We all have great plans and ideas about the future and our career. However, nothing good in life comes easy. There are times that we feel like the whole world is against us. But is there anything that you can do? Well, life is never perfect; there will always be ups and downs. The big difference is how you deal with all the challenges and failures because sometimes, things won’t turn out according to plan no matter how hard we try. Even if we think unquestionably, plan undoubtedly, and work unmistakably, setbacks, failures, as well as many other circumstances can come when we least expect them. And we don’t have a choice since its part of human life that we all can experience.
How nice would it be if only setbacks aren’t real? But since it is an ineluctable fact, you don’t have to remain a victim. You need to rise again no matter how many times you fail and do not let it paralyze you. Yes, career setbacks are absolutely one of the hardest failures in life. It can be the loss of work, the rejection from a job application, the failed salary increase, the rejected proposal, the declined promotion, or maybe the lack of job opportunity. No matter how much you want to change the scenario or erase all the mistakes you’ve done, you can never bring back time. This is a devastating challenge to many, which may cause depression and anxiety.
So if you are one of those individuals suffering from career setbacks or you know someone who can hardly move on because of failure in their professional career, here are the best ways to deal with it.
1. TAKE TIME TO BREATHE
If you didn’t put “too much effort” and “expect too much”, there will be no disappointments, anger, and sadness. But since you placed your best foot forward for the sake of your career and it ended up as a failure, give yourself some space to slowly accept the setback. Take a little time to breathe and spend more time on the things that make you happy such as being with your family and friends. Somehow it will help you deal with the struggles that you’re going through. It may not heal all the pain and worries right away, but at least it’ll help you handle disappointments gracefully.
2. VENT OUT ALL YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AND DISMAY TO SOMEONE
People have different ways of dealing with problems. Some like to pretend like it never happened while others prefer to isolate themselves. However, it can lead to severe depression so why not try expressing your feelings of distress to someone? Reach out and seek advice from your family, friends, or someone you trust and vent out all your emotions. This will help you organize your thoughts and feel better knowing that there are people willing to listen, understand, and help.
3. EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY THE CAUSE
Making the same mistake twice or more isn’t a mistake but a choice. Now is the time to face the reality and reassess what went wrong. Why are setbacks happening in your career, was it something you did, what were the reasons behind the failure? Evaluating and identifying the cause will help you avoid making the same mistakes and failures again.
4. BE OPTIMISTIC
The way we think will affect our behavior and our life. If our thoughts are all negative, it will rule over our life but if we think positively, it’ll make us happy and content. Setbacks and failures are part of life and you must learn from them. Viewing life in a positive manner will also help you move on and aspire for a wonderful career path.
5. CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
There may be times when you know you’ve worked hard and it still ended up as a failure. Change your plans and your old habits. Do not be afraid to make adjustments, take other steps, and try something new. Maybe, just maybe, what you did before just wasn’t effective in that situation.
6. PLAN AHEAD AND SET YOUR GOALS
Setbacks may have happened and you may have failed in your career but never stop there. It’s not because your dreams are unreachable you just did not get the desired outcomes. Continue to adjust your plans and goals based on your leaning experiences (success and failures) and continue to move forward.
In reality, setbacks and failures happen even if we have given 100% of our efforts just to make things right. But a successful career isn’t easy to achieve, it needs a lot of patience, courage, and determination to be able to earn and attain the career you desire. This is why it’s important to control yourself, your mind, and your emotions. Do not let setbacks and failures define your life. Instead, learn from them and find the positives to help inspire your career. After all, it is only you who can make or break your career.
