Whether you were fired, demoted or a project you were working on didn’t go as planned, a professional setback never feels good. It’s a major bruise to the ego to have to take a step back when you thought you were moving forward at full speed.
While it’s certainly not fun to encounter a stumbling block, it’s important to realize these things happen to everyone — it’s how you handle them that charts the course of your career. You can choose to let the mishap permanently ruin your plans or you can use the experience to come back stronger than ever.
4 Ways to Bounce Back from a Professional Setback
If you’re having trouble picking up the pieces after encountering an unexpected hit to your career, use these four tips to pick up the pieces:
Determine What Went Wrong
Take the time to fully assess the situation to see what you could have done better. In hindsight you may realize that the path you took wasn’t the best one. It’s okay to admit that you’re not perfect.
Learn from Your Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, so it’s important learn from them so you don’t succumb to the same one twice. Think about what you could have done better and use this as an opportunity to learn and grow, so you’ll prevail if you’re ever in the same situation again.
Ask for Feedback
Holding in your feelings of frustration, failure and discontent won’t get you anywhere. Confide in a mentor, friend or family member and ask for their advice. Hearing another person’s thoughts and opinions can really put things in prospective.
Move Forward
Stop dwelling on past and get on with your life! Accept that the setback you encountered happened and there’s nothing you can do about it. Don’t let it become part of your future. You’re too talented to let one mishap derail an otherwise promising career.
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