3 Steps For Dealing With Failure And Transforming It Into Growth
Failure and rejection can be tough pills to swallow. But, when you’re a creative empath, taking risks is simply part of the gig! Progress requires trial and error and sometimes “failure” in an important part of the journey that teaches us exactly what we need to know in order to move forward. So why don’t we just take a teeny tiny second to rethink the way you may be interpreting “failure” and rejection and let’s consciously reframe it as an opportunity to learn and GROW!
Now, that’s not to say you aren’t allowed to be disappointed and have negative feelings towards frustrating setbacks, but every single successful person on the planet has practiced seeing the positives within a learning opportunity and used the information to catapult them to new levels. Being rejected or failing can be a redirection to a different path that may be a better one. There are always more and better opportunities out there - so don’t feel discouraged because you missed out on one.
Having a few steps to follow whenever you need help recovering from failure or rejection will help you turn those experiences into lessons to help you grow.
1. Practice self-care and self-compassion
I’m sure when most people talk about the feelings of failure, the first instinct is to try to get over it by brushing yourself off and moving forward. But, that’s not always the easiest or the best approach. Recognize how you’re feeling. Are you angry? Are you sad? Disappointed? Allow yourself to feel those feelings and give yourself grace. It’s important to not disregard your emotions (letting those build up is never a good idea). Talk about it with someone if you feel inclined.
Also, remember that failure is an extremely normal experience and you should actually be giving yourself a GIGANTIC pat on the back for even having the guts to take risks and plunge forward into the abyss of your dreams! Because, that, my friend, is NOT the norm! Most people prefer to stay in their comfort zones, but not you! Practice mindfulness and try to put things in perspective by looking at the bigger picture. It really isn’t the end of the world (even though it may feel like it in that moment). This failure is just a blip in your timeline, and when you look back on it in the future, you probably will wonder why you were so worried about it in the first place.
Try to shift your mindset and build yourself back up by recognizing your successes after you process your emotions! Remember everything you’ve accomplished up to that point. One failure or rejection doesn’t erase any of that.
2. Reflect
When you’re ready, take some time to reflect and analyze the situation. What went wrong? What did you learn from it? What can you do better next time? I can bet that every single one of those questions will have an answer that will help you moving forward.
Maybe you come to the conclusion that you need to take a different approach. Or you might realize that this wasn’t the best path for you and there’s a better one out there. Whatever the case may be, try to take the experience and use it to your advantage. Write it down and make a formal plan if you need to.
Make the most out of every single failure and rejection by knowing it’s ALWAYS just a really cool (and possibly annoying) new opportunity to learn. Hooray!
3. Try again
“Dust yourself off and try again!” #Aaliah
Yep, the step you already knew was coming - because isn’t everyone’s advice when it comes to failure to get up and try again? Well, there’s a reason for that.
Sometimes the best way to get over a fear of failing is to keep trying and keep failing! I know that’s not what most people want to hear. Who wants to fail over and over again? But, when you start to realize that failing faster is actually the quicker way to grow, this may motivate you to accept Failure and Rejection into your little entourage, because truly successful creative entrepreneurs are totally cool with occasionally having to roll with both of them sometimes!
If it doesn’t work the next time (or times) you try, THAT’S OKAY! Not everything can always be a win. It may mean it’s not meant to be or it’s just not the right time. If you try and it doesn’t work out, don’t think of it as “giving up” - think of it as redirecting yourself into a better direction.
Failure and rejection are hard, and changing your mindset about them can be even harder. But, once you do, not only will you feel brave and free, but you’ll start unlocking potential in yourself that you probably didn’t even know was there. There will never be a time in your life where you don’t experience failure (and if you do ever reach that point, something’s probably off). So, it’s time to get used to it by showing yourself compassion, reflecting on how to do better next time, and staying persistent.
If you do all these things, you’ll always come back better than ever!
