Dealing With Setbacks in a Positive Way

No matter how hard you work on personal development, on positive thinking, and on how good you get at coming up with creative solutions to any problems and roadblocks you encounter, there will be a time when things simply don’t work out. Life isn’t all roses and sunshine. We all face difficult times and setbacks. How we deal with them is what sets us apart. In today’s post, I want to walk you through the process of dealing with setbacks in a positive way.

Forgive Yourself And Give Yourself A Break

When you are dealing with a setback, it’s important to forgive yourself. We’re all human. We make mistakes. We make the wrong choices. We don’t get as much done as we’d like. We miss our goals. It happens. Don’t let a small setback wipe out all the hard work you’ve done towards positive thinking. Don’t start beating yourself up. Instead, forgive yourself and move on.

If you have a hard time with forgiveness, just give yourself a break. Things happen and often they are out of your control. Another good way to look at it is to imagine if this had happened to someone you love. Would you forgive them? Then why aren’t you being just as kind to yourself?

Figure Out What Went Wrong

Next, it’s a good idea to give some thought to what went wrong. If you take the time to review and retrace your steps and figure out what happened, there’s a lot to be learned. Isn’t that a much more positive way to deal with mistakes and setbacks than giving up? I think so too.

Take the time to figure out what didn’t go right so you can do better next time. While you may not have an obvious answer every single time, I’m sure you can learn something from the experience. That in itself is a positive action. Of course even when you do figure out what went wrong, there’s no guarantee you’ll get it right the next time. But if you never try again, you won’t know.

Come Back Better Than Ever

This brings us to the last step. When you know what went wrong, it’s easy to avoid making the same mistake again. Figure out what went wrong, put on your creative thinking cap to come up with a better solution, and try again. And again, and again. The point is don’t let setbacks stop you from reaching your goals. Don’t give up. Stay positive, get creative, and keep going until you make it work. That’s what sets truly successful people apart from everyone else.

Essential Oil: Geranium

Geranium essential oil (Pelargonium graveolens) is carefully steam distilled from the fragrant flowers and leaves of the popular plant native to southern Africa. With a sweet, floral scent, there are many topical and aromatic Geranium oil uses, including high-end perfumes and skin care products.

Add this oil to lotion, body wash, and hair care products to instantly upgrade the aroma of your personal care products or use Geranium oil to create a pleasant environment by diffusing. Its calming, rose-like aroma can encourages peaceful, spiritual feelings, making it a great oil for your living room or meditative spaces. You can also add Geranium oil to a steamy bath to create a relaxing, spa-like experience.

Bad Days and Setbacks Are Part of Life

So far we’ve talked a lot about different ways to boost our self-confidence and how to feel better about ourselves. While that’s certainly important, there will be bad days and there will be times when we suffer setbacks. No one is confident and courageous every single day of their life. No matter how much self-confidence you possess, there will be days where you’re feeling low and there will be times when your feeling of self-worth is tested. It is part of life and it’s ok. Let’s take a look at why it’s ok and how to work through these bad days and setbacks that are part of life for all of us.

Without The Dark We Wouldn’t Notice The Light

I know it sounds cliché, but without the dark, we wouldn’t really appreciate the light. We need some bad times and setbacks in our lives because they make us appreciate the good times even more than before. Let’s use day and night as a metaphor and example. If it didn’t get dark, and you didn’t have to make it through the long, cold night, you wouldn’t appreciate the beautiful sunrise in the morning, or how those mid-day rays of sunshine warm your skin.

The same holds true for the tough times. They make it seem that much sweeter when we are confident and proud of what we’re accomplishing. We gain a lot of strength and confidence when we make it through a tough day or week. Pay attention as you work your way through it and notice those first few signs of “light”. Take pride in them and appreciate them. They are signs that things are about to turn around for you.  Take the time to enjoy and really appreciate the good days.

Working Your Way Back To Confidence

Of course the first step is to work your way back to your confident and courageous self. Take baby steps, but force yourself to do something, no matter how small, to improve your self-confidence. Use the tools, strategies, and hacks I’ve shared with you already and will continue to share with you throughout the remainder of this challenge to make that happen.

Yesterday we talked about journaling and how a simple journal can be used as a self-confidence tool. When you’re going through a tough time, grab that journal. Use the writing as a way to work through what’s happening. Read back through older entries and see for yourself how much you’ve accomplished and what you’re already capable of. Then make a plan, set some goals, jot down a list and start checking things off… take action, take pride in your actions, and take back  your self-confidence and courage.