You failed your driving test. Your marriage just fell apart. You had to close up your business. You lost your job for whatever reason. They all point to one thing. Failure. Or I should say, what the majority of people like to consider failure. Why can't everything just be perfect? Why can't like go exactly the way we think it should?
No one likes to fail at anything. I mean, what would the neighbours think, right? We try something, like a new business, we put all our blood guts and glory into it only to have to close it up after a year. Now what? Now everybody is going to start talking about how big of a failure we are and how stupid we are. Oh yes, people love to talk.
So how do we ignore all that and get back on track after we failed at something?
1. Change your words.
First and foremost, change that word, failure. You didn't fail at anything. You had an idea, you tried it, it sucked, you crashed and it's done now. That's called having drive and determination, putting effort into something and learning. You learned something new. You didn't fail. You did something most people only think about doing. Try something else tomorrow.
2. Ignore the talkers.
You have to drown them out. Their words, their look of disappointment and all the idiotic things they may do. And you know who they are. Ignore them, all of them. They are not going to make anything easier for you if you listen to their wonderful words of wisdom. Everybody has advice or the I told you so after someone has failed. Turn and walk the other way or smile and nod. Whichever method works best for you.
3. Give yourself credit.
Tell yourself how awesome you are for even trying to do that thing. It was pretty near impossible and you were up against a ton of odds but you went for it anyway. Kudos to you! Something like that took the heart and spirit of a true warrior and fighter. Someone who perseveres. That's you. Congratulate yourself, dust off your arse and get up with a smile. Most people don't even try. Anything. Ever. Look at you trying all kinds of things. Way to go!
4. Note what didn't work.
Something just blew up in your face. Ouch. How did that happen and why? Take a look at it and see how you can do it differently next time. Have a look to see where it went wrong and what you might have missed in order to make it right. Did you need help from someone that perhaps you were too stubborn to ask for? Maybe next time, ask. People love helping others. Really they do. Contrary to popular belief, there are people out there who love helping others. Go find one.
5. Take a break.
A much needed break. It could be in the form of a road trip or a week off work or maybe just some time away from stresses in life. It could even be for a day. Whatever form of a break you take, just make sure you take one. Step away from whatever you just tried that didn't work and go do something fun just for you. A day at the lake with a picnic, a spa day. Being outside in nature is very therapeutic and also recharges the brain. When you get out and get some fresh air, it's amazing how many new ideas show up!
One thing to always remember is that failure is a word that needs to be removed from your vocabulary. From any vocabulary actually. We think too much of this word and it prevents us from trying anything new because we think we will fail. Keep trying new things. Experiment, explore and enjoy. That's what life is all about. trying new things, learning new things, doing new things. Can you imagine if no one tried anything? Like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? What if they didn't try anything? Well, I wouldn't be on this computer typing up this article to you right now. Try and try whatever your heart desires. Never give up.
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