Some people bounce back from failure or setbacks better than others. When you’re still reeling from being laid off or feeling dull and burnt out from clinging to a job that is no longer a good fit, what can you do to get your mojo back? In Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success
Here are several key characteristics Newman noticed among rebounders he interviewed:
They compartmentalize emotions.
Rebounders don’t internalize bad feelings or let negativity pull them down. They don’t dwell on feeling wronged, frustrated, or disappointed, which can dilute focus and energy. Instead of figuring out whom to blame or badmouth after hitting a roadblock, they keep moving.
They are willing to wait.
“Longcuts to success are far more common than shortcuts,” writes Newman. Although we all would like to be among the lucky few who enjoy overnight success, it’s worth remembering that rebounders stand out, because they are determined to succeed on their own terms, no matter how long it takes. They don’t wait for a luck break or just do the same thing over and over, Newman notes. Instead, they continually learn and get better at what they do.
They accept failure.
Failure is an option. How else do you learn or gain insights from risk taking? It’s possible to become used to the risk of failure by first learning to recover from smaller setbacks.
A willingness to try new things and possibly fail is not a bad thing. People who don’t recognize the possibility of failure may be too scared to take risks. Anything other than success seems like a disaster. Those people often give up trying new things or never start in the first place, because they fear they’ll fall flat on their faces.