Turning Setbacks into Steps Forward

If living during a pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we are not in control of everything in this life. We live, make choices, and respond or react. At some point in life, you have endured setbacks, and will endure more. They may come in your personal life or your professional life, and may be minor or momentous. Whatever they are, and whenever they occur, they knock you off your stride.

Accepting that setbacks are part of life helps, but only gets you so far. You have to decide how to respond. It often isn’t comfortable or easy, but most kinds of growth are not. Face them head-on, and you can find in them an opportunity to step forward.

Before you convert a setback into an opportunity, you have to understand what happened. This doesn’t just mean the result, though that matters. The events that created the result help determine how you respond.

In simplest terms, some combination of the following created your setback:

In some dysfunctional families or organizations, this becomes an exercise in laying blame. This might be cathartic, but it’s usually unhelpful. Instead, look from the perspective of seeking to understand. What are your limitations and vulnerabilities, and how did they lead to your current situation? What can you do to adjust course now, and shore up those vulnerabilities moving forward?

Communication, in some ways, is an art. Your approach should depend on your role, your audience, and your situation. But whether your circumstances call for a blunt assessment or a gentle touch, you need to help others understand where you are and why.

Related posts:

I always thought I would be a person who stayed on top of trends and technology. It turns out I am not. My family was one of the first to own a microwave oven and an Atari game console. My tech…

Introduzimos o jogo mobile Meda Wars no artigo anterior. Por isso, vamos saltar para as nossas excitantes notícias e atualizações. Já tivemos algumas épocas de testes semanais na rede principal para…

Law enforcement and fire agencies are using drones to de-escalate hostile situations, search and rescue lost citizens, and collect evidence more effectively than ever before.