Ultimate 5 ways how to handle failure in life

One day you plan for a certain goal that you want to achieve. You work on it hard, or don’t. When the final day arrived and life tested you, you failed. All of us have failed in our lifetimes at least sometimes. We cannot always guarantee success. And you are probably here because you are going through a difficult time and want to know, “how to handle failure in life”. Fear not, because I will show you how to overcome defeat and provide insights on overcoming defeat and how to handle defeat when setbacks occur.

You are asking how to handle the failure in life—the pain, the grief. And most importantly, what can you do when failure interrupts your goals and plans for your future? I will answer all that today and give you a new perspective on life and goals. I had many failures in my life. I failed numerous exams and created problems for myself. But even though I failed a few times in life, it doesn’t mean my future doesn’t look good. I took a glance at the future and forgot the past.

1. Try to calm yourself down

After the failure, whether it’s a small one or a big one, you are most likely very disturbed. You don’t know what to do; you might get depressed or experience strong sadness. Maybe you even handle it in a bad way, by going back into your old habits and/or not doing anything productive. Take a good long breath now; it is important to calm yourself down after a failure.

Right now you don’t know where to go or what to do. Most likely, you are planless. But that is okay right now; you don’t need to worry about that for a minute. Try to take a deep, calming breath over and over. That will calm your heart rate down the more you do it. Best is if you close your eyes. Focus on your breath; that will help you keep your mind off that failure. You might not overcome defeat that way, but being relaxed is the first and most important step to overcoming defeat.

2. Think about your options

Okay, now we want to do some actual steps to overcome defeat so that you feel better long-term. It is okay to feel bad, but don’t punish yourself. While we cannot undo the past, we can embrace the present and anticipate the future. You don’t know your future and what it will bring, but one thing is clear: how your future looks is not decided yet. You can still change the future.

Now let’s say it was a serious failure, like you failed an important exam. Now can you still continue your study/school? If the thing you really want is not possible anymore, don’t be afraid of the future. One goal you liked was important, but no one can be fulfilled by achieving it alone. More things are then possible for your future. Yes, you could do a variety of things that you might never have thought about. Maybe there is even a way better option for you than you have thought.

3. Learn from your mistakes.

Mistakes are normal and even necessary in life. To overcome defeat in life means that you also need to learn from your mistakes. No matter how big they were, you can learn from them. When I failed my Latin exam in the past, I was upset. But I did not give up; I instead learned what I did wrong. I improved my Latin enough to pass the test and finally did it. Learning from your mistakes can be the way to your success.

What should you do now? How should you handle failure in life? You should start by analyzing the mistakes you made. Ask yourself, “What mistakes did I make that led to that one failure? Was it a learning/training mistake? Did I not do enough work?” There are so many lessons you can learn in your life, but also lessons you might never notice if you don’t analyze your mistakes.

4. Acceptance

Despite pain or depression, you must accept that failure is part of life and that it will go on. Regardless of your actions or plans, life will continue. Life has its ways. Success is possible, but it’s never a guarantee. But even when you lose one challenge, you can still win another one. The world has more challenges than you can handle in a lifetime. There are numerous options available for you to choose from—enough for you to live a happy and fulfilled life.

So accept the truth; it is just what happened, and you can still continue living, like this failure never happened. Obviously never forget your mistakes or your failures. But don’t regret it; don’t hold a grudge against them. If a task was not there to succeed, it was there to teach you a lesson. A mentally strong human will learn from it and continue their life without constantly dwelling on how to handle defeat.

Whatever you do, don’t live in the past. Don’t hold yourself back with regret and feelings of shame. There is no reason to be ashamed. Everyone fails sometimes. Otherwise, time will pass on, you get older, and soon you will be old and still say to yourself, “That’s what I would have been if I had never failed this one thing.” Don’t be like that; accept the past, choose a new goal, and move on.

5. Resilience

In acceptance and setting a new plan, I highly advise you to practice mindfulness and strengthen your resilience. Only a strong mind can face life’s many problems, mistakes, and pains without breaking. And even a broken mind can fix itself, if it really wants to. Meditations and mindfulness, combined with philosophic realism, will help you face problems.

Resilience is a strong mind, someone that can face problems without breaking down. Despite facing failure and making numerous mistakes, resilience enables one to master life. When you practice meditation, do hard things; you will overcome defeat. And if you follow practical philosophical thoughts, you can realize truths about life. Life is not over yet; you still have time. So use these tips to handle defeat and build a strong mind. Next time you fail, you will face it with a strong mind, knowing exactly how to handle failure in life.

Conclusion

Failure then is more of a stimulus for growth than a destination. Learning to control failure in life enables you to rise from it and turn obstacles into wise lessons. Plan time to unwind, explore your options, learn from your mistakes, and embrace acceptance. Resilient and proactive help you to prepare yourself to gracefully face loss and open the path for next success. Every difficulty presents a chance for personal development, goal refinement, and finally passion for the road ahead to get stronger.

What to Do:

✓ Calm yourself down and Breath for a moment

✓ Think about the Options you have

✓ In worst case, find alternative Goals

✓ Learn from your Mistakes

✓ Accept that Failure is a part of live

✓ Practize Resilience

I hope these options will help you overcome defeat and find new options. If you have questions, feel free to ask.

If you found your new goals and want to continue being productive, check out my guide about Discipline!

Now I want to hear from you!

What was the worst failure you experienced and how did you overcome it? Let us know in the comments!