Motivation

A lot of success is about perception. If you perceive failure as something that's a definite stopping point, you might feel like you've reached a bad place.

Here’s what I’d like you to do. Instead of looking at failure as the end of the road, look at it like a trampoline. 

Let me give you some ways to help you change your perception. Who knows, in the end you might even say that failure helped put the spring back in your step.

OK, so why a trampoline?

Ask yourself this question, “What happens when you fall off something high onto a trampoline?”  You bounce up, right? Well, yes and no.

You see, if you fall onto a trampoline and do nothing you'll bounce a few times, but the bounces quickly get smaller and smaller until you’re bounced-out and just standing there.

It’s easy to bounce-out when you're at the bottom because you've probably taken a hit to your confidence on the way down and are at a low in your self-confidence. 

Here’s how we’ll spin this to make failure easier. If you can teach yourself to put extra effort in and get prepared on the way down, when you hit the bottom good things will start to happen.

Obviously it makes sense that if you work hard and continue to work diligently that things will improve. That's the whole point. Finding a way to keep working to your fullest ability when life around you is going down the tubes is what will make you stand out.

If we look back at the trampoline example, I trust  you will agree that with only a moderate amount of effort at the bottom, you can end up bouncing back to where you started. If you put in a substantial amount of effort, there’s a good chance that you’ll bounce higher than when you started.

Lesson: It takes effort to make a substantial change.

How to focus your effort

When I was speaking one day, I asked the question, “Where will you be if you jump off your roof onto a trampoline?”  One guy yelled out, "In my neighbour's garden."

We had a good laugh, but it’s was true. You can put a lot of effort into your jump, but if you don’t have a clear direction for your efforts, you might end up somewhere you didn’t plan on.

In order to direct your efforts, simply sit down with a pen and paper and think of what you want out of your career or life. If you can clearly articulate what you want, you’ll have a better chance of getting it.

 Lesson: Clarify what you want. Be specific.

If your trampoline sucks, get a better trampoline

The last thing you can do is start getting better feedback from your support system at the bottom. This means asking people who care about you to provide feedback that might be hard to hear.

If you have a coach, mentor or someone who is capable of providing coherent advice, I’d recommend asking for their feedback on the situation. Since they have an outside perspective, they will likely be able to give you useful advice.

Sit down with your mentor and ask the three specific questions below. If you don’t have someone to sit down with, just answer them yourself.

1. What exactly went wrong (be specific)?

2. Was it one problem, done multiple time, or a series of errors? If it was one problem, fixing it will solve most of your issues.

3. How can I change what I do so that this will not happen again?

Most times, it's a simple fix, but often, simple fixes can be hard to make.

Lesson: Don’t be afraid to change what’s not working. Look for someone to be  honest with you.

Trampoline-Style Failure Summary

1. It takes effort to make a substantial change.

2. Clarify what you want. Be specific.

3. Don’t be afraid to change what’s not working. Look for someone to be  honest with you.

When life throws you down, don’t forget to bounce back.