There are so many clichés about overcoming discouragement after a failure:
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
“If you fall off the horse, get back on.”
“If you strike out, just keep swinging.”
These and a hundred more sayings all are supposed to make us feel better about the setbacks in life but none of them offer any real solutions.
What do you do when you get knocked down? How do you recover? There is no set answer but the very first thing you need to do is recognize what went wrong. If you don’t understand why something failed then there is no way to learn and correct it. There is another saying that describes that behavior:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”
Another cliché, sure, but at least if offers some insight on overcoming failure. If you continue to do the same thing and are failing, then it is time to take a different approach.
Build and use a reliable support system. Surround yourself with positive people who support you. The people around you can make a huge difference when you are dealing with failure. Talk to other people in your field to get some insight or just to vent. Sometimes talking to people that understand where you are coming from can make all the difference.
Do not look at failure in a negative way. Failing sucks. It doesn’t feel good to work hard for a goal just to fall short. However, it doesn’t have to be a negative experience. Use the knowledge you gained to support or succeed at a new goal.
Do not make excuses. If you fail at something, own it. Don’t look for or blame every little outside situation on why. The best way to look at it is that “it is what it is”. If you start making excuses then you might miss what really happened and make the same mistake twice.
Finally, understand that you aren’t alone. There aren’t any successful people in this world that haven’t failed at some point. Look to the people you aspire to be and you will see they have all dealt with failure at some point in their career. Their success is built on the foundation of not giving up.
Don’t give up. You are stronger than you think. When life gives you lemons, turn them into gold.
