If ever you have tried something before then failure is sometimes inevitable. People are different and respond differently to scenarios where they fail in something. How you react to and regard failure is what will either make you or break you. I recall the late Kobe Bryant saying that failure would excite him. Excite him why you might wonder? Well, he said so on the basis that failure would mean and present an opportunity to learn something new or to figure out ways of doing things differently. That shows you that it is vital to regard failure in such a way that enriches rather than enrage you. In this article, I am going to talk about 5 questions you must ask yourself after a failure.

What Exactly Happened?

The first thing to do is to acknowledge that something has indeed happened. Often time people can fall into denial when a failure happens and do not even acknowledge that something has happened. This is usually a common reaction to failure where one wants to not acknowledge and take responsibility that something has happened. After all, reliving the failure can be gruesome as you would want to immediately forget about it. Remember I am saying this is the first question to look at and there are others that will follow. They are all dependent on the preceding and initial question of what has happened. So ask yourself what exactly happened and in that process, you will ignite a process of critical introspection. When you establish and acknowledge that something has happened and are aware of what it is, the next question comes to the fore.

How And Why Did It Happen?

You have got to interrogate the how and the why aspect. You will notice that the moment you endeavour to figure out how it happened it feeds into looking at why it happened. For instance, you start a grocery shop business and then shortly after you start there is a break-in. You start by looking at the how – how was the break-in executed? That is then followed by why it was possible that the break-in could be executed. Be wary of scapegoating here; be ruthlessly frank with yourself and comprehensively answer how and why the failure happened. That will lead to the next important question which is:

What Lessons Can I Draw From This?

Never let a failure go to waste, ever! If you cannot draw lessons from failure then that is a double tragedy. You would have lost something (i.e. the actual failure) and you would have let it slip by without at least learning something. Lessons are all around us and anything that happens in this world wields lessons. In fact, most times failures occur to let you in on your shortcomings and other useful things. So, after having gone through the previous 2 questions take time to ask yourself, what lessons can I draw from this? If you do not do this, there is a high likelihood that you might experience the same failure again.

What Can Be Done Differently For The Future’s Sake?

Drawing lessons is not enough on its own. It should then form the basis for strategic actions you will take moving forward. Lessons drawn are nothing if they are not going to be vitalized. Insanity can be defined as doing the same thing yet expecting different results. When you let a crisis (failure) go to waste you are bound to keep doing things the same way. The lessons you would have identified will inform this exercise of determining what you have to do differently in the future.

Do I Need Skills Or Knowledge And What Are They?

The difference between doing something wrong and something right can simply be skills or knowledge. The lack thereof can translate into failure thus meaning acquiring certain skills or knowledge will ward off any possibility of failing again. In this day and age, you cannot downplay skills or knowledge acquisition. It is a fast-paced world and what was useful or relevant yesterday might not be today or tomorrow. It is very possible that failing nowadays can be a result of lacking in certain skills or knowledge. So as you look at a failure ask yourself whether you need new skills or knowledge and specifically what they are.

If you take heed of all that I have said herein then you will never be devastated by failure. Failure ought to be a stepping stone not something that knocks you out completely. Always pick yourself up and fearlessly face tomorrow with gusto.