5 ways to bounce back from defeat. Defeat is the most excellent motivator there is. You’ve probably heard that before, but it’s true. Defeat can also be one of the most devastating things to happen in your life, especially if it’s not a one-off occurrence but part of a pattern in your career or personal life. So what do you do when you come face-to-face with defeat? Here are five steps for turning around from defeat:
1. Clear vision
The first step of the 5 ways to bounce back from defeat is to be clear about what you want. It’s surprising how many people don’t have a clear idea of their goals or priorities in life. The more specific your goal, the easier it will be for you to know whether or not you’ve achieved it–and if not, why not?
The second step is to break down those big-picture goals into smaller ones that can serve as stepping stones along the way (think, “I want an A in math class” vs “I need an 88% on my next test”). By setting deadlines for each smaller goal and ensuring they’re all aligned with one another, you’ll ensure that achieving any of them won’t get lost, among other things going on in your life at any given time.
The third step involves writing down these goals somewhere where they’ll be visible every day: on sticky notes posted around your room; in a journal tucked away in an old sock drawer; or anywhere else where they’ll serve as reminders throughout each day and week until eventually becoming part of who YOU are! But, of course, the point here isn’t just about remembering what’s important–it’s also about sharing those values with others so THEY can keep them top-of-mind too!
2. Incremental development
Next from the 5 ways, is Keeping your eyes on the prize, is the key to returning from defeat. Don’t let setbacks deter you; focus on the things you can control. Don’t let minor setbacks become big ones; don’t let a minor setback turn into a big one. Grow in bite sizes–you’re more likely to succeed by taking small steps than by trying something huge that may fail anyway!
3. Attitude
The third way to bounce back from defeat is attitude. This is the most important thing you can do because it will determine how you react to the other two things discussed above: failure and success. If you have a positive attitude, even if something goes wrong or doesn’t go your way, it won’t negatively affect your life as much as it would if you were in a negative frame of mind.
So how do we keep our attitudes positive? First, don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed! If there’s something in life that’s challenging for you–whether it be schoolwork or relationships–and no one else seems able or willing enough (or even knows) how best to help out with that particular situation at hand, then don’t hesitate to ask someone else whose advice might be helpful based on their own experiences with similar cases before this one occurred within their lives too!
4. Learn from your mistakes
When you fail, it’s tempting to blame others or the circumstances. But if you want to bounce back from defeat, you have to take responsibility for what happened and learn from it, even if that means admitting that someone else was suitable. So ask yourself: What did I do wrong? Were there any warning signs before this failure? How could I have avoided this situation in the future?
For example, let’s say that after years of trying different diets and exercise routines but never losing weight or getting fit enough for marathon training (or whatever), you finally decide to hire a personal trainer who is recommended by one of your friends. You start working out regularly with him every week–and within six months, he has helped turn around both your health habits and self-esteem so much that now instead of being depressed about not being able to lose weight fast enough during those first few months after giving birth…
5. Machieavellian; start with the end in sight
You must start with the end in sight if you bounce back from defeat.
It would help if you knew exactly what you want and how much effort is required to get it.
For example: “I need to expand my business into North America next year” or “I want a promotion at work by next year”. Be specific about how much time and energy this will take (e.g., “I’m going to attend five networking events every week for the next two months”). Also, consider whether there are any obstacles between where we are now and our goal (e.g., “I need to improve my listening skills before I can pass this exam”).
Once we know our goal, we can start thinking about how we might achieve it. This involves making plans around how much time and effort needs to put into each area of our lives – both professionally and personally – so that success becomes more likely when faced with setbacks such as failure or rejection.”
Get up and get back in the game right away.
When you are knocked down, you have to get back up. In other words, it’s not about the final result but the journey that got you there. The journey isn’t always easy, and it may even seem like a waste of time sometimes, but it is worth it because it makes you a better person.
The journey teaches us humility; being humble allows us to appreciate our successes when they come along as well as learn from our failures without feeling too defeated by them because we know there will be other opportunities for success down the road if we keep working hard toward those goals instead of letting one setback stop us entirely from achieving them (or even just trying again).
The journey also teaches patience–it takes time and effort for anything worthwhile in life!
Bottom Line
We all have to deal with defeat, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. On the contrary, we can learn from our mistakes and bounce back more vital than ever before
Who am I?
I am Dotun Adeoye, a Business Growth Strategist & Author
I’ve built up my experience via serial entrepreneurship, consulting leadership roles in business growth, business development and product innovation in large companies worldwide in the last 30 years.
Today, I consult with large businesses on how to sustainably grow their businesses, sustain infinite growth, and ensure business continuity irrespective of the business climate.
Hire Dotun Adeoye to Speak Virtually or In – Person at your company’s event to cover this or other topics. You can also get in touch via +44 203 097 1718 or dotun at dotunadeoye.com