Moving Forward After Experiencing Failure
We recently had a major setback in our business and I immediately felt like a failure. Experiencing failure is a part of life, and it can be difficult moving forward after it.
Have you ever experienced this? Something happens that is outside your control, yet you internalize all the emotions and think that you could have done something about it. And then your mind starts to go down the path of catastrophe and doom.
Once I paused for a moment, let the emotions sit with me, I then started to turn the corner and recognize that I have been here before. And I came through it stronger.
In my professional life I have experienced job loss, rejection of a business proposals and the ending of client relationships. And personally, I have experienced sickness in the family, broken relationships and even the death of a loved one.
The fact that you have been knocked down is interesting, but the length of time you remain down is important.
WHAT ABOUT THE EMOTIONS?
Once I let these emotions flow through me, I realized that it was out of these “failures” that my success was created. Before every success is a failure and therefore, we must fail to succeed.
Experiencing failure is a part of life, and it can be a painful and difficult experience. However, it is also an opportunity for growth and learning.
TIPS TO DEAL WITH FAILURE
Here are some tips on what to do after you fail:
- Allow yourself to feel your emotions: Failing can be a difficult experience, and it is important to allow yourself to feel your emotions.
- Analyze what went wrong: Take a step back and analyze what went wrong. Look at the situation objectively and identify the factors that contributed to your failure.
- Learn from your mistakes: Use your failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Stay positive: It’s easy to get down on yourself after experiencing failure, but it’s important to stay positive.
- Set new goals: Use your failure as an opportunity to set new goals and work towards them.
- Seek support: Don’t be afraid to seek support from friends, family, or a professional. Talking about your experience can help you process your emotions and gain a new perspective on the situation.
HAVING GRATITUDE
Although setbacks may come from us not achieving our goals or from circumstances outside of our control, they put us in a place to have to take stock of all that we have.
When we start to focus on everything going on around us, worry about the future, lose sight of our purpose, or worse, when we begin to wish that things had not happened, we end up on the wrong side of being grateful for everything that we have.
Having gratitude, humbling ourselves, re-focusing on the important and continuing the journey are all opportunities to turn a setback into a comeback.
Failing is never easy, but it is an opportunity for growth and learning. Use these tips to help you move forward after experiencing failure and remember to stay positive and set new goals for yourself.
Laurie and I have been in business together for more than 10 years. And having the shared struggle of building a business has brought us closer together.
Ultimately these challenges have led us to the success we have today.
I encourage you to take a full minute to appreciate what you have and how far you have come.