I do not like to fail. I know, I know. You have to fail to win. We all know how it goes but that doesn’t always take the sting out of each failure …or the pain out of starting over.
Have you ever started so many times that you just want to move on even if you love the thing you do? I started telling myself that I just needed to do something else if I couldn’t win at this thing that I keep having to restart. But do you know what happened? I started trying a new thing and SURPRISE, SURPRISE, I wasn’t instantly good at it *gasp*. It took more work than the starting over on the thing I loved. Then because I gave up on that thing I loved, I found myself being behind when I eventually still had to start again. Suddenly, I’m wandering down a dark hole. I’m mulling over whether or not anyone is taking me seriously because I have failed so many times and more importantly, if I even take myself seriously anymore.
I know somebody reading this is hearing everything I am saying, right?
So what do I do now?
What do I do when I start feeling overwhelmed in self-doubt? I start again anyway and I do this in a few ways and you can do this too by
Giving yourself grace.
It’s okay to not always be “on’. There are so many factors that affect you completing your thing. So many things in everyday life that play a role. You have to be kind to yourself. I have to be kind to myself.
Accept past failures.
You cannot control that you may not have gotten the results you wanted last time but you most definitely can take what you’ve learned from that experience and update this new one. Its cliche but we really do learn from the things we “fail” at. So as much as it hurts to “fail”, did we really? I’m looking at past experiences now, not as failures, but as training!
Recognizing why you stopped to begin with.
I don’t know about you but I immediately want to be good at what I do. I want everything to be exactly how I envision it my head. So I set my expectations too high and set myself up for failure. Are you putting way too much on your plate? I do. I got some great advice from Taima of Poor in a Private Plane, start with one thing and get really good at that for a couple of days/weeks/months (whichever applies) and then add on another thing and get really good at doing those two things. If you can handle them, add more! But if you’re like me, the worst thing to do is overwhelm yourself.
Also, be authentic! If my project doesn’t feel like me, I am far more likely to give up on it.
Not overwhelming yourself with all the things I have to do to catch up.
One step at a time is a good rule of thumb here. I am the queen of skipping steps to try to get to an end result and feel satisfied. But a good foundation for anything is essential! Starting at the beginning and getting through all the necessary growing pains to build strong systems and routines really does elevate your brand. By all means, don’t struggle and find ways to get the most out of your time but just be sure that you’re not getting overwhelmed with EVERYTHING you have to do. Take the steps to build and just put your all into wherever you are right now.
Get support.
We are not machines. We can’t do everything and whether you’re building a brand, business, community, or career, we cannot do it all. Get help from people in areas that may not be your strong suit. Get help in the areas that you may be good at but it takes you longer because it’s not what you love It’s okay to not be good at everything. It’s okay to not love every piece of your business or brand. Sparkle where you shine!
Starting over, no matter how many times you may have to do it, can be a refreshing and positive thing. Come to your new start with a fresh outlook and a growing knowledge. Don’t let you stop you from happiness. Success is yours!