Recovering From Setbacks When The Stakes Are So High…

As a Female Sustainability Leader, you're driven by a deep passion for making a difference in our world for future generations. You feel a personal responsibility for the state of our planet and work hard because you want to be able to tell your children you did something, you tried. But what happens when you face a significant setback? For example, perhaps it's the important recommendations presented to a big client recently that's been rejected - one that's taken months of late nights and early mornings to prepare for and complete. The emotional and motivational impact can be profound. It's natural to feel this way when you've invested so much in your work, often at the expense of family time of time for yourself, and the results fall short of your hopes.

Why Do These Setbacks Hit Us So Hard?

There are several factors at play:

1.??? Personal Investment: Your projects often become extensions of your values and identity, making failures feel more personal.

2.??? High Stakes: The urgent nature of sustainability work means that when efforts fall short, it can feel like letting down future generations.

3.??? Opportunity Cost: Knowing the time and resources invested could have been used elsewhere can amplify disappointment and regret.

4.??? Idealism vs. Reality: The gap between your vision for change and practical challenges can be disheartening.

5.??? Overwork: The passion and drive to avert the worst of this crisis can lead you to be all work and no play, so when setbacks happen, there is little else in our lives that helps us retain a healthy perspective.

These factors combined can lead us feelings of frustration, overwhelm and burnout and mean we take longer to recover and get back to our important work in this defining decade. However, it's crucial to remember that setbacks are an inherent part of any meaningful work, especially when tackling complex, systemic issues.

Strategies for Recovery

While the emotional impact is real, there are practical strategies to help you recover and maintain progress. Here are three approaches you can implement immediately:

1.??? Practice the 24-Hour Rule

Step 1: Give yourself 24 hours to feel all the emotions that come with the setback.

·???????? Acknowledge your feelings without judgment.

·???????? Avoid making major decisions.

·???????? Engage in self-care activities like walking in nature or reading.

Step 2: After 24 hours, check in with yourself. If emotions are still strong, allow more time.

Step 3: Shift your focus to analysis and forward planning.

This approach allows you to honour your emotional response while preventing it from dominating your long-term perspective.

2.??? Conduct a 'Failure Resume' Analysis

Create a document listing your professional setbacks, but with a twist:

·???????? For each setback, identify at least three positive outcomes or lessons learned.

·???????? Include skills developed, relationships formed, or insights gained.

·???????? Update this document regularly, especially after significant challenges.

Using the example recommendations presented to a recent big client setback above, the lessons could include:

1.??? Picking up on the clients' non-verbal clues sooner could have helped land the message

2.??? Having a pre-meeting with the chair to understand the possible reluctance and build this into the presentation

3.??? Identified gaps in my understanding of the client's industry, prompting further research

This practice helps reframe setbacks as valuable experiences rather than failures, building resilience by highlighting growth and progress.

3.??? Circle of Control

1.??? Draw a circle and then another circle within it.

2.??? Firstly, in the outer circle, write down all the things that are in your control. Using the example these could be, the tone and pace of the presentation for example.

3.??? Then, in the outer circle, write down everything outside of your control, e.g. The decisions of the directors to choose to implement or reject the recommendations.

4.??? Take a look at the whole picture and start to take action on the things within your control.

This exercise will enable you to feel less personal responsibility and taking action on what you can control will support you to feel a sense of agency that may be missing.

Summary

It’s important to remember, setbacks don't diminish the value of your work or your worth as a person. The key is finding and employing strategies that help you recover quickly, learn valuable lessons, and continue making an impact in this defining decade. With that said, it’s important to recognise that this work does take its toll on us emotionally and acknowledging and processing these when they come up is the key to being able to bounce back from setbacks, stronger and better informed.

What next?

If the themes in this article piqued your interest, why not book a free confidential call here to discuss?