Be a Rubber Ball - Bouncing Back After Setbacks

Setbacks and disappointments are guaranteed to happen. It's a part of life, especially if you're pushing yourself and striving for bigger accomplishments. It's inevitable. But it's not the fact that they happen that's important, it's what you do when those situations arise that matters. You can let it stop you in your tracks, or you can be like a rubber ball and bounce back. You need to have some "give", some flexibility, in order to be able to bounce back. Just like the rubber ball gives in when it hits the concrete and prepares itself for the launch back up. And that's exactly what can happen with the right mindset and proper redirection after a setback; you can launch yourself to even greater heights. Here are a few thoughts on bouncing back:

• Get the Lesson - What did you learn from the setback or disappointment? Debrief what went wrong, why and what you can do to avoid a similar mistake in the future. Don't dwell on it. Look back, analyze, adjust and move on.
• Seek Advise - Talk to people in your field or just other people you trust and who's opinion you respect. Ask them for their take on what happened and listen to their words of wisdom.
• Know You're Not Alone - Everyone faces setback. Sometimes just knowing you're not the only one going through it can help you push forward.
• Set Up a Game Plan - Come up with a plan of how you're going to move forward from here. Don't let the setback stop your movement. Come up with a plan to keep going and implement it right away.

We all see the successful side of those who have made it. It's easy to think it came to them without effort and without the hardship and setbacks we face in our businesses. The truth is, those who have succeeded at the highest level are the ones who have failed and faced more setbacks than those who have not. The success is what's highlighted, not the failures, so it's easy to look past that part. As Thomas J. Watson said, "If you want to succeed, double your rate of failure."

Facing Setbacks

We've all been there before. Things are looking up, you're making progress and gaining some ground towards your goals, and out of nowhere something changes. Your momentum and the ground you've gained is threatened by an event, a change in circumstances; perhaps something that is even completely outside of your control. Now you've got a choice to make: are you going to let this setback get the best of you, or are you going to get the best of it?

It's a simple decision really. Too many people in our society play the victim. You know what? Even if you are right, and you are the one who got the raw end of the deal, playing the victim and placing blame isn't going to make the situation any better. By doing that, all you do is give the negative side a bigger victory. The best thing you can do is stay positive, learn from whatever the experience is, and move on. Use the setback to fuel you.

Whatever setbacks you may be facing, remember that they temporary and that you can and will get past it, and be better for it. Failure and defeat only get the best of us if we let them. Life is about the experience, and if you're out there living, things are going to happen. You're going to get bumps and bruises along the way. It's these bumps, these challenges, that force us to grow; to become better. A life well lived is a life with both victories and defeats. But where there is defeat there is opportunity. At the very least we can take the experience and what we've learned from it and use it in the future, to make ourselves a better person, a better business owner and a better member of the community.


-BJN

"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat." Napoleon Hill