“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
The old saying, “you can’t win them all…you win some and you lose some” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put your best foot forward giving your complete effort and being into what you are doing. You do. Always do your best. Whether you’re playing a simple mobile game like “Words with Friends” or a more complex game like “Scrabble,” you give everything your best effort with the desire to win. Even then there are times your opponent will finish with the most points and be declared the winner.
You may also experience disappointments when you are not the one selected for the new job, promotion, or you don’t get the order for the products or services your company offers. You may find yourself asking, “why not me?” Instead of dwelling on the loss, decide to get up and move forward. Take a few minutes to assess the situation, but move forward quickly.
I like to go through a process in my mind and examine the “why not” by asking myself three questions:
- Is it just the tiles I was dealt? As in the game “Scrabble,” sometimes we have to say that it was just the “tiles” I was dealt. Nothing could have been done differently to have changed the outcome. I am not at fault here; this is just a fact of life. Better luck next time. Try again!
- Was I at my best? We all have off days or times when we wish we would have handled something differently. Take some time to really think about what you learned and how you might apply those lessons learned to the next time you find yourself in the same or a similar situation. Think through it—What went well? What did not go well? What will I do differently or better the next time? Use the information you gather to change, tweak, or improve.
- Could this have been a win someone else needed? Sometimes our “win” is just simply not meant to be; someone else needed to win. Your next opportunity is around the corner.
Get up. Stay your course. Do your best and your win will come!