How to Handle Failure

The worst thing about failure is it takes away your motivation to try again. We all fail sometimes. It doesn't get better as you get older, either. This is why we need to find ways to handle failure so it turns into a growth opportunity rather than another item on our "failure list." Follow these steps to work through your failures.

Instructions

• 1

  Feel the pain of your failure. You can't handle a negative emotion if you push it to the back of your mind. Let the anger, frustration, sadness and hopelessness come to the surface so you can get rid of them and move on.

• 2

  Find ways to nurture yourself. During the initial period of mourning your failure, it's especially important to eat right, do exercise you enjoy, rely on family and friends and practice relaxation techniques. Tap into the Learning Meditation website for audio-guided exercises (see link in Resources).

• 3

  Let go of perfectionism. Changing your attitude about what failure is starts with accepting that few things in this world can turn out exactly right the first time. Facing this reality lets you see the advantages of failure.

• 4

  Differentiate between what you did and who you are. Failure is about doing things wrong. You may have ignored warning signs and believed what you wanted rather than change your ways. This doesn't make you a bad person.

• 5

  Journal about the experience once you've had some distance. The perspective you gain with time shows you the lessons you can learn from your failure. Keep these around to help with your future plans.

• 6

  Read about others who faced major failures and then succeeded. Wise people can look back calmly, knowing that the failure served them well by teaching them something about themselves they didn't know before.

• 7

  Plan for the future. Handling failure successfully includes not letting it discourage you from trying again. Refer to the lessons you wrote in your journal and keep them in mind when making your plan.