Maybe try not to look at it that way- bad year vs. good year. It hurts a lot when there seems to be more steps backward rather than forward, but for me at least, if I look at time as a larger season I tend to get fatalistic and start to give up.. Instead, what I find is helping me is looking at today, right now. I may have many steps ahead of me in X goal/ objective, but right now let me just make the first step.
(Now if I had only been able to think this way 10-12 years ago I may have actually finished college. Oh well, something for my bucket list. I share this to show that I'm a work in progress too. "Sufficient for each day is its own troubles.") Take care! Happy belated Thanksgivvukah, Christmas and New Year's! :)