3 Sage Tips to Overcome Career Setbacks

Ever experience an incredible wave of success followed by what appears to be a never-ending reign of setbacks? If so, you’ve learned that for all your efforts, the fruits of success can be fleeting. But the greats teach that if you want to be successful, you can never go quietly into the night, allowing stumbling blocks to paralyze you. You must be committed to making progress on the road to success.

If you’ve dropped the ball, or outside circumstances have thrown you off kilter, fret not. You can get back on track, regardless of your circumstances, using these sage tips:

1. Dust yourself off.

Dealing with setbacks is much like learning to ride a horse. Everyone falls off the proverbial horse (or bicycle, as the case may be) at one time or another. The thing is, you have to get right back up and dust yourself off. If you allow yourself to wallow in doubt and disappointment for too long, you can get stuck in a pattern of negativity, which can be difficult to escape. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t hang your hat on dissatisfaction. Exercise your resolve to move forward instead. Encourage yourself to stand up and step out as a measure of your commitment to succeed and to promote continued progress.

2. See the forest and the trees. After a setback, your vision can become cloudy. Things may look bleak—-it’s to be expected. However, take comfort knowing that your brief fall from grace is merely a lesson in time—an opportunity to learn from mistakes and to make better decisions in the future. Hindsight can be a powerful frame of reference, so harness it and reap the benefits it provides. As important as it is to recognize the wrong turns inherent in any setback, it’s equally as important to capture the wins. Get skilled at connecting the dots

so that you can move forward with confidence and not “make the same mistake twice.” Connecting the dots will help you to see the landscape clearly and to position yourself for new opportunities and even greater success.

3. Expand your reach. Every setback creates an opportunity to recreate your destiny and expand your reach. Thought you were infallible? Of course you did. However, the setback likely revealed that you weren’t. But, that’s not a bad thing—you can always improve your position. Alternatively, if your previous view of success held you hostage, this departure can easily provide an opportunity to break the chains that bind. So, think outside the box. Re-envision the possibilities for your life, both personally and professionally, and let your imagination take flight. A setback is merely a setup for a comeback.

No matter the specifics of your unique circumstances, take heart. You can get back on track and stake your claim to even greater success following any setback using these three tips. Go for it!

To your success!

Karima Mariama-Arthur Esq. is the founder and CEO of WordSmithRapport, an international consulting firm specializing in professional development. Follow her on Twitter: @wsrapport or visit her website,WordSmithRapport.com.