When setbacks and changing conditions present themselves, a new strategy is required.
Here are helpful tips to guide your progress:
Tip 1: Manage Your Self-talk
Setbacks and disappointment can create self-doubt and lead to wanting to quit. Managing your internal thoughts and staying focused on a better future will help you take positive steps forward.
Tip 2: Do Not Become Emotionally Attached to the Issue or Problem
When you become attached to setbacks or failures, you stay in a poor emotional state and is not favorable for exploring solutions. Once you learn the lesson from the setback, you can transition to establishing strategies for working through the challenge.
Tip 3: Become Better at Self-Evaluating
Many of us struggle with assessing the reason for setbacks and being honest with ourselves. To avoid reoccurring problems, it is important to develop your ability to self-reflect and assess past experiences. This strategy promotes consistent learning and speeds up your evolution and growth.
“How many people are completely successful in every department of life? Not one. The most successful people are the ones who learn from their mistakes and turn their failures into opportunities.”
A great way to self assess is to ask questions:
Problem Solving Questions:
- Why do I feel I am failing or not getting the desired results?
- What can I learn from my setback that can help me in future challenges?
- What am I willing to do to make my situation better?
- What am I willing to stop doing so I will not experience this any longer?
- How can I enjoy the process while I take the necessary steps to move forward?
Compare your successes and failures
- When I compare my successes and failures, what did I do differently?
- Describe the difference in Attitude? Resources? due diligence? Strategies? Actions? Knowledge? Skills?
- What can I learn from my failures that can help me in future challenges?
- What can I learn from my successes that can help me in future challenges?
- What behaviors or actions have shown to best drive positive results?
Tip 4: Narrow the Scope
Commit to moving forward in terms of achievable, short term benchmarks. Identify and focus on one or two things that will build momentum and get you moving in the right direction. Celebrate the successful completion of each benchmark and enjoy the progress and improvement in your life.
Tip 5: Be Patient
Allow yourself time to overcome your setback. Rushing yourself and becoming impatient can cause mistakes and not resolve the reason for the setback. Becoming preoccupied with the setback can also create problems in other areas of your life.
Tip 6: Remind Yourself of the Benefits
For every setback you experience, review and remind yourself of the benefits for working through challenges. Humans respond better when there is an understanding of why they are going through discomfort. Keep these benefits in the forefront of your thoughts and this will provide leverage to keep you moving forward.
Adding Value to Your Life
Discovering your capacity to work through setbacks and solve problems is a valuable asset to your life. If you want to be less expendable in a highly competitive professional environment, developing resiliency and problem solving skills will separate yourself from your peers. You will discover that people will lean on you for solutions and these characteristics are favorable for transitioning into leadership roles.
Growth potential
Recognize that your knowledge, skills, or strategies are currently not at the level needed to achieve the objective. Once you acknowledge your deficiencies, then shift your focus on identifying areas for learning and growth. Setbacks are excellent learning moments to help you formulate strategies to avoid similar challenges in the future. Directing your focus on what can be gained by the setback, you will improve and the world gets better.
Developing resiliency, mental toughness, grit, etc.
Life is easier when things are going well, but when setbacks happen, your resolve can waver. Each time you have a setback and get back up and keep moving forward, you develop resiliency. Developing resiliency and mental toughness plays an important role in working through setbacks and reaching your full potential.
Discovering who truly supports you
Setbacks and difficult times can Help you discover who your true friends and support system are-the people that are with you through the tough times, not just when things are going well.
Tip 7: Clearly Define What You Need to Do Differently
If you choose not to evaluate the cause of your results, you will continue to make the same choices and get the same outcomes. Gather information and tackle the problem with a new mindset and strategy.
What is the one big thing that if you do differently will build momentum?
Do I need to………
- Assess what I should eliminate in my life- possibly changing habits that hinder or stagnate my progress; stop spending time with people that are bad influences?
- Add specific habits to my life?
- Draw from new resources to help with the current issue?
- Reevaluate my Values? Identity? strategies? Environment? Leverage? Focus? Mindset or Attitude?
- Seek out a mentor who has successfully completed what I want to accomplish?
- Visualize New Strategies? Taking time to visualize a new strategy and action plan will help spark creative thinking and establish the mindset for moving you forward. Receive a free guide to “Visualizing for Success”.
- Seek out a friend or family member to hold me accountable and keep me on track?
Tip 8: Create an Environment That Makes Achieving Your Goal Easier
Create an environment that makes it easier to follow through with your action plan and makes the wrong behavior a little harder. Do not consistently rely on will power. Example: If you want to eat better, you should eliminate your favorite comfort foods around your house.
“Willpower is the key to success. Successful people strive no matter what they feel by applying their will to overcome apathy, doubt or fear.”
Tip 9: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
To work through setbacks, you will be faced with adversity and discomfort. The solutions and breakthroughs are on the other side of your comfort zone. Your willingness to work through challenges is where you will discover the answers for helping you accomplish your desired outcomes.
Tip 10: Establish an Empowering Mindset
For you to reach your full potential, you need to develop the mindset and resolve to work through challenges that you will inevitably face in life.
You can use this form to become better at self-evaluating and help you work through your setback.
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