How we respond to setbacks is an important skill to develop individually & collectively.
We set out plans, goals and projects to strive towards. We create signposts to aim for between the end goal and where we are now.
We’re in a world where the number of variables that can influence our journey is so large in both a positive & negative direction that we can count on things to not always go according to plan.
Along the way, Murphy’s law may kick in to offer you lots of learning opportunities in case you’re not learning enough – about yourself or your work!
In the moment when something goes wrong, a few things may help:
- Become aware of your reactions. What are you feeling? Are you breathing deeply? Is the feeling disappointment or frustration?
- Control your attention using questions. What might we do differently now? What did we learn? How can we become better because of this?
- Get perspective & narrow your focus to what’s in your control. When working in complexity we can’t control everything, so we have to balance what’s in our control with what we can influence.
- Let go & take action. Feeling stuck after something goes wrong is not a nice place. Movement helps alleviate this, both physical and mental!
What do you think? How do you respond to setbacks?