I’m getting a little sick and tired of people moaning about the bad times.

“I don’t have enough money.”

“I’ll never be able to retire.”

“Nobody will give me a job.”

Now don’t get me wrong–I’m not saying these aren’t serious issues. These are challenging times, and I truly feel for those who are struggling to get by. What I am saying, though, is that moaning about it may not be the most effective response.

Look, the Beatles went through some tough times too. Times when they had no money. Times when they couldn’t get a gig. Times when it seemed nobody wanted anything to do with them. So how did they respond?

They worked.

They worked on their musicianship.

They worked on their harmonies.

They worked on their songwriting.

They worked. They worked. And they worked some more.

And they never stopped believing that they were going to be big–“Bigger than Elvis.” Sure, they had their moments of doubt and depression, but that’s all they were–moments. Rather than spend their time moping, they spent their time perfecting their craft. They spent their time getting so good at what they did that when opportunity finally did knock (in the form of Brian Epstein and, later, George Martin), they were ready.

Yes, these are challenging times. A lot has changed. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is that every day has 24 hours. We are each given that, free and clear. So how are you going to spend your 24 hours today? Are you going to spend them moaning about how bad things are? Or are you going to spend them working? Because eventually the times will change again. Maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not next week. But they will change. And when they do, it’s going to be the people who spent the downtime working–on their skills, on their business, on their craft–who will be poised to take advantage of the opportunity.

Each new day gives you the same thing it gave the Beatles: 24 hours and a choice. The rest is up to you.