How to Stay Motivated After Rejection
It is a well-known fact that life is not fair. If it were, we would not need laws and courts, or government agencies and promises of rewards in the hereafter. There will be times when you are going to face rejection; whether it is from a company, a boyfriend or girlfriend, a spouse etc. So, you have to look at ways of overcoming the depression that follows rejection.
Staying motivated starts with yourself: your own positive mental attitude. After that, a little self-examination is called for. Look for ways in which to improve yourself. If you were trying to catch the eye of that certain lady (or gentleman), what might you do to make yourself more appealing to them? Do you need to change something about your appearance, your attitudes, your beliefs? If it was a job you were after, are there some classes you can take to make you better suited for the job you are trying to get.
If you wrote a pilot for a TV show, and it was rejected by a network, are there some things you can do to improve the script? It could be as simple as having someone read it to give you feedback, or maybe you need a professional consultant to review and assess it. Or maybe you need to take some writing classes. Another way of boosting your morale is by entering your work in some writing contests. Even if you don’t win, just having more people read your material can make you feel better.
Then look at other examples of people who have been rejected, yet overcome it to ultimately succeed. Richard Hooker, the author of the novel “MASH” saw his book rejected by more than a dozen publishers before it made it into print. One of the greatest children’s writers in history, Dr. Seuss, was rejected time and again by publishers; but he kept at it, and – well, the rest is history!
The next step in staying motivated despite rejection is finding people who will improve your feeling of self-worth. As an example; if you are a writer, seek out local writing groups or maybe coffee shops that have “Open Mic Nights”. You can attend writing seminars to hone your craft, and then read some samples of your works at the coffee shops. In addition, just being around people who believe in you, and encourage you in your endeavors can be a tremendous help in keeping you motivated despite rejection. If your friends and family tend to be the “glass half empty” sorts, you are going to have trouble getting over rejection. So, seek out more positive people. Now, you do want to be careful; you do not want to be surrounded by a bunch of “yes men” (or women). Just look at some of the people who were rejected from “American Idol”. How many of them just knew absolutely that they were great singers? Why? - Because their friends and family told them so. That is why a little honest encouragement is the most important thing to help you stay motivated.
Then there is another thing to consider. Going back to the “American Idol” example; consider how many fine singers didn’t make the final cut. After all, in the end, there can only be one winner; even in this politically correct world of ours. So, if you get hit with rejection, it does not necessarily mean that you are not any good. If you are up for a big promotion at work and you don’t get it, it doesn’t mean that you are no good. It can merely mean that there was one position available, and maybe the company simply decided someone else was the skills they wanted. You still have your own skills.
Rejection doesn’t have to mean you’re no good; it can just mean you’re not in the right place at the right time.