5 ways to make peace with failure
Have you ever given up on something for the fear of failure? Failures are a part and parcel of life and even successful people have made mistakes in their lives. While success satisfies us internally, failure helps us grow and identify our shortcomings. Therefore, it is important to accept our failures and move on instead of giving up on everything.
Don't take the failure personally
Embrace your failure instead of taking it personally and judging yourself. Keep the failure separate from your identity and take it as an opportunity to learn from the mistakes and do better in the future. Taking failure personally can break your self-confidence and self-esteem. So forgive yourself and take it sportingly instead of blaming yourself. Stay patient and work harder to reach your goal.
Release the need to seek approval of others
It is your life and nobody else's opinion of you should matter. We often get influenced by other people's opinions and feel ridiculed or ashamed of our decisions or outcomes. This can affect your confidence and passion and create an obstruction in your success. Instead, trust your intuition and release the need of getting approval from others.
Stop dwelling on your mistakes
Thinking about your mistakes over and over again will not change the consequences. Instead, you will get stuck there and get depressed and anxious. The past cannot be altered, but the future is in our hands, so you should work toward that. Identify your mistakes, learn from them and make a plan to move forward positively. Your learnings will make you plan things differently.
Practice healthy coping methods
Indulging in unhealthy practices to minimize the pain from your failure is definitely not a good idea. Filling the void with alcohol, junk food or drugs can be dangerous and will do more harm than good. Instead, practice healthy coping strategies to feel good and calm yourself down. Practice meditation, go for a walk or play with your pet to ease your pain.
Don't feel threatened and face your fear of failure
Just because you failed at something, doesn't mean it will happen again. The quote--Once a failure, always a failure-- isn't true and should not be taken seriously if you wish to succeed. Overcome all negative thoughts and face your failures to minimize the discomfort. Facing rejections will make you more productive and help to reach your goals.