Today your backseat looks like Times Square at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1.

What happened? You succumbed to The Creep. You were committed to the goal until it became inconvenient. The Creep begins soon after you sign the contract, swipe your credit card, say, “I do,” or make the resolution. It’s the gradual erosion of enthusiasm in every new venture until the new wears off—we discover it’s harder than we thought it would be—and decide it’s simply easier to give up.

Remember how last month we decided this year was going to be different? Maybe it was the resolution thing; maybe we were sick and tired of being sick and tired; maybe we were simply ready for a change. Whatever it was, we were motivated for the first time in a while. And we rocked along pretty well.

But now it’s February. It’s been cold too long, and decision makers are already using that “Election Year” objection. Sadly, it seems neither the weather nor the prospects are as excited about our goals as we are. The Creep has been doing its insidious, inevitable duty, and when the nos started piling up, we gave up quicker than you can say, “new year, new you.”

We didn’t call it “giving up,” of course. We said something inane like, “I’ve got too much going on right now.” That’s our grown-up way of saying it’s too hard or inconvenient, so we don’t have to say aloud, “I quit.”

We often confuse simple with easy, and that gets us into trouble. Our business is simple: See lots of people every day, be real nice and ask them to buy. That’s pretty simple, but we soon learn that seeing lots of people every day isn’t easy. Perhaps it’s snowing or raining, or someone yelled at you yesterday or you landed a big account last week and don’t have to work today. And suddenly what is simple is definitely not easy.

And why should it be? We’re creating a new world from scratch. Sure, you were the No. 1 producer last year, but that was...well, last year. And we know intellectually that easy = mediocre, that there’s nothing astounding about easy. But if we’re not careful, if we don’t train ourselves to expect the hard days, we’ll stop looking for ways to create our new world and start looking for ways to accept the mediocrity of our current one.

So the next time you’re tempted to give in to The Creep “just this once,” glance over at your backseat, and call one more prospect instead.

How to combat “the creep”

1. Expect it—Most parents make the mistake of sending their kids away to camp for a week with unrealistic—even idealized—expectations of their camp experience. They don’t talk about the bugs, the bullies, the showers or the heat. When that reality demolishes those unrealistic expectations, their children are distraught because they never saw it coming. If they did, things would turn out better.
2. Celebrate—When your goal is to be the No. 1 producer this year, you’re in a marathon. After all, 52 weeks is a long time. Don’t wait. Instead, set weekly, monthly and quarterly goals and take a minute to celebrate when you reach them.
3. Be creative–18th century minister John Welsey burned all his sermons every seven years and started from scratch. His rationale was that if he didn’t have any new insights in seven years, he wasn’t worth listening to. Have you been using the same approach to prospects or sales presentations for more than a year? Try something different.