Learning from Failure: How to Overcome Setbacks and Grow in Your Career

When faced with failure, it’s important to keep looking forward. Every successful person today, has faced failures and setbacks in life. That is how they have grown in their careers. 

So, what is the best way to face setbacks?

Here are some tips for not only making it through challenging times but also actionable points which can help you to overcome setbacks and learn from failures. 

Your setbacks don’t define you: 

Facing failures doesn’t mean that you are a failure. You should never let your setbacks define you. There are times when the situation might not be within your control which could be the reason of the setback you faced. Many times there are other contributing factors that have nothing to do with your own efforts or knowledge.

In fact, one study conducted by Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, found that current failure can actually spark later success. The study analysed data from scientists who had applied for grants early in their careers, and split them into two groups – those who succeeded and those who failed. Later, they tracked how many papers those same scientists published over the next decade and found that those in the failure group were 6.1% more likely to publish a high-impact paper than those in the success group. This study’s observations proves that one who faces setbacks or failures have better chances of doing well later. 

Learn from the challenges:

Use your failure as a stepping stone to try harder. When faced with challenges adopt a method that enables learning, adaptability and persistence. 

Keep trying: 

Focus on small wins and keep trying. Success might come sometimes at the 5th attempt or 10th attempt. So, it’s important that one does not keep trying while facing setbacks. 

Adopt a growth mindset:

A growth mindset allows you to comprehend the loss of an opportunity. It gives you opportunity to learn, to grow and to do things better the next time around. So, adopt a great mindset, when the intention is to learn from mistakes and take action then success follows. 

Take action: 

Taking action after facing failure, is easier said than done. But there is actually no other way to turn your failures into success without taking corrective actions. So take the situation into your own hands, find out what you can control and take action steps to get back up on top.

In the short term or during that time when faced with failure it is hard and a difficult situation. However, in the long term it doesn’t actually matter. If you keep trying and do things differently then you will see success in the long run. The right way to do that find new sources of motivation and acquire additional knowledge for the future.

This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023