Embracing Setbacks: Transforming Failures into Stepping Stones

In the latest episode of our podcast, I dove into the transformative power of Jiu-Jitsu and its potential to reshape our perspective on failure. The art of Jiu-Jitsu is not just about physical grappling; it's about grappling with life's challenges, falling, and rising again. I have grown in skill and regressed at the same time! In life, I see it mirrored. How many times to we feel we are making progress in one area of life or one specific detail in our work, only to feel other areas slipping from our grasp? None of us are alone in this feeling, in this truth. So how do we transform these setbacks into stepping stones so we don't derail our progress?

Pause, Step Away, and Shake it off

Nothing good comes from the outpouring of extreme emotional response. In Jiu-Jitsu, we can call this spazzing! Basically it's responding to a situation with no clear understanding of what we want to get out it. We just move around hoping to get lucky. Many times we can hurt ourselves or others in this mode. So, when we feel the icy grip of frustration and failure sinking in it's teeth, we need to pause as soon as possible. We need to shake it off and reframe our approach before we re-engage.

Pivot, Find the Absurdity, and Laugh or Smile

As we shake our heads, we search for the funny. Sometimes it's found in the recognition of the story we are telling ourselves. It might be that you expected to not struggle. Maybe the last time you were in this situation with a different person, you handle it flawlessly. Well that was then, this is now. The absurdity might you expecting to learn something and apply it with perfection immediately! It might be the over inflation of your assumption that everyone's going to laugh at your struggle.

Pursue, Move Forward

Now, we need to re-engage having accepted the struggle will most likely continue. We can ask for help or acknowledge we are struggling. We take ownership while also showing commitment to ourselves and others that yes, I'm not understanding this, but I'm going to keep trying until I figure it out. You may end up figuring it out after a few minutes and get to celebrate this valuable lesson where even though you wanted to quit, pout, or rage, you kept going and figured it out! More often than not, you may find your best course of action is to get through it and take in as much as you can so you can leave with a better of understanding as to what you need to learn once you've left the situation.

Learn

Now you know where your deficiencies are so you can bring learning around them. Maybe it's instructional videos, talking through it with friends, or messaging a coach or mentor. Whatever the case, you are consciously or unconsciously building the connection between struggle and calls to growth and destroying the bridge that links struggle to failure. The concept of pausing, pivoting, and pursuing is introduced in this episode to show how this approach can help us move forward despite stumbling and falling.

The importance of accepting our weaknesses and using them as a springboard for learning and improvement is vital. Instead of reacting out of frustration or blaming others for our failures, we need to take ownership of our mistakes and learn from them. Failure can be a signal for growth, helping us to become more effective, stack more wins, and grow.

Despite struggling and feeling like we've reached a dead end, we don't give up. Instead, we stay in the arena, using the "failure" as a chance to develop skills, and seek help and resources to learn them. This experience serves as a powerful lesson for us: no matter how difficult the situation, there's always a way forward.

In conclusion, this podcast episode is an exploration of how Jiu-Jitsu can help us redefine our relationship with failure. Failure is not the end; it's just the beginning of a new chapter of growth. By laughing at our failures, learning from them, and using them as stepping stones, we can transform our perspective on failure and equip ourselves with the mindset to grow and succeed.

This episode serves as a reminder that we are all capable of turning setbacks into stepping stones. It encourages us to stay resilient, keep learning, and keep growing, no matter what life throws at us. Whether you're a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner or not, the lessons from this episode are universal and can be applied to any aspect of life.