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Success Advice

5 Steps To Turn A Setback Into A Comeback

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Whether you are starting a business or pursuing a better lifestyle, setback is inevitable during your journey to greatness. Successful entrepreneurs may not be able to tell you if they have ever had (or ever will have) an “I made it” moment, but every one of them can tell you a dozen different setback experiences.  

When facing the challenge of a setback, the most common advice you will hear is, “pick yourself up from where you’ve fallen.”But, here’s a question: If you run into the same situation next time, will you fall again?

Is picking yourself up enough?Most of the advice you hear will tell you, “Just keep on trying and don’t give up…” Yes, it is true that in some cases you just need to have faith in yourself and keep on trying. But within these words are an assumption. The assumption that you will only need to face the setback once in your lifetime.

If you were to pick yourself up this time, you would never get rejected by potential customers, you would never lose your job, and you would never land a bad work position, never ever again. But what if that’s not true?  You will face similar challenges again. You will run into equivalent setbacks again.

Will you allow yourself to fall (again) into the same setback, while going through the process (again) of picking yourself up?

It’s time for you to learn from your setbacks, and then turn every setback into a triumph.

Below are 5 Steps to Turn Setback into Triumph:

1. Start by taking measurements throughout your process

Before you can start learning from your setback, you need to start taking measurements throughout the process to understand why and how the setback occurred. Once you have the measured-data of the process, instead of by instinct, you can uncover the reason-why to the setback by a systematized, scientific way.

A goal without a measurement is just a dream. Without measurements, there’s nothing you can do but wake up and face the cold, hard reality.

Each time you start a new project, regardless of whether it is business or personal, start by identifying a measurable KPI that can track your progress. Each time you are challenged by a setback, document your KPI measurement on a line chart. Look at when everything started to go terribly wrong, and identify exactly what you did that initiated the setback.

“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.” – Henry Ford

2. Evaluate the skills and experiences you’ve acquired during the process

So you have run into a setback. It could be a catastrophic failure of the whole project. But looking back, your efforts are never wasted.

Every post you read taught you a new concept, every course you invested in allowed you to acquire a new set of skills, every dollar you spent transform into your experience, and every person you talked to initiated a new useful relationship.

After every setback, review and list all the different types of knowledge you acquired during the process.

  • Acquired skills — This is the how-to knowledge you acquired during the process.
  • Uncovered abilities — These are the innate talents or gifts you have uncovered through each attempt.
  • Real life experiences — This is the accumulated wisdom from investing time and money applying your skills and abilities.
  • Useful relationships — These are the relationships you’ve built with influencers and people who have valuable resources.

Each setback is an opportunity to discover your abilities and acquire new knowledge.

 

3. Identify what you need to learn now to ensure future success

So you know why and how you failed based on the measurements. You know what you’ve learned during the process by listing all your acquired knowledge.  It’s time to prepare yourself to succeed the next time you are faced with the same situation.

To increase your odds of succeeding next time around, you need to improve on the other knowledge you are lacking.

Picking yourself up is more than just trying again. It means that you need to have a deeper understanding of what to do different next time. Learning the knowledge you don’t have. Acquiring the skills that you need. Building the relationship that will enhance your chances of success. Every setback is a chance to identify what else you need to learn.

 

4. Make the setback part of your story and be proud of it

Take a look at some of the most popular blog posts. Study the presentation of the most effective webinar. Almost all content that goes viral involves a story related to a particular setback (failure, big mistake, or near death experience).

And where does the best story start? The best stories often begin with failure.

You’ve already “invested” in the story. Use it well to resonate with others who are also experiencing the same setback.

“We are, as a species, addicted to stories. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” – Jonathan Gottschall

5. Create a cross-out list of what doesn’t work

Thomas Edison is the most successful story for running into 1,000 setbacks.

Since setbacks are inevitable during the process, stop defining setback as a failure. Instead, define a setback as the success of finding out one more method that doesn’t work. Each setback is now a small triumph for you.

Only working during days you feel like working.

Working every single day without taking a break.

Working all by yourself in a locked up room.

Working with a mentor on a consistent 2-hour schedule.  

If you understand that setbacks are inevitable during your journey to greatness, you know that you don’t need to be afraid of facing your next setback. Stop looking at setbacks as failures or mistakes. Start identifying the triumph behind each and every setback you encounter. The difference between a successful and unfortunate individual is the attitude they maintain during a setback and how they turn it into his or her advantage — into a total triumph.

How are you going to turn your setback into a triumph? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

Wuyen Hsu is the founder of Everyday Venture blog. If you’d like to learn more about what it really takes to start a side business, build your personal brand, and enjoy an amazing lifestyle, subscribe today for my 7-day Side Business Bootstrap challenge to launch your side business .

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Success Advice

Why You Shouldn’t Discount A Brick And Mortar Store In 2025

We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options, but is it worth questioning this theory?

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How to grow a brick and mortar store
Image Credit: Midjourney

In 2024, you’d be forgiven for thinking that physical shopping is a thing of the past. We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options. But is it worth questioning this theory? (more…)

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Success Advice

How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements

Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.

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altering business approach
Image Credit: Midjourney

Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.

There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.

Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.

Embed the strength of AI and ML.

AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.  

According to CyberGhost (CG) bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.

ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses. 

In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.

Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities

Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased. 

Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information. 

Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place. 

In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.

Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development

You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.

You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.

Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.

Developing key skills to achieve goals

Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.

Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.

Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.

Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.

Development/Coding Knowledge

Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.

Hacking proof framework

There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.

Communication Abilities/Soft Skills

Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:

Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.

Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.

Agile Implementations

It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.

Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy

A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.

  • Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds. 
  • Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
  • Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
  • Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them. 
  • Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.

Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy

Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.

  • Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
  • Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
  • Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.

Conclusion

There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.

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Success Advice

Understanding the Power of Yes and No: How to Create Boundaries For Success

These words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds

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Creating legal boundaries
Image Credit: Midjourney

The two smallest yet most powerful words in life, “Yes” and “No,” have a big impact on our growth on both personal and professional levels. In addition to affecting the choices we make every day, these words have a significant impact on how our success unfolds. (more…)

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Motivation

From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone

By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality

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Are you tired of feeling like a couch potato? Do you want to transform your life and become a go-getter? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with motivation, but the good news is that change is possible. (more…)

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