How to Move Forward After Failure
Written By Haylee Light-Autry
The fear of failure, or losing, can be very difficult to control, especially when it comes to
venturing outside of your comfort zone. This can include making new friends in a different city,
applying for that job you always wanted, or learning a new skill. Leaving your comfort zone
takes a lot of courage and bravery in several instances. Facing failure after the stressful action of
doing something new can be very hard to overcome mentally due to the idea of inevitably failing
again. Without failure/loss, no one would advance or become better. A way to manage the
inevitable and become better at dealing with situations out of our control can include coming up
with several ways to handle the feelings associated with failure/losing.
When it comes to mentally overcoming failure, each person has their own technique and
strategy. One way to get through the fear of failing again is to start with setting small goals that
lead to the bigger picture. By working your way up one step at a time, there are more chances to
achieve the goals that may seem scary. The steps can be as big or small as needed and can be
determined by what makes you feel most comfortable. Making small goals in the hopes it leads
to the bigger goal can help boost confidence and provide more courage for future adventures.
Each individual has different ways of dealing with strong emotions, such as fear. One
strategy might not work for everyone, or the strategies may need to change depending on the
circumstances. Another strategy that can help with overcoming failure is reflecting on what went
wrong and finding solutions to that problem. Reflection can help to ensure you learn from your
mistakes in order to not make them again, especially if the main goal is still achievable. Finding
the right strategy for your situation is the key to succeeding after failure.
Participating in things that are out of your comfort zone can be very scary and doesn’t always
go as planned. Even though this may cause some unwanted anxiety, letting the fear of failure
stop you from achieving your goals is not how you succeed. Finding different phrases and
affirmations that remind you of how capable you are can help in times of stress or after failure.
Having the personal reminder that you are determined and strong, even after something doesn’t
go as planned, can mentally help in several ways. There are several strategies to recovering after
failure/losing, but each individual will have different ways of coping with unwanted
circumstances. Being able to find various solutions that work for you can be very beneficial and
lead to more confidence in achieving your goals.
