you’ve already built.
• Stop comparing your current chapter to someone else’s middle chapter.

Determination grows when we recognize how far we’ve already come.

My Biggest Lesson From 150 Episodes

If there is one lesson I hope you take away from my journey, it’s this:

Success is rarely the result of one big moment.

It’s the result of showing up repeatedly when nobody is watching.

It’s choosing perseverance when quitting feels easier.

It’s overcoming difficulty when life becomes uncertain.

It’s finding determination when doubt starts getting louder.

Most importantly, it’s trusting that your effort matters—even when the results haven’t arrived yet.

I almost quit.

I almost convinced myself that the work wasn’t worth it.

Thankfully, I didn’t.

Because Episode 150 taught me something I will never forget:

The breakthrough often arrives right after the moment you’re ready to give up.

So if you’re working toward something meaningful right now, keep going.

Keep showing up.

Keep planting seeds.

Trust the process.

Because your effort is compounding, even when you can’t see it yet.

And just like I learned through 150 episodes of the 9 to 5 Wellness Podcast—

More is on the way.

 

 

 

This post was originally a 9 to 5 wellness podcast and was posted on aeshatahir.com