Nugget of Wisdom: Try again tomorrow
It’s been a little quiet on the MyLFG front lately. Sometimes the trials and tribulations of life can get in the way and put a hold on otherwise important things.
Now that I’ve had time to pause and readjust my priorities, I thought I’d share something short and sweet.
When I decided to start applying to Master’s programs abroad, I was REALLY nervous about not getting accepted, about uprooting my life, giving up a job that I enjoyed. How would it look to my friends or family or worse my references if I was rejected?! I didn’t want to ask them to take time out of their busy schedules to write letters or get on the phone with prospective supervisors on my behalf, and I then don’t get accepted into the program. What would I say to them if this happened? Plus, there’s always the self-doubt that creeps in. Am I even qualified to be in a Master’s program in some other country?
It wasn’t until I came across a quote by Mary Anne Radmacher that I realized it was worth the risk, that it was worth pushing back against all the negative thoughts and feelings that could prevent me from realizing a major goal of mine.
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
I told myself in that moment, that if I don’t get in, I’ll just try again next year.
Simple.
It was just deciding that I wasn’t going to give up, that I was just going to put my head down and keep trying until I got through. If it doesn’t work out now, there’s a good reason for it and I’ll be better prepared the next time around. This mindset helped to relax me and it made my approach more objective and thorough.
It’s important that we all take a moment to check ourselves when experiencing imposter syndrome or just plain ole’ fear. I was afraid to fail. I was afraid that I wasn’t the kind of person that could do great things. These fears take the form of pseudo-legitimate self-doubt and convince profoundly intelligent people with unique perspectives to back away from great opportunities or to seek out new paths.
So, my humble advice to you is simple. The fear of failure could sometimes manifest itself in negative thoughts that seem reasonable but only serve to limit your aspirations, block your path to what could be greatness in whatever form that may take, prevent you from realizing a potential you had no idea you possessed. The remedy is not complicated. The next time you’re confronted with fear or failure, keep your goal at the forefront of your focus. Let it be a beacon that trivializes doubt, that pulls you forward…and if you meet with failure… just go to bed and try again tomorrow.
– MK
