John Ploetz Bloggin

How do you decide whether something that you’ve undertaken in your life that hasn’t worked out, is a learning experience or a failure? Everyone has experienced a failure at some time in their life; something that you’ve put time and energy into, but that hasn’t worked out. So how do you move on in a new direction, and learn something from your failed attempt? A number of people might say it’s just really semantics and that failure and a learning experience are the same. Others, would say, call a spade a spade, and admit that you failed and move on. There is some truth to both of those statements. What I would say is that there is really a grieving process to go through when you’ve encountered failure. If you use that process correctly, in the end, you embrace the learning experience that you’ve encountered during the failure process. Here are some thoughts on the process of handling failure.

1. You need to admit your failure. You don’t need to beat yourself up. But, you need to be open with yourself. You can’t move on if you don’t think you’ve failed. Acknowledge that whatever it was you attempted, was a failure. Remember, those that don’t admit to failure will simply repeat their earlier failures.

2. Give yourself time to grieve for your failure. Grieving your failure it healthy. You aren’t going to move on immediately. You probably put substantial time and effort in to a dream that didn’t come true, your dream. You invested your energy and passion. Take some time to feel the loss. You can’t be expected to get over it all at once.

3. Debrief about what was done incorrectly. This isn’t about creating blame, it’s about breaking down the failure process and trying to understand what actually caused the failure. You need to go through the process of failure in your mind to understand what shouldn’t be done the next time around.

4. Think about what you learned. Focus on what you learned from what happened. As time goes by there may be more and more pieces that you realize were part of your learning experience. This is the first step to turn the failure process into a learning process.

5. Don’t hang on to the failure. Sure, things weren’t done right. But something only becomes a true failure if you can’t move on in a new direction. You have to be able to put the failure in the past. Otherwise, it means you didn’t learn anything from what happened. Make sure what you take away from the failure, focuses on the future.

6. As time goes by focus on the positive memories. Saying something was a failure denotes negativity. Sure, you don’t want to sugar coat what happened. But if you are realistic with yourself, using the term learning experience will help you move forward on a positive note. Hopefully there were some enjoyable times during the failure process that you can focus on.

7. Get back up on the horse. Don’t let a failure cause you to shy away from taking on new challenges in the future. Sure, life is harsh at times. But you won’t learn and grow if you don’t continue to stay involved and active. Take what you’ve learned from your failure and move on to your next challenge.

Turning a failure into a learning experience is all about going through a grieving process, learning from that failure, and then moving forward in a positive manner. It’s all about the steps you take. Learn from failure don’t be consumed by it.

John Ploetz

9 Sep, 2014

John Ploetz Bloggin

When you close your eyes where do you picture yourself sitting, at your desk in the office or cube where you currently work; or do you see yourself miles away in another job, career or place. Sure, you can picture yourself for that fleeting moment in that new location. But, how do you get there? How would you even get from point a, where you currently are, to point z where you want to be. There are some steps you can take, small steps that when taken, put your dream in motion on the path to reality.

1. Keep the dream alive. Continue to think about your dream. Keep it bouncing around in your mind. Don’t forget about it.

2. A dream won’t become reality until it is on paper. You need to write your dream down somewhere. Have it handy where you can see it and touch it. For some people it’s a picture from a magazine, for others it’s a written statement. But have something tangible that you can touch and feel.

3. Dreams don’t happen overnight. Don’t think that your dream will come true overnight. Instead be prepared for it to take time to come through. A true dream doesn’t just go away because it doesn’t happen overnight, that’s what happens to simple wishes.

4. Sometimes dreams need a push. Think of what is the first step you need to take to move your dream forward. Is it getting more information? Taking a class or seminar? Introducing yourself to some new people? Applying for a new job?

5. Get help from the outside. Don’t just stay bottled up relying on yourself for information. Take a chance and ask for help from others around you. You’ll be amazed at the advice and help others are willing to give.

6. Verbalize your dream to someone. Try to describe your dream in words to someone else. They might help you fine tune your dream after listening to your description of what it is. Also, as you try to verbalize your dream you will better understand it and the steps needed to make it happen.

7. Real dreams thrive off of action. Any step that you take, no matter how small keeps the dream thriving and growing. Continue to take ongoing steps to fulfill your dream.

A dream can come true if you keep fresh in your mind, keep taking steps to move it forward, and keep trying to verbalize it to yourself and others. Don’t let your dream wither into an old wish, make it become reality.

John Ploetz

2 Sep, 2014

John Ploetz Bloggin

Fall is usually a tough time for a lot of us. We realize all too late that summer is over; that we haven’t accomplished everything we wanted to do; and we’re being forced to adapt to change we don’t necessarily embrace. It is the time of year when the thought of change hits us hard. Days are getting shorter, we know summer is drawing to an end, and kids, young and old, are heading back to school. It’s this time of year when many people may question what they are doing. Here are some thoughts to help you wade through the changes.

1. Stay grounded. The easiest answer is you don’t really need to make changes. Keep doing what you’ve been doing.

2. Stay in touch with your inner self during times of change. You may not think you do, but you understand yourself best. Even when things around you are in flux, look inside yourself. What do you do on a daily basis that makes you comfortable?

3. Don’t make drastic changes just for the sake of making change. You may feel like you need to move in a different direction. But without a real plan or defined goals, you would really be wasting your time. Any change you initiate might actually move you in the wrong direction.

4. Focus on what you do best. There are many things that you are good at. Now is the time to focus on those. Make a list if you need to. Reaffirm what you do well.

5. Stick to your regimen. Why change what you’ve been doing all summer. You enjoyed it. Stay with your current routine. The coming of fall doesn’t mean the enjoyment is over.

6. Make sure you are exercising. You don’t need to ramp up your exercise schedule, but make sure to fit some exercise in your weekly schedule. Exercise can help you overcome some of the sluggishness that comes with the end of summer.

7. Shorter days actually can bring on depression or other mood effective disorders. Make sure you are aware of the signs. Go to – http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/symptoms/con-20021047 for more information.

8. Get enough rest. You may have been able to go with less rest during the summer. Add an extra hour of sleep to you schedule. It will make you feel more rested and may help ward off any fall colds or flu.

9. Be aware of your concerns. Don’t be afraid to write them down. Sometimes the list may seem overwhelming or you just don’t want to acknowledge them. Actually putting them in writing can be the first step to addressing them. Once you have made the list, prioritize them and focus on the most important ones.

10. What changes do you want to make. Maybe there are some changes you need to make. Be selective. Don’t try to make them all at once. Maybe pick one to start with.

Seasonal change doesn’t have to be unsettling. Stay grounded, be aware of the changes, and focus on what you do best. If you keep yourself stable as the changes around you take place, you will be much more likely to enjoy the fall colors and cool evenings.