How to rise above setbacks and negative challenges is all part of building a life and career you love.  As most of us know, being passionate about what we want doesn't mean that things always run smoothly.  To be honest, very few things that are amazing just happened without there being a few bumps in the road.   Whilst your best intentions are thought through and planned with excitement, passion and precision it doesn't mean that others see things the same way.  Planning can take time to work through. You may need to ‘sell' the idea to others, you may need to focus on the long term goal and plan, which for some of us (like me) with little patience and passionately action oriented, can be a hard thing to do.This week was one of those weeks for me.  Lots of planning and excitement but unfortunately I was unable to pull it off – THIS TIME! When people don't see your vision it can be hard to understand and hard to deal with.

There are a couple of points here.

The first is that I obviously didn't prepare the decision makers enough and I wasn't clear enough on the benefits and the opportunity.

It's important to acknowledge that.  Sometimes it can be the other person and sometimes it can be how you approach it.  It's important to know which it is.

No matter the reason for things not running to plan, disappointment is just part of life.  I do believe that when it happens you've just got to feel what you're feeling.  Whilst it's important to be positive, it's also not realistic that you'll be Sally sunshine all the time. It's about taking a given amount of time to wallow in what you're feeling.  It maybe sadness, frustration, defeat or anger.  Once you've given yourself some space to feel this and work through it, it's time to move on and work out your plan of action.  I gave myself a day to work through what happened, how I felt, what I could have done better and let myself just feel disappointed, then put it aside in order to get on with the job.

Focusing on what you want your outcome needs to be, then working out what your obstacles are will help you to identify your next step.

The questions you should ask yourself are:

QUESTION 1….IS IT WORTH FIGHTING FOR?

There are some things you want to do more than others.  Where does this activity, product, service, idea sit in the scheme of things?  Is it flexible or non negotiable?  I have a million ideas a day.  Some are obviously good and others not so great.  Some I'm truly passionate about and others, I think would be worth thinking about more or doing if I get around to it.  If the obstacle that you've got in front of you is in the way of something big, then it's time to get your strategy and negotiation hat on!

If it's not worth fighting for then maybe it needs to be cut and dry that it's time to move on from that idea.  Dwelling on something that you're not going to execute is a waste of time.   It's also important to realise that not every idea and project will come to fruition and that's just life.  Not everything can work or potentially now may not be the right time.

QUESTION 2 – WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET THIS ACROSS THE LINE?

So you've decided it's worth fighting for.  Who or what is your obstacle?  Really break it down.  If it is a person then ask yourself, what are their concerns, what do they need to know, how will they make their decision, how can I angle this so that it speaks to their motivations or drivers.  Finding a way to get your idea out is the goal.  This may be a boss, an investor, your business partner or your life partner.   At times obstacles can come from anywhere and being prepared is part of the journey.

QUESTION 3 – ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE I CAN GET TO SUPPORT ME? – GETTING YOUR A TEAM TOGETHER

As Brotherhood of  Man sing…. “United we stand, divided we fall and if our backs should ever be against the wall….we'll be together, together you and I” – yes I am quoting 70's folk, but it was the first thing that popped  into my head.

Having people on your side who can rally around you when you need ideas, support and who can help you when times get tough may be the difference between success and failure.  If you can work towards having a group of people that provide you with different advice, then you'll be in a good position.

If you do have a boss, investor or business partner that you need to get across the line, then having people who know them and the situation and can advise accordingly is priceless.  These people or advisers will become part of your artillery and may be able to give you insights that you hadn't actually thought of, therefore allowing you to really dig deep and prepare what you need to in order cover all bases.

 

Acknowledging challenges and setbacks is part of life.  How we deal with these is what will set us apart.

Be strong, straighten up and work out how you can still make things happen!   There will always be bumps along the road, that's what makes the journey interesting.