Have you ever said or felt that?
Just when you thought you were making real progress, something happens that sets you back again.
Maybe it was your broadband going down the very day you had planned to work on your website; maybe it was your child being too sick to go to school the day you were meant to be having a very important meeting with a potential new client; maybe you got a filthy cold and couldn’t speak the morning of the day you were meant to be delivering a webinar to promote your programme; maybe your websites got hacked and you had to re-build them from scratch (yep – that happened to me a few years back)
Whatever it was big or small, it doesn’t mean it’s ALL gone wrong – it’s just a setback, just a challenge to be overcome.
How far it sets you back, and for how long, depends on how you react to it, and how you deal with it.
You could just put your head in your hands and cry, but that won’t get you very far will it? (Ok then – you can have a little cry, but not for long!)
Or you could be a big brave girl (or boy) and face it head on
Refocusing After Setbacks
Here’s my 3 Step Strategy for refocusing after you have had some kind of setback. Try them out the next time life throws something at you.
1. Be careful how you Talk to Yourself
One secret to picking yourself up after a setback lies in the internal conversation you have with yourself, and the quality of the questions you ask yourself.
If you ask your mind a stupid question, you will get a stupid answer!
So if you ask yourself something like:
“Why does this always happen to me, why do things always hold me back?”
Your mind will probably come back to you with something like:
“Because you are useless and good things don’t happen to you!”
Sound familiar?
Instead, if you ask yourself a positive empowering question like:
“What did I learn from this setback for next time?”
Your mind will kick into solution mode and help.
[bctt tweet=”If you ask your mind a stupid question, you will get a stupid answer!”]
2. Look for the Lessons
Re-examine whether what you were trying to do was really the best way to achieve the result or outcome you were after. Maybe the setback was just a way to get you to think differently and come up with a better solution.
What can you put in place to prevent it happening again, or to minimise the impact if it does?
What opportunities does the setback present? Problems and challenges often do have opportunities hidden in them if you are willing to look for them!
Broadband down for the day may be a great opportunity to get your blog posts or product content written without the distractions of email and Facebook.
3. Access Your Support Network
Don’t try to deal with it alone! I could trip out a string of cliches about none of us being an island, no-one succeeds alone etc. But I’m sure I don’t need to. You know how much easier it is to deal with anything when you have people who will support you.
This is one of the things I love about The Zone Community
Whenever any of the Members is faced with a challenge, she knows she can turn to the group for help.
A good support network gives you a place where you can have your rant about what went wrong or what has upset you, and then get advice, ideas, fresh perspectives on the situation, and encouragement to bounce back.
If you don’t have a support network yet, then go find one – before you need it!
You might want to consider joining us in The Coaches Zone Facebook Group 🙂
So there you have it, my strategy for picking yourself up, dusting yourself down and getting back on track.
Try it next time you hit a setback or challenge and let me know how it works for you.
And remember – You Never Fail until You Stop Trying
Kx
Click here to join us in The Coaches’ Zone Facebook Group
