Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Facing failure how to overcome and find success again

Facing failure how to overcome and find success again Failing at something triggers a ton of different emotions: the shame spiral, mountains of self-doubt, and fear-induced projections far into the future. The nagging perfectionist within can often take a small failure and blow it up exponentially. But while most of these perceptions are exaggerated in the moment, a setback can, in fact, have lasting effects on your future behavior. Whether these effects are positive or negative is up to you. Yes, the fear of failure can hold you back from future endeavors, like making a career move or taking risks in your job. But most successful people can take failure and turn it into opportunity. Mistakes are one of the primary ways that people learn. Dare I say, mistakes are good- and failure can be a powerful motivator that spurs on future success and keeps you moving forward, rather than holding you back.Dissecting failureYou don’t want to internalize failure, let it define you, or wallow in any single setback too long. Still, oftentimes w hen you face failure you have to be able to take a step back and really dissect the factors that contributed to the event. We tend to assign fault to ourselves pretty easily, but this is really a time where you want to let logic take over.Make a list of what factors were beyond your control. At work, there can be industry factors that lead to a bad string of luck, new competition, or a market downturn. But if a setback resulted from things that were in your control, what would you do differently?Once you assess the factors that led to the failure, you’re ready to make a plan for next time. How can you better anticipate factors outside your control? (Sometimes you can’t.) What new approach would you take if you could redo everything? By planning to take practical measures over an extended period of time, you can set yourself up for future success in similar situations.Defining failureSometimes, especially when factors are out of your control, you can’t prepare fo r a similar situation in the future. The only way to make it better is to build your resilience in overcoming a setback. How you respond to it and define it are equally important. A â€Å"failure† is often felt differently depending on your perspective. Walk through how you might perceive what happened if you heard the story from a friend or colleague. How would you reassure someone else that this setback wasn’t the end of the world?Another way to approach the problem is to alter your perception of your mistakes. Were you expecting too much of yourself? Let’s say, for example, the setback was not landing a new job that you really wanted. Because there are many factors that lead to a hiring manager choosing Candidate X over Candidate Y, your success or failure in landing a job may not be determined by any of your actions. You should redefine this situation in a positive light. If you made it to the interview stage of the process, you were a strong candidate. That should count as a success. The ability to redefine the situation is an integral part of the process of building your resilience.Defining goalsAnother important response to any setback is to look to the future. If you’re not where you want to be right now, picture your dream job or what success looks like in your current job. Then, consider one small practical goal that can get you moving in that direction. The setback can be motivation to set your sights on your next goal- and your next goal should not be, â€Å"I want to avoid x.† You want to take a positive track and work toward something (rather than running away from something). This is an important distinction, as the goal you have in mind should not be defined by past failures (or a continual reminder thereof).Defining fearsLastly, the main thing to avoid after facing failure is to let the fear of future failure govern your behavior. Make a list of your fears. Sometimes fears can also be closely aligned with you r goals. Sometimes, overcoming fear and running towards what scares you most can actually be your next goal, and can help you get on a path toward success.The point of failure and the fear that surrounds it is actually to fuel the fire that moves you forward. Allow failure to motivate you to take actions that will ensure your future success.

Monday, March 2, 2020

10 Cheap Ways to Get Books for Class

10 Cheap Ways to Get Books for Class College classes are a chance to expand your mind, explore new subjects, meet new people and learn more than you ever wanted to know about just how expensive books can be. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find books on the cheap. These helpful hints can trim down your book budget, see also how to find money for education, and help you to work smarter instead of harder. Find Out If You Need the Textbook First Plenty of courses have a recommended textbook and plenty of students know that doesn’t mean youll actually use them. Each year, thousands of students buy expensive textbooks they open once and then throw into a corner to collect dust until the end of the school year. Talk to former students or ask your professor or TA directly if youll need the textbook. Shop Online Secondhand books have become a huge industry online. Websites like ABE and Alibris specialize in out of print and hard to find titles – including textbooks. Amazon also offers quite a few options – including a marketplace solely dedicated to used and secondhand books. When shopping online for textbooks, there are a few tips that can help make sure you find a great deal. Ask About the Edition – Some textbooks go through major revisions every year. Others move the placement of a comma and release it as an Updated Edition. Trawl through the Table of Content, look for a list of updates and changes or simply ask your professor if an older version is fine for the course. Being able to buy an older edition could slash the cost of a textbook in half. Check the Condition – Secondhand books are, by their very nature, used. However, not all students go through a Highlight Fever phase so many textbooks are in great shape with little, if any, marks or highlights. Others, however, can be so marked up that youll start to think the previous owner fostered a deep seated marker scent addiction. If a textbook is priced especially low, be sure to check the notes on its condition. If youre able to ignore marks and notes in the margins, then a heavily used copy will be a lot cheaper than one with little or no marks. Cast the Net Wide – When looking for textbooks online, be sure to include websites that arent completely dedicated to books. Both eBay and Craigslist can be great places to find used textbooks, especially if you manage to search right after a semester ends. Plenty of students try to sell their own textbooks directly and some even sell them as a lot on sites like Craigslist. Factor in Shipping – When you buy books online, they could be coming from anywhere. If youve only started to look for textbooks a few weeks before class starts, be sure theyll arrive in time. Also factor in the shipping costs – textbooks are notoriously heavy. Get Local If your university is near a major city, be sure to check out the local thrift stores. Many students dont bother trying to resell their old textbooks and you may be surprised how many end up on the bookshelves of a local charity shop. While the editions may be older, if your course doesn’t require the most up to date edition, picking up a used copy at a thrift store could make a real difference in how much you end up paying for books. Consider International Editions International editions of major textbooks have the same content as domestic editions. The difference typically has to do with the quality of paper and other materials used to publish the book. These books are not available through US websites or stores. That means youll need to consider extra shipping costs and more shipping time since youll be ordering from abroad. Explore E-Book Options These days, more and more publishers are offering electronic versions of popular university and higher education textbooks. Although you wont be able to easily resell these books once the class is over, they are typically priced much lower than their traditional counterparts. Rent Them! Renting textbooks has become the newest way for students to help take the crunch out of their book budgets. Smaller websites like Textbook Rentals and Book Renter have become hot buzzwords on college campuses. Even the book giants Amazon and Barnes Noble are beginning to get into the textbook rental business. Although currently there are a limited number of books you can rent, its growing popularity suggests that soon students will be able to rent everything from Accounting 101 to Zoology 999. There are many expenses associated with getting a college degree. Paying for tuition and class fees is really the top of the iceberg. Books come a close second in terms of how much of your education budget but these tips can help lessen the sting of buying books for every class. Freeing up a bit of money by getting textbooks cheaper means less stress on your budget and your mind which can make your next semester a lot easier.