One Simple Tip That Could Help You Bounce Back From A Setback
Don't let the guilt and embarrassment of failure get in your way of a comeback.
Things don't always go the way we expect them.
We break commitments and fall short of others' expectations; we disappoint ourselves and others and are left with guilt and embarrassment.
Life is full of setbacks.
But when we lose control, we have two options: Let it slip or grab hold of it.
It's been a hectic past two weeks.
I had work-requirement exams and had to study most naturally.
Catching up on the weekends, attending meetings, and being present on Medium felt like a tug of war.
I resisted the guilt of not showing up or being present in the normal flow of living. I lost control of things.
I shut down.
The truth is, I was proving to be that superwoman, but nothing had my full attention.
I paid the price. I failed a critical test.
I've since rescheduled a resit, but not without the cost and embarrassment.
I’d lost sight of one crucial thing that taught me an essential lesson.
So much for the superwoman; I think I am.
If you're going through something similar, here's a simple tip I adopted and have been using to grab a grip on things without the guilt.
*I assessed and focused by organizing and prioritizing the most critical things.
By doing this, I've made room for clear thinking.
Focusing on my studies is presently my top priority.
I've let the people with whom I'm close know I'm unavailable and have to forfeit some of my commitments.
To my Medium community:
I'll continue to write and read when time allows, but I won't follow my customary plan of reading 20 articles per day until after my exams in November.
It's not that we can't have it all, but the understanding we can't always have it all at the same time make sense and could make all the difference.
I'm grabbing hold of my confidence with clear thinking.
I'm going for that distinction in my upcoming exams.
I've started to reap the rewards and past the first two sets to propel me to the next.
How do you handle life's setbacks?
I would love to hear about it in the comments.
Marilyn Glover's article "For All The Frustrated Writers Thinking About Quitting Medium" reminds me that we can achieve the things we want with a little focus.