When things don’t work out as expected: 5 tips to get you back on track – FAST!

Have you recently received a knock-back which has left you shaken, battered and questioning your self-worth?

Perhaps you spent countless hours developing your tender application only to have been greeted by a ‘Thank you, but-you-were-unsuccessful-at-this-time’ letter? Or, despite after pitching an impressive proposal that outlined many of the significant outcomes your client could expect to achieve through investing in your services the project offer went to your competitor.

Even though you may have set out with the best intentions and had given the situation your complete attention and commitment, things just didn’t turn out the way you would have liked. Sound familiar?

Whatever situation you currently find yourself in, it’s important that you don’t get (or remain) locked in bitterness, regret or self-doubt, as this will certainly prevent you from moving closer to your dreams and business goals.

Here are five tips to get you back on track and working towards your goals – FAST!

1. Don’t take it personally

Looking at the situation as a negative reflection on you personally will only lead to increased feelings of doubt, insecurity and low self-esteem, which will ultimately make it extremely difficult to move forward with confidence and optimism. And, optimism and confidence are two qualities that you should be reflecting, particularly as you continue communicating with prospective clients.

Recognise that this situation wasn’t a direct reflection on ‘you’ and that this doesn’t mean that you’re unworthy of being hired. It only means that this time around, someone else’s skills and experience had a slightly better match with the person’s / organisation’s requirements.

2. Don’t [choose] to play the victim

Where you put your attention, energy and focus is what you’re going to continue to attract – it’s as simple as that. And choosing to play the victim and having the mindset of “Why me?” or “It’s not fair” is extremely disempowering.

You have a choice as to whether you are going to let this situation dampen your spirits and have you continue feeling despondent and miserable. Or alternatively, you can choose to look at this as a learning opportunity so that you can move forward with renewed confidence and optimism.

Which option will you choose?

3. Don’t leave negative feelings and thoughts unaddressed

It’s easy to continually focus on negative feelings and thoughts by constantly talking about how unfair things are. Or worse yet, you may bottle up your feelings of disappointment and hopelessness and not acknowledge them at all. Both of these situations can seriously undermine your ability to move forward.

It’s important to talk about your disappointment, however not to continue focusing on this. Doing so will only serve to keep those feelings of disappointment close by, which brings me back to what I mentioned in point 2 about keeping in check about where you put your attention and energy. Who wants to continue feeling disappointed and hopeless?

Rather, how would you like to feel? How would you like to continue moving forward towards your goals? How do you want to represent yourself to prospective clients and key decision makers?

So, my coach’s request would be for you to concentrate exactly on how you want to feel and how you want to move forward AND ensuring your actions are aligned with the positive intentions you are now setting yourself.

4. Don’t do the same thing over again and expect to get a different result

There’s an old saying I want to share with you. ‘What’s the definition of stupid? Doing the same thing twice – AND expecting to get a different result.’ Now while the saying is quite blunt it really does have merits, doesn’t it. I’m certainly not suggesting that you’re stupid – far from it. However what I do want to do is encourage you to look at ways you might change your approach, your focus or your actions so that you can start generating the outcomes that you do want.

Do you have a clear and powerful brand that positions you as an expert in your field? Do you need to tweak and tailor your marketing materials / proposals more specifically to the needs of the organisation? Does your conversation focus too much on your product/service features and not enough on the benefits that your product and/or service offer? Do you need to hire a coach to help you hone your brand presence and your verbal and written communications so that you continue to position yourself as an ideal service provider?

What changes will you make?

5. Don’t continue the journey alone

Having a positive support and accountability partner who is one hundred percent behind you, can certainly make all the difference in not only how quickly you move forward but also how quickly you see your goals come to fruition.

This person can be your coach, your mentor, and your confidante as you continue working towards your goals, while later becoming your cheer leader to celebrate alongside you as you finally reach your destination.

Who will you select to be your support and accountability partner?

So, the next time life throws you a curve ball, ensure you follow the above 5 steps to ensure you get back on track – FAST!