How many times have you experienced a setback in your life? If you’re like most people, it’s probably hundreds of times. Setbacks are a part of life, and there is no realistic way to avoid them.
However, if we learn to find the hidden gem in every setback, we’ll be able to use them in productive ways. Let’s take a look at some of your setbacks and see what can be done to shift your perception of them.
First, make a list of every failure you can remember, no matter how insignificant it may be. If you started a diet and reverted back to eating donuts the next day, write it down. If you set a goal to make more money and ended up in further in debt, write that down.
When you have your list completed, take a few minutes to review it. How does it make you feel to remember those things you didn’t accomplish? Probably not great, but don’t worry; we can turn that around in a jiffy!
Next to each item on your list, write down what you learned from the experience.
Don’t cheat by skipping this part of the exercise, it’s very important! And don’t say you didn’t learn anything, or choose a dumb lesson like, “I learned not to try it again.”
No – you absolutely learned something from every single failure and setback you’ve experienced. If you can’t think of any good lesson, you are probably still harboring feelings of bitterness about the experience. Step away from that one for awhile until you can look at it objectively.
For the others, take a look at the lessons you’ve learned and pay particular attention to how they have contributed to who you are today.
You may notice that your life lessons have made you stronger, wiser, more focused, or more determined. Whatever you’ve learned through the painful experiences of your life, keep the lessons in mind as you attempt new goals. If you choose to keep finding something positive in every unsatisfactory result, you really cannot lose!
You will simply keep using your expanding knowledge to do better next time and move steadily toward where you want to be. Best of all, when you finally get there, you’ll be a much better person, able to fully enjoy it because you’ve grown so much from every experience.