A Guide to Coping with Setbacks to Achieving Your Goal
1) Accepting Setbacks
Life is often a very bumpy ride full of ups and downs along the way. A lot of people have this idea that things should always be perfect and fault-free. If you share this point of view then the message I have for you is: stop being unrealistic. Setting goals and expecting the best of yourself is very important, but you should also accept setbacks along the way.
A primary cause of goal failure, is a person's inability to cope with setbacks. This can be explained by the individual's lack of preparation in anticipating both the nature and the treatment of a setback. It is important to always take the long-term view in life; accept that there are going to be setbacks and that change comes from learning.
2) Make Changes
You need to remember that change requires effort and can take a lot more than you think. Shaping the life you want is worth the investment so think about the resources, especially the time that you are putting into your change programme. An effort to get the job done by taking short cuts usually results in it actually taking longer.
You need to take time thinking through the best methods that work for you. For example, let's say your goal is to lose weight; rather than picking the latest fad, you should select a regime that suits you. Remember, though, not to be too stubborn if things do not work out; you should be flexible and adaptable to the situation.
3) Avoid Pitfalls
Temptation is another key ingredient in causing a setback, and even the best of us can succumb to it. So avoid actions, no matter how small, that may jeopardise your goals, such as keeping tempting foods in the house when you are trying to lose weight!
4) Learning Curve
Ever thought why people say that people those who pass their driving test on the second time around make better drivers than first-time passers? The answer is, of course, because the people who fail it the first time have a chance to learn from their mistakes and come back even stronger than before. If you are training for a race, you don't expect to make your best time on your first go. The same mindset we have used in these examples needs to be deployed in all of your goals.
5) Coping With Obstacles
The better prepared you are, the more ready you are to cope with obstacles. However, sometimes circumstances can be so unexpected that they catch us completely by surprise. The journey to change isn't a straight line. You may encounter surprises and,lose your bearings and suddenly find you are back to square one again. These situations may seem frustrating at first, but they are all very useful. When we experience anything in life, we learn an incredible amount. The more we learn from life, we become more knowledgeable of our emotional state.
6) Keep Your Emotions In Check
Keeping your emotional state in check is very important because of the role emotions play in our mental health. Sometimes we need to retreat and recuperate from a bad series of events. Perhaps the struggle has got to us, or maybe an upsetting life experience has thrown you off balance a little. Whatever the reason, you must anticipate that you need to let yourself off the hook from time to time. We all need time to recharge and gather strength for the next stage of our journey.
Keep an open mind and stay curious at all times. If you suffer a lapse, it does not mean you have failed; it simply means you need some time to reflect and make some adjustments. Keep a fresh and healthy perspective on all of your life experiences that will allow you to step beyond feeling aggrieved with yourself.
Remember that Mistakes are the way that we learn and find out about the world. If there were no mistakes we would not have many of the innovations we take for granted today, or anything that has made our life easier in the modern world,. Trial and error is the process by which we learn as human beings. Basically, the only way we can figure out how to get something to work is to know what things will prevent it from happening. Accept that mistakes will happen, learn from them and them make sure they are not repeated.
