It was about this time last year that one of my sons was notified he’d missed out on crew selection for the big end-of-season rowing regatta, literally by seconds! Sport can be cruel like that. The regatta is the culmination of a grueling season of early starts, late finishes and punishing sessions that would bring most of us to our knees.

He sent me a text to deliver the bad news which, understandably, expressed total disappointment and dejection. When you consider what he went through, it’s not hard to work out why this was the case. If you think about it, we set goals in order to achieve a desired result, and when that result, for whatever reason doesn’t come our way, we naturally go through a phase of disappointment. It might even cause us to reflect on whether it was all “worth” the trouble and effort.

My response to that text was, in a way, not what he expected to hear…

I said to him “I actually don’t see how you failed.” You achieved so much more than you realise. You learnt what it’s like to have discipline, jumping out of bed at 4:30am, coming home exhausted at 9:00pm, while still trying to juggle your academic commitments. You learnt what it’s like to be part of a team, working, training and encouraging others to achieve their best. You got to experience what it’s like to watch the sunrise and set over the river and hear the rippling of the water while rowing in unison with your crew. You’ve felt what it’s like to have earned the respect and admiration of your coaches and peers, regardless of your position in the crew, because ultimately, you covered the same miles, completed the same amount of strokes and challenged yourself to exactly the same level as each and every member of that crew. Your fitness improved immensely, and although you may not realise it, you actually achieved something not many others would even contemplate doing, and this is something you’ll be able to take away with you for the rest of your life.

In our careers, there are many instances where we might feel we failed or wasted time in interviews, making poor decisions or performing jobs we don’t necessarily consider “ideal.” These instances can cause our confidence levels to plummet, leaving us feeling insecure and lacking confidence. I think it’s important to find perspective and look at the positives we can derive from “the journey.” If we sit back and reflect, there’s a strong chance we’ll find we actually gained valuable learning experiences that help us grow and make us stronger individuals, better able to tackle the future challenges that lie ahead.

I feel it’s important to consider a mindset where we recognise progressive milestones. I think it can do much to improve an individual’s psychological outlook towards goal setting and achievement. In essence, I believe it has the potential to enhance motivation, confidence and help drive a further sense of purpose in achieving our career goals. I came across a great quote from well-known American businesswoman, Mary Kay Ash: “Even the smallest achievements pave the way to great success.” I think it says it all really.

So, next time you walk out of that job interview with your head down or fail to win that job you thought was “in the bag,” remember that like most things, careers are a journey that are not always a perfect science. What’s important is that you appreciate the lessons and achievements gained along the way. Big or small. Because they are all significant wins on the road to success. In a world where success is very much measured by the “end result,” it’s very easy to forget that the things you learn and experience along the way are just as much, if not more, value than the prize.

There will always be the next interview or job opportunity, but the difference is you’ll likely be more prepared, more educated and better equipped to tackle that next career challenge. That to me is very much a win in itself!

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