9 Ways to Get Up After Failing

Have you ever attempting something and it didn’t come out the way you hoped?  Asked that special someone for a date, tried to get that next promotion, step out into a new business venture or whatever goal it was for you.  Of course you have, we all have, and we have all experienced failure in that goal or its attempt.

But one thing you must remember – Failure is simply a stepping-stone on your way to success. Hey please do not get me wrong I am not saying it will always be easy to deal with or something that should be taken lightly, but how you deal with failure will determine not only your future success, but also how easy it will be to achieve – and sometimes even whether you will ever achieve that desired level of success at all!

There are many ways you can deal with those stumbles along your path to success everyone has different coping mechanisms and ways they react to their failure – whether it is just a perceived failure or a true one. However, learning ways that will more often lead you towards success can help you enormously! (Obviously) So…

Here are 9 tips on how to pick yourself up after you fail:

1. Learn from your failure. There is a lesson to be learned each time you stumble along your path to success. Look for the lesson and keep it in mind during future attempts at success. If you don’t learn from your failure, you will keep repeating the same mistakes.  To me,the only true failure is NOT learning from past mistakes.
2. Forge ahead. It will be normal to feel like giving up and throwing in the towel when you experience failure. The most important part of failure is what you do afterwards. So have confidence in yourself.  Quite often your next big success is one action past your last big failure!
3. Surround yourself with positive supportive people.  It is always a good idea to surround yourself with like-minded and positive people.   However, this becomes even more important when you’re dealing with the negative emotions that may accompany failure.  Positive people will inspire you to pick yourself up and go further than you thought you could go.
4. Set goals.  You knew this one was coming didn’t you?  If you have failed at a significant goal, then break it down into smaller, immediately actionable tasks.  When you build your way up to completing that difficult goal via multiple smaller tasks, it is not so overwhelming and you will be enhancing your self-confidence and self-esteem with each small task completed. When you are finished, you will be completely amazed at all you achieved!
5. Visualize your dreams. Fight the negative thoughts that creep up after failure by visualizing yourself having already reached your goal or completing that task. Take the time to picture yourself successfully going through each step it will take to reach your goal. Then feel how you will feel when it is all done.  Feel the pride, sense of accomplishment and motivation to take the next action!
6. Be enthusiastic. When you first set out on your path to success, chances are you approached each task at hand with a great deal of enthusiasm.  When (not if) you meet failure once or even several times, it will be very important to maintain that enthusiastic force to give you the energy and motivation to continue toward your goal.
7. Write it down. Keep a journal that details your personal thoughts, goals, and attempts. It will help you stay organized and focused on success.  I would stress that in your journal you focus primarily on the lessons, positives and next actions.  Do not make your journal just a ‘Menu of Whines’ that will only serve to make you drunk with negative feelings and further drag you down.  Periodically re-read your journal and you will be amazed at what you have accomplished and how much you have grown.  Another good exercise is to write your goal on a piece of paper and place it somewhere where you can see it several times each day to remind yourself to take action toward this desire.
8. Do not dwell in the past. The past does not have to be your present nor does it have to be your future. Just because you had a setback, it does not mean that it will continue to be the case. The only way to achieve your goals is to keep trying.
9. Think about the worst case scenario. What is the worst thing that can happen if you fail? Some people are so concerned with success and have such a horrible fear of failure that they do not consider whether or not the worst case scenario is all that bad!  Seriously consider what your worst case scenario is and mold your plan and actions to avoid it.

• Realizing that failure may only mean a small delay toward your eventual success can alleviate some of your fears and give you the confidence to succeed.

Just Keep Trying

It is likely that you can think of someone you know who set his or her mind on a goal and would stop at nothing to achieve it. It is not just some kind of story or fantasy – this could be, can be and will be you, too – if you set your mind to it, adopt this drive and apply it to your situation.

When you believe in yourself and your abilities, you will gain the drive to keep moving forward and you will feel unstoppable.

Think Successfully & Take Action!
Tracy Brinkmann

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