'Setbacks are not failures, just stepping stones in your career!'

Setbacks or Roadblocks are a normal part of life and one may encounter them in the path to success. Even the biggest achievers at work experience impediments. While some setbacks are small, others can make you feel like the world is crumbling. Although most fall somewhere in between. Regardless of the setback, there are ways that can help you shed the failure, set yourself up and push ahead with energy.

Here are some simple techniques to overcome setbacks and make you realize that every day is a new beginning! 

Acknowledge!

It’s okay to feel disappointed after a setback, in fact it is almost necessary. Pretending that you are not upset will not make it go away. Addressing the elephant in the room and putting the issue to rest openly is an elegant way to handle failure, instead of acting as if nothing wrong happened. Don’t ignore the issue, tackle it head on. It can be tempting to brush things aside when you’re busy but this won’t make the problem go away — if anything it might make it get worse. 

Change your mindset!

Mindsets are a choice, and always choose to pick the brighter side of the situation. This is where your imagination and creativity comes into play. If you were to think about this issue in an entirely opposite way, what would that look like? Instead of treating it as a roadblock, consider it a good turn in your journey.

Learn!

It’s never too late to learn. We learn new things each day. Once you’re back on the right track give it some time and learn from your past experiences so you don’t repeat them again. True learning is devoid of blaming and judgments. Ask yourself what went wrong, and what can be done to avoid it in the future. 

You are not alone!

You’re not alone. You can also lean for help be it your colleagues or you friends/fam, and in case that’s not an option, you can always seek therapy. Lean into relationships when you need them and ask for support. A robust support system can help you get through frustrations and setbacks, and one of the best indicators of job satisfaction is the relationships you build with colleagues, bosses and others at your work. Be transparent and communicate. Tell them how the issue is affecting you — no one expects you to be superhuman so don’t expect that of yourself.  

Make peace with your setback!

Suffering a setback at work doesn’t make you a failure. In fact, it’s just part of life. Change your internal dialogue, don’t put yourself down, and don’t dwell on what you can’t control or solve. Whatever happens, you need to realize that it’s not going to determine who you are or who you will be in the future. Plus, everyone makes mistakes and it’s about how you learn from them that counts.  

Move on!

Easier said than done, but you cannot keep clinging onto the issues that have happened in the past. It’s time you realize it was just a small hindrance and you need to move on from it. New opportunities don’t usually present themselves right away, of course, and it can be hard to spot them through the fog of anger and disappointment in the early days after a setback, but you need to let it go; regain your confidence and be back in the game.

Careers are marathons, not sprints. You’re unlikely to recall most of your setbacks within a few years. They are merely passing markers on your long road to success. Remember, if you're not encountering setbacks, it means you aren't challenging yourself. Push yourself to seek out new challenges, and doing so means you'll occasionally stumble and fail, however, consider this part of the process. Your true long-term goal should be constant forward progress and growth.