The only 2 options you have available to you when things go wrong!

Once upon a time, there were two ambitious professionals, Jack and Emma, who faced a big career setback.

They were both hoping to gain a significant promotion, but unfortunately as life does, it had other plans.

Poor Jack, things didn't go his way. He felt pretty down when he found out he didn't get the promotion he had his heart set on.

But Instead of taking a good look at himself and seeking feedback, he went on a complaining spree. He blamed everyone and everything, thinking the company and his colleagues were out to get him. This left him stuck in a rut, all bitter and not making any progress professionally.

Emma, on the other hand, had the same unfortunate luck. But she decided to roll with the punches. Whilst acknowledging that she was disappointed, she channeled her energy into moving forward. Emma knew there were external factors at play, like other folks being a better fit for the job that day.

But she realised that the best way to bounce back was to focus on her own growth. So Emma asked her supervisor for feedback and genuinely wanted to learn and improve. She took charge and identified areas where she could level up, signing up for training programmes to boost her skills.

Emma didn't waste time holding grudges. Instead, she set her sights on the future and the endless possibilities it held. She set new goals for herself and made a solid plan to show off her talents.

By networking and taking on extra responsibilities, Emma proved her worth to the organisation and expanded her professional connections.

As time went on, poor Jack kept on playing the blame game and it held him back. Meanwhile, Emma's attitude paid off big time. She not only recovered from the setback but soared past her previous performance, landing an even better career opportunity.

The two scenarios here highlight two very real options available to you in pretty much any setback you face.

Option 1: Be like Jack and blame everything and everyone around you whilst very little changes in your life.

Option 2: Be like Emma and acknowledge that although setbacks are tough, the only way to move forward is to take responsibility for how you respond by deciding the direction you want to take and then consistently taking action in that direction.

I used to live my life choosing option 1.

But it wasn't until I started choosing option 2 that things really started to change.

And if you are struggling through something right now, you may want to do the same.