Dealing With Disappointment

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”

If 2023 didn’t go exactly how you envisioned, don’t lose hope.

It’s natural, even healthy, to have ambitious plans.

But how do you cope effectively when things don’t go your way?

We tend to default to self-loathing but that’s not helpful.

Negative emotions such as: feeling of loss, let down, rejection, betrayal, etc. keeps you stuck.

In order to cope better you have to learn a new way of thinking.

The next time you’re feeling down ask yourself, “What can I learn from this experience?”

Understand that disappointment rears its ugly head when the gap widens between expectations and reality.

Going down the rabbit hole of why things happened will only increase the downward spiral.

I’m not saying to suppress your emotions, but instead refocus them.

What feels like failure can also be a teachable moment.

Reframing is a technique used in coaching where you’re not changing the circumstances, but changing the perspective of how you view the situation.

Maybe you didn’t get that promotion, land a new job or secure an investor in 2023.

But let’s leave the past in the past (where it belongs).

Here’s the kicker: discouragement is a choice.

What you choose to focus on usually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The opposite of disappointment is contentment/gratification.

When I was younger a thought that really helped me in times of self-pity was…

The next time you start feeling sorry for yourself, go and help someone.

This simple act helped me stop focusing on me and redirected it towards others.

So the next time you’re feeling down try it and let me know how it goes.

The reality is you’re going to be discouraged in the near future.

But how you deal with it shows the strength of your character.

Reply to this email if you can use some refocus at your company or next event and check out my most requested talks for added motivation in 2024!

God Bless,

Scott