Experiencing failure can feel devastating, especially if you put in a lot of hard work. We often see failure as a negative reflection of our ability, and this can make it especially hard to deal with. When we are hit with a failure, the first thing that often gets affected is our motivation to continue in our efforts. Losing your motivation in the face of failure is a tricky problem because it can make the failure feel even worse. However, there are ways to stay motivated in the face of failure. Try these tips the next time you’re facing that inevitable experience of failure.
Make it Useful: The best way you can stay motivated even after a failure is to reframe the way you view that failure completely. If your failures instead become lessons, you can use them to push forward to the next task without losing your motivation. How you deal with failure can set you apart from the crowd—the most successful people almost always have philosophies that embrace failure. Let it become a teachable moment to recalibrate yourself, and you’ll begin to feel motivated to get back to work. What didn’t work? What changes can you make?
Validate Yourself: You failed; it’s hard. It’s not a pleasant thing to deal with. Your feelings of disappointment and sadness are entirely valid responses. Try to remember this the next time you face a failure; instead of beating yourself up for the failure and then for feeling unmotivated afterward, talk to yourself like you would a friend. Validate your own experience and take some unnecessary sting out of failing to stay motivated.
Perspective: Failure doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If you shift your perspective around failure and instead see it as a necessary part of the path to success, you might even find yourself okay with your failures as they become a sign of effort. Always remember that most of the successful people in the world have experienced more failure than the average person. Failure is a byproduct of effort towards success.
Sometimes failure can knock the wind out of our sails, but the best way to stay motivated and deal with failure is all within your control.