Okay so you’ve had a setback or you’ll fallen off the wagon. It happens; but, of course, you ask ‘Well, now what?’ Great question. I have the answer because I’ve been there myself. Here are my 5 tips for snapping back from (temporary) defeat.
Admit the truth.
Don’t lie because it makes it worse. Admitting that you’ve messed up is liberating. You are not holding onto the what ifs. Honesty is very important here because once you’ve admitted that you are not where you want to be, you can restart and refocus on getting back up.
Assess where you are and how much farther you have to go.
You have to honestly assess where you’re at and decide if you need a new timeline. You may need a new plan and/or a workaround in order to get back on track. Revising your schedule when necessary means that you remove the pressure of the original timeline. In order to successfully restart, your timeline must be realistic; and, your setback has happened, therefore, your timeline must account for this.
Envision you finishing the goal.
Sometimes we can be so hard on ourselves especially after a setback. Look, we are human, we err. We run amuck and astray. Life happens. We happen. This time when you pick yourself up, start envisioning finishing your goal. I recommend keeping a daily journal to chronicle your progress and thoughts. Write down how you will look and feel completing the goal. Saying that you will be happy is extremely general. Go beyond that and write down every miniscule detail because then you will know what it looks (and feels) like finishing.
Get an accountability partner.
Accountability partners work because when you are down or frustrated, that person will pick you up. You need to have this person or a group of people hold you accountable until you meet your goal. I use meetups to hold me accountable for learning new things and for continuous improvement. As a certified project manager, you need professional development units in order to maintain your certification. That means continuous learning. Life is full of peaks and valleys. Your accountability partners will pull you out of the valleys.
Detach yourself from the outcome.
I know that sounds weird but it is counterintuitive. Oftentimes how we see the outcome isn’t always how it happens. Our lives aren’t always linear. I have noticed that many times when you finish, you can way more than you’ve expected. Say that your goal is to get a promotion. You receive the promotion but you’ve also acquired new skills that you can transfer to other areas where you can seek additional opportunities.
These five tips will guide you from setback to success. Just remember, whether you are in the peak or the valley, dust yourself off and restart!
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