Strategies For Dealing With Rejection

Rejection can sting, but it doesn't have to derail your efforts or your future. It is a part of life that everyone must face. While refusal isn't enjoyable, it's rarely fatal. Luckily, there are strategies that can help you use rejection as a stepping-stone to success. Try these tips to deal with rejection quickly and effectively, so you can move on.

1Take A Short Break

Whether a potential romantic partner, your boss, or a Hollywood director rejected you, take some time to grieve and pull yourself together. Avoid taking too long to reengage with your life, though. Take the time you need but get back out there, as quickly as possible.

2Realize That There Other Opportunities

How many potential romantic partners exist in the world? Millions. You'll have other ideas to pitch to your company. A single rejection only means that you're participating in the world.

The only people that don't get rejected are at home, on the couch. There are plenty of opportunities in the future. Many of them are far better than your recent miss.

3Learn From The Rejection

Was there something that you could have done better? Take the opportunity to look at the rejection and learn from it. If you can learn one small thing from each negative experience in your life, you'll have far fewer of them. If appropriate, ask what you can do to improve. A job interviewer might be very willing to give you a few pointers that you can apply in the future, so listen carefully to the answers you receive.

Some quests have a low success rate. For example, you can offer home sellers fifty cents on the dollar to buy their house, and 99% will reject your offer. Accept that a certain amount of rejection is part of any endeavor.

4Avoid Blaming Yourself

Avoid automatically assuming that the reason for the rejection is related to you. For instance, there are hundreds of causes why a woman might refuse to go out with you, and this may have nothing to do with you. She may already be involved with someone else, or she may be interested in members of the opposite sex. Other possible reasons are that she may just have gotten out of a long-term relationship, she's moving soon, or her mother is ill, and she's caring for her.

5Learn That Rejection May Bring Success

How can you fail if you avoid quitting? Keep at it, and you'll eventually find the success you're seeking. Salespeople are trained to believe that every "no" is another step closer to a "yes."

6Know That Everyone Deals With Rejection

Everyone deals with rejection. The most successful people get rejected the most. They just do a better job of forging ahead than those with average results.

7Monitor Your Self-Talk

Keep your thoughts positive and upbeat. A poor mood and expectations give poor results. Say kind things to yourself and good things will happen.

8Treat Yourself Well

Failure isn't an excuse to mistreat yourself. Overeating, consumption of alcohol, or excessive spending isn't the answer. Celebrate the fact that you made an effort. Maybe your rejection even deserves a small reward.

Rejection is just an undesired outcome. It's no different than missing the strike zone during a baseball game. You wouldn't walk off the mound after one errant pitch; you'd keep throwing the ball instead. Avoid allowing rejection to impact your mood or behavior negatively. Learn, grow, and try again.

GET THE FREE MAGAZINE DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOU: