No one likes to “fail” but the fact is we all mess up at various times in our lives, and so what. Nobody who ever achieved anything great never made a mistake. In fact, success needs things not to work to become great. How much better would your results be, if you saw failure as feedback and you looked for how you could refine and improve? To achieve your goal, you may need to refine your strategy, adopt a new one, clear a path or obstacles etc. but you must move forward with a solution focused approach, not stagnant or backwards. You cannot go back and undo, but you can do things differently from now on. So, let’s bring things into perspective so you can move forward.
Make it manageable and limit damage
Once you realize that your initial approach hasn’t worked, you need to take steps to limit any possible future damage.
- Be honest. Communicate your situation so everyone understands what’s happening – no matter how bad. People don’t like the unknown. They might not like the truth but if you are honest, you have some chance of rectifying the situation and moving forward.
- Seek support if you need it. ASK for help! Nobody can do everything on their own. If you need help ask for it, even if it’s from an outside source . It is okay to ask for help!
- Make the situation manageable. For example, if you have any outstanding debt and cannot pay it off in one lump sum agree to pay it in manageable instalments, or if you took on more responsibility than you could manage at work or at home, admit it and be prepared to get assistance, if needed. Whatever the situation, do not bury your head in the sand. Say it as it is and do what you can with what you have to find a solution.
Remind Yourself of Your Strengths and Past Successes
You have the ability to triumph over challenge. You have done it before (several times) and you can do it again. Think of all the times in the past when you’ve succeeded when you thought you couldn’t at the time. It’s all relative. Write them down. Maybe you learned to write or read, maybe you learned a new language, won a competition, received an award, got a promotion, created a piece of art, got in shape, learned how to play an instrument or perhaps it was something else. List at least twenty successes, no matter how small you think they are, to remind yourself that you are a capable human being!
List Lessons
Look at what valuable lessons you learned in the past that you can draw on. What resources did you use, what valuable advice could you implement now, what do you need to refine or change?
Make a Decision
Most likely you are at a decision crossroads right now but it’s important not to stay there. You have three choices when it comes to decisions and I’m going to give you some TLC here:
- Take it
- Leave it
- Change it
It’s time to look forward and pave your way to a successful outcome. Become proactive, not reactive.
If you decide to change your situation, you might consider doing the following:
- Talk to someone who has been through what you are going through and came out the other end successful. Ask them what they did. They will be happy to tell you as they have been where you are.
- Find someone who has what you want and model their strategies.
- Get expert advice. Ask for recommendations from people who have used the experts and got a positive result. Not everyone who says they are an expert is an expert so look for results!
- Inform Yourself. What information do you need in order to take the best action? Knowledge is power.
- Become teachable. You do not know everything so be humble enough to accept that, If you need a skill find someone to teach you and keep practicing until you are skilled in that area.
- Accept help. People feel good when they help someone else so if someone wants to help you, allow them to!
And to help you further, here is a gift from me to you, a FREE ebook: https://www.donnakennedy.com/#ebook There are some things in it that will help move you forward.
If you need additional support, you are welcome to join my membership club or contact me. Details are on the homepage .https://www.donnakennedy.com/