Activity - Dealing With a Setback

'Many of life's failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.'

Think of a recent work project or activity that went wrong and ask yourself the following questions.

How close were you? What would it take to push the event this time/next time over the line into success?
Imagine you are five years from now - what have you learnt from this setback?
Ask yourself the first question again - what did you want to achieve?
Remove the personal element for a moment. What elements could be improved to achieve success?
What skills can you build to ensure you will have success next time? How can you get those skills?
If there is to be a next time, what effects (if any) will the setback itself produce? How will you react to that?
Did anyone or anything signal what eventually happened?
Start the plan for next time.
Talk to the team, the community or your line manager about your review and your plans.
What does success look like? Sound like? Feel like?

Note the activity is an extension of an original idea from Learn to be an Optimist, Lucy MacDonald Duncan, Baird Publishers, London 2004.