Fact: Things don’t always happen as planned.
Simply because not everything is under your control.
Yup, it’s one of those hard truths that you must learn to accept. Part of adulting.
Change is inevitable. But we must not be afraid of it.
Nor must we beat ourselves up for feeling disappointed.
Sounds familiar?
Now I want you to quickly reflect: when was the last time you felt disappointed by yourself?
What happened then?
This might be a trigger point for some people so as you recall those events, please know that you were perhaps reacting coming from a space of overwhelm.
The key now is to look at things objectively and realize that you don’t have to beat yourself up to feel good about yourself after a fall.
Yes, you can still go through life without feeling you have let yourself down.
Here are 5 ways how to not disappoint yourself:
- Do and be your best always
That’s it. You can’t exceed that anymore. Disappointments come when you realize that you could have done better or have been more kind or braver — whatever you felt was lacking. However, knowing that you have given your best and you showed up at your peak state will always be more than enough, regardless of the results. Be at peace with what your #bestmeever looks like at the moment. There will always be room for growth for everyone, including you.
2. Manage your expectations and emotions
Stop overthinking. Stop letting your emotions get the best of you. Be humble enough to accept that you can’t always make things happen the way you want them to. And realize it’s ok. Be open to detours because for all you know, if you stop resisting and just embrace whatever may come your way, it may lead you to where you’re meant to be.
3. Take each result as a learning experience
Good or bad, whatever happens to you has a purpose. Take to heart this thought: life happens FOR you, not TO you. And that simply means that your results are teaching you valuable lessons you need to learn to help you thrive in this lifetime. Be grateful for allowing yourself to journey this far. That alone is worth celebrating.
4. Own your story
Your journey is very much different from everyone else. So there’s no point of over analyzing and crying over what could have been. It was meant to be that way. You have your own story to write and timeline to follow. And that’s such an empowering space to have: to be able to own your narrative, regardless of what happens around you. Be proud of your journey — for all you know, it’s someone else’s inspiration to finally be brave enough to embark on his/her own.
5. Be willing to start all over again
Believe in the beauty and power of second chances. Know that if you humbly embrace all your experiences openly and take the lessons to heart deeply, you can start all over again not from scratch, but this time around from genuine, rich experience. And that’s such a wonderful advantage to have: to know your areas for improvement, what can and must be done differently and what kind of person you need to become as you re-write your next chapter.
Consider this: you only get disappointed with yourself when you allow yourself to come from a space of unworthiness and scarcity.
By knowing your true value within, you are able to love yourself whole beyond your results, and allow yourself to take control of your life and your narratives.
May you always give yourself the compassion and support you deserve.
