Life's journey, especially for those of us in our twenties and thirties, often resembles a rollercoaster ride of surprises and challenges. Setbacks, like unexpected detours on a road trip, are an inevitable part of this adventure. But what if we reframed setbacks as opportunities—opportunities to grow, adapt, and gain valuable insights into our unique journeys towards success?

The Nature of Setbacks

Life, much like the most unpredictable road trips, has its fair share of bumps, twists, and turns. When setting out on a journey towards success, it's inevitable that we'll encounter setbacks. But what if we began viewing these setbacks not as barriers, but as detours? Opportunities to refuel, recalibrate, and learn something valuable about ourselves and the journey we're on. 

The Reality of Success: It's Rarely a Straight Line

Success is often portrayed in the media, appearing linear. However, the reality is far from that. Some of the most iconic success stories—be it inventors, entrepreneurs, or athletes have experienced countless setbacks before they tasted victory. Every setback forced them to take a detour, and these detours often paved the way for innovative solutions, resilience, and sometimes, even better destinations. Success is a mindset. Setbacks are a mindset. You can walk the walk and talk the talk with the right mindset.

Why Embracing Setbacks is Crucial

Here's a different perspective - Setbacks offer unique advantages. They allow us to see situations, problems, or opportunities from a different angle, shedding light on aspects we might have overlooked if we were on a straight path to our goals. Remember, during the planning phases of a goal, plan 100% but allow yourself 10-15% of cushion for setbacks or unforeseen obstacles. It’ll ease the internal noise when the original plan doesn’t work out accordingly.

Builds Resilience

The more setbacks you face and overcome, the stronger and more resilient you become. Each detour tests your patience, determination, and adaptability, essential traits for long-term success. Setbacks are a test, like an exam at the end of the school year. You get to dip into your mental toolbox and pull out life skills you’ve gathered over the years to apply towards this current setback. The best part, once you hurdle this setback you have a new “recipe” or cheat code that you can use for future setbacks. 

A Chance for Reinvention

Setbacks provide the perfect moment for introspection or reflection. They offer us the opportunity to ask ourselves if the path we're on is the right one. And sometimes, they might even inspire us to take a completely new path, leading to destinations we never imagined.

Icons Who Turned Setbacks into Stepping Stones

• Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for "lacking imagination." Today, his legacy, Disney, is filled with creativity and imagination.

• J.K. Rowling faced multiple rejections before the world met Harry Potter. Those rejections didn't deter her; instead, they fueled her passion to keep writing.
  

• Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, was once ousted from his own company. His return revolutionized technology with products like the iPhone.

Failing Forward: A Methodology

The concept of failing forward involves using the lessons and feedback from setbacks to push yourself ahead. It's not about eliminating mistakes, but learning from them. Fail forward or fail elegantly. During my return to college I knew I was going to fail math (trigonometry) but I continued attending class because I knew this concept of failing forward. It was bigger than math, it was my life. 

Reframe the Setback

Instead of viewing a setback as a defeat, see it as data. What did this experience teach you? How can you use this knowledge moving forward? By asking quality questions like these, they’ll allow you to fully understand the setback at hand. Get a 360 degree view of the setback by using the 3-3-3 rule

Take Action

Once you've identified the lessons from the setback, it's time to act. Adjust your strategies, refine your plans, and keep moving. We can continue being reactive or start taking proactive steps slowly pulling us away from the edge of life and failing or falling. 

Celebrate the Small Wins

Every time you overcome a setback or learn something valuable from it, celebrate it. Recognizing these small victories builds momentum and positivity. “Small hinges swing big a** doors” find the win, you never know what you’ll uncover about yourself, the setback, or life for that matter. This is a great habit that you can start practicing right now. While reading this blog, what was something that went your way this week? Did you make it on time to work this week? Did you workout 5 days in a row this week? Did you drink water everyday this week?

By customizing yourself to this type of mentality, you're waking up different parts of your brain that were stuck on autopilot. Recognize this awareness, your dipping into the growth mindset and pulling yourself out of the fixed mindset mentality. Join us for a free 5 Day Webinar where we dive deeper into setbacks and failures.