Argh, failing! Who amongst us enjoys failing? I doubt there is anyone who would scream in joy when they fail to achieve what they set out to achieve. Let’s learn how to Cope with Failure.
Yet, as we learn more and more about success, we learn that failing is very much part of the process. Rather than a completely negative occurrence, many modern thinkers are encouraging us to be more open to failing. Obviously this does not mean that we scream in joy when we fail. Rather, we should accept the failure as part of the journey, rather than the end of it.
Below then, are ways to cope with failure.
Embrace the emotions
Failure hurts, and especially if you planned your execution well. Trying to minimize how you feel or distracting yourself with be counterproductive.
Thus, acknowledge that you feel bad. Experience the sadness of failing. This acknowledgment helps you feel motivated to find solutions next time.
Don’t make it personal
Failure is often very devastating because we consider it as part of our person. In other words, when we fail, we think of ourselves as failures.
This shouldn’t be the case. Failure is merely something you experience – an event; it is not the real you. Thus, when you fail, you are not a failure, even when you made some mistakes that resulted in failure. On the other side, even success shouldn’t be an intrinsic part of you. The same way your failure isn’t an intrinsic part of your, your success shouldn’t be either.
Take responsibility
Some external factors might be the cause of your failure, but to get better and not fail next time, take some responsibility for your actions.
If you fail, begin by looking at what you could have done to improve things. Did you prepare well? Did you try hard enough? Taking responsibility helps you learn from the failure and improve on things you can control. If failure happens due to external factors, try to change the circumstances.
Create a plan forward
Ultimately, after failing, the best way to cope is to move forward and doing better. Once you have studied and identified mistakes, learn from them and then use the lessons to create a plan forward.
The plan should make use of the information you have gained from your failure into practice. This becomes the best way to completely cope and get over your previous failure.
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