Have you ever had something to not turn out the way you expected it?
You envision the outcome, prepare the work, rehearse the dialogue, give it your best shot with all the light beams in the world behind you and … ugh … the outcome falls short of your expectation.
So you shake your head, look for the lesson, and then what?
We all know that failure is simply a stepping stone to success. (One mentor of mine used to say, “If you want to succeed faster, fail faster.”)
But how does the conversation sound; the one that runs through your head after you’ve dusted yourself off and are ready for the next go ‘round?
Is the level of anxiety, fear of failure or self-judgment, cranked up a notch?
Seth Godin calls it, “invented suffering” and observes, “…when we do contribute, having experienced so much in our internal narrative, our instinct is to demand gratitude … and prizes … and an end to the suffering we’ve created.”
Often we’re our own worse critics and our need for a softer landing increases to offset the torture we put ourselves through ahead of time!
Aha – End the suffering by shifting expectations!
There is a difference between taking responsibility for your actions and taking responsibility for the outcome. You’re not in complete control of the outcome – ever – you can only influence it.
Even when you’re absolutely positively sure you’ve anticipated every possible hurdle and prepared for any outcome, life is dynamic. The only control you have is with your expectation, your effort, and how you respond to the outcome.
The gratitude, in response to your efforts, might appear to close the gap, complete the circle and make you feel that what you gave was needed.Regardless of how the outcome appears, your efforts are always needed.
The world needs you,”….to do it again, to care again and to seek to make change, again.”
Keep going!!
Succeed deliberately!
Jae M. Rang, MAS
INSPIRING Results on PURPOSE®
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