Dealing With The Possibility Of Rejection Or Failure

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” - Denis Waitley 

Every day you wake up and confront challenges.

You often aim for improbable results. It could mean requesting a donation, putting in a job application, asking your crush out, or presenting a product to a potential client.

You may receive a "NO" in many of these scenarios. If they are polite, they will add a “thank you”.

You know rejection is not only possible but also likely. What's the best way to handle this and increase your chances of success?

You have a choice between three options:

A) You Give Up

You may opt not to try, given the probability that the pretty girl may not reciprocate your feelings or that the company will reject your proposal.

Why bother wasting your time if all you'll get is disappointment and embarrassment?

The problem with this approach is that running away from uncertainty won't give you control over your life or the progress you want.

Failure is a necessary part of success. Successful individuals have faced more failures than triumphs in their journey.

Winners are those who can bounce back, adapt, and remain resilient.

B) You Go For Quantity

Playing the numbers game can help increase your odds of success.

Don't just ask one girl for her number, ask 20. Contact 1000 potential customers, or send your resume to 300 companies.

To succeed in this approach, you have to keep effort per interaction minimal so that you have enough resources and energy to reach more prospects. Once you get any sign of interest, you can zero in on it.

This approach is also called “spraying and praying”.

You are like a farmer scattering thousands of seeds everywhere, hoping that some will find the right soil, take root, and grow.

C) You Go For Quality

You can put in as much as you want in every single try.

Your actions go beyond what's rational and exceed most people's expectations.

You prepare for them uniquely by studying their likes, dislikes, habits, and persona. You personalize your documents, rehearse your pitch, and make every touchpoint as high quality as possible.

You're trying to distinguish yourself from others while also connecting with that individual or company.

By demonstrating your level of care and attention, you hope to increase the recipient's likelihood of responding to your request.

You are like the same farmer preparing a small garden with manure, tilling and watering the soil, and planting a few seeds.

In Closing

The other two options are perfectly viable as long as you don't give up. Knowing when to use each of them is important, since they have their own time and place.

You can also combine both. After determining interest from your initial approach, you invest in quality and depth for future interactions.

Doing nothing is not an option you can afford. That's not a wise choice.

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