How To Bounce Back From Failure

For people who have thought of shifting careers, there is one thing that often stops them dead on the tracks. Fear. This in itself is powerful. It renders even the biggest of dreamers immobile. But the fear of failure is a force even greater.

There's no denying it. Anyone who has failed can attest to how psychologically stunting failure is in one's life. A couple of studies have been conducted proving just the extent of the havoc it does on a person.

What Failure Does To You

One research had people kick an American football over a goalpost in an unmarked field. The kickers then had to estimate how far and high the goalpost was. Those who failed believed that the goalpost was farther away and much higher than it actually was.

The reality was that the goalpost never changed, and it remained attainable for everyone. But failure has a way of distorting our perceptions of our goals. Not only that, it throws us off our game.

In another study, scientists found that monkeys kept track of their recent successes and failures. The test subject that had correct answers sent a positive message to their brains. This improved their performance on the next trial.

But the monkeys who made a mistake, even after mastering the task in the same capacity as other monkeys, performed worse on the next trials. The Scientific American explains, "in other words, it was thrown off by mistakes instead of learning from them."

When a group of students was informed that they had failed compared to their peers, they later displayed a significantly inadequate level of reading comprehension. This shows that failure sabotages your performance.

Failure as a concept has also paved the way for dangerous behavioral tendencies. Most dieters have an 'all-or-nothing' approach to their weight goals.

When we slightly miss our target or eat one bad meal, our brain automatically thinks we've messed up the whole thing. What happens next is catastrophic! We end up gorging on even more unhealthy food and falling back to an unhealthy lifestyle.

All because we've allowed one failure to take hold of us. What should only be one thing snowballs and sets other things into motion. As one bit of wisdom reminds us: "It's not whether you fail, or why, that matters, but how you react to it."

"But Anna, I'm already here! I've failed. I've spiraled, and I'm shifting careers because of my failure!"

How To Bounce Back

It's almost instinctual, the way we react to failure. But they are most often harmful to our progress. In your career shift journey, take these helpful reminders to heart.

1. Change The Narrative.

How do you remember a key memory in your life? When you replay failure, studies suggest infusing them with funny tidbits. When you associate a moment of failure with something less grave, you take out the adverse effects it has on your future performance.

It's deciding not to dwell on failure. Yes, we need to extract the necessary lessons, but more importantly, we need to focus on what opportunities lie ahead.

2. Change The Way You Set Goals.

Easy 'wishy-washy' goals most often don't mean they are achievable. In fact, research studies show that specific goals yielded an overall better outcome. It's not about planning out the manhours to the very last second. It's about setting yourself up for success.

For example, if you plan to wake up earlier in the morning to run, you have to anticipate the ways your future self can sabotage that goal. Set your workout clothes the night before. Turn off any distractions from the internet. Get a good night's sleep.

When your goals are fleshed-out, and there are parameters in place, there is lesser room for failure. It also means that there are easier ways to get back on track.

3. Change The Way You Motivate Yourself.

When we have experienced failure, we try really hard to never fail again. In turn, our motivation goes from a positive goal to a threatening one.

"If you don't do X, you will surely Y."

Psychologists call this avoidance motivation. And instead of sending us positivity and optimism, this kind of reasoning induces anxiety and fear. Avoidance motivation affects our well-being, and it reduces the quality of our performance and depletes our emotional resources.

As much as we need to set ourselves up for success, we must also recognize our progress, however small they are. At every step of the way, celebrate yourself!

Remove the idea that failure is fatal. It isn't. But it is definitely inevitable. And with career transitions and change, mistakes come with the territory. Bounce back from failure by transforming your mindset.

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About Anna D. Banks, MAS, CHBC

Anna D. Banks, is the founder of Thrive Leadership Institute, Inc. (www.ThriveLeadershipInstitute.com), a leading training consulting company specializing in using career coaching, and soft-skills training design to drive sales and help entrepreneurs reach the next level in their personal and professional lives. She is a training professional with more than twenty years of learning and development experience working with Fortune 500 companies, higher education institutions, and state & local governments to solve their most important learning implementation needs. As a Certified Human Behavior (DISC) Consultant, Anna leverages the power of DISC to help individuals and teams communicate more effectively and increase sales. You may download a complimentary digital copy of her workbook, “Discover Your Purpose and Thrive In Your Life!”, go to https://thriveinc.leadingthebest.com/sueb0001.

Anna D. Banks, MAS, CHBC, Copyright? December 5, 2020. All rights reserved