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(By Troy Price) I don’t know about you, but I am 100% confident that every podcast episode I release is going to go viral. I am convinced that my social media posts are going to be shared 10,000 times when I spend a little extra time on the graphic. I think every proposal to speak or proposal for work will be met with jubilation and exaltation. Believe it or not, that is not the case every time (heck, most of the time). In instances like this I often wallow in self-pity. I take everything that does not go my way as a personal affront, even if a person or business just wants to legitimately ‘go in a different direction’ with a project.
After much trial and tribulation I have learned a few ways to positively respond when the results of my actions do not meet my expectations. Consider using these the next time you experience something similar…
- Stay busy.
- Focus on what is next.
- Say ‘Thank you’ (even if it is through gritted teeth).
- Schedule times to review your past work.
- Keep a ‘Kudos’ file.
**Stay Busy **The number one thing I found that works to keep me from pitying myself is to get busy with something else. In the past I have stayed busy after a particularly hard rejection by:
- Volunteering to answer phones on a telethon
- Listing and selling items on eBay
- Researching other opportunities accepting proposals
- Writing out my feelings (with no particular goal in mind, just to clarify my thoughts)
- Bingeing a show or searching Tubi for a free movie
As you can see, what I was doing doesn’t really matter. But in the short term after a rejection, I find that if I am not in the middle of doing something, anything, I find myself wallowing.
**Focus on what is **next When a podcast episode gets 10% of the downloads I think it should, I try to stay forward focused. In this instance, the most important episode I need to dedicate my time to is the next episode. If I get behind on production tasks and miss my next scheduled release date, I know some listeners will perceive me as inconsistent and unreliable. Further, I know that after I have missed releasing one episode, it is harder to get back on schedule. I never want a lack of interest in one of my episodes to derail my entire podcast.
Say ‘Thank you’ (even if it is through gritted teeth) When I receive a rejection letter for a proposal or job application, I send a note or email thanking them for the consideration. I think FEW others will do that and hope it will set me apart the next time an opportunity comes up. Further, I specifically thank my audience for listening on the episode after one underperforms. I think it presents confidence, but I know it expresses appreciation for those that are listening.
**Schedule times to review your past work **Of course I review my work that does not produce the results I expect. It is important to learn from the past. However, I have found a process that makes for the least lasting negative impact to my ego. I love to ‘batch’ my work, doing similar tasks at the same time is very efficient. This is true for times of self-criticism as well. Rather than pausing my other work and rereading a proposal and the rejection email when I get bad news, or relistening to a recent underperforming podcast immediately, I save that work for Thursday afternoons. I find I can learn from myself more easily if I review several different pieces of work at the same time. Trends present themselves more readily and I am less impacted by any one specific rejection if I have to quickly move on to another one. Now, this could be a fast track to wallowing in self-pity like I described earlier, but Fridays are usually fun days that are naturally full of distractions. If I am still wallowing at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, the activity of the day usually pulls me out of the rut (another application of point number 1).
Keep a ‘Kudos’ file Lastly, something I do when I am not being rejected helps me during the times that my work does not bear the results I expect. I have a folder on my computer’s desktop and a physical folder in my desk drawer where I put specific emails, or letters/cards when people have told me I did a good job or gave me ‘Kudos’. Putting those supportive emails and cards into that folder after reading then takes about the same time as trashing them, but reading those when I feel low about my work really does boost my spirits. I recommend everyone have a Kudos folder.
What tips do you have for handling situations that turn out differently than you expected? Please share them in the comments below or email me at Troy@frontporchstudios.com, I would love to try them out!