When I failed to get through my Medical Entrance exams, I cried. Though I have been taught right from my primary education, “Failures are the stepping stones to success”, I could not think of the saying at that time ! I did not have the courage to accept failure and move ahead in life. My father encouraged me and said there are other opportunities. He then left my room to let me decide my next step.
My friends advised me to take the exams next year. After a lot of thinking I decided to join some other course. I finally finished my graduation and then my post graduation in a subject that I always enjoyed .I did not want look back.
Whether it is failing to get a seat in professional education, a coveted job, or a lost promotion or even a raise in salary we get disappointed immediately and consider ourselves failures. This attitude affects our motivation levels and ability to take progressive steps in life. We must accept it as part of learning process.
There are some pointers which can help you sail past your difficult times :
Opportunity to improve:
When a child learns to walk he trips many times but never stops to start all over again. This can be viewed as an inevitable part of learning something new. Similarly setbacks shows the mistakes that we make and also the areas that need improvement.
Never aim for perfection:
Aiming for perfection inhibits our ability to take bold decisive actions. We miss out on experimentation and innovation because we fear it may not turn out to be perfect. Aiming for perfection at every stage is unrealistic.
Fear of failure:
Succumbing to fear of failure is not going to take us anywhere. One failure is not the end of the world. If you fail in a job interview doesn’t mean you will never get another job. If the company is not making profit doesn’t mean your boss will fire you.
Setting unrealistic expectations:
Most of us set unrealistic expectations when we are trying something new. This can lead to disappointment. Anticipate the problems that you are going to face and assure yourself that there is a solution to every problem.
Imagining bad scenarios:
Never let your imagination run wild and think of only bad scenarios. You need to get back to the present ,access the situation and realize that things are not that bad after all.
To quote Winston Churchill, ”Success consists of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm” .
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