Business Stress: How to Deal with Disappointment as an Entrepreneur

Have you ever been dissatisfied with an outcome pertaining to a business choice you made? It is the failure of our expectations and hopes in business that can cause us to become dissatisfied with a particular outcome. In fact, disappointment is a primary cause of business stress.

As an entrepreneur it is important to ask for what you want — put your desires truly “out there.” Most of the time you will be amazed at the positive results. Yet naturally, there are times when things will not work out quite how you had hoped.

The feeling of disappointment hits home with many small business owners at some point or another. Actually, it is to be expected if you open yourself up and pursue new opportunities that are genuinely exciting to you.

We put our hearts and souls into pursuing success, then when the press release we distribute falls on deaf ears or when we don’t land that big client we have been courting it is easy to get lost in disappointment.

How to Bounce Back from Business Disappointment 

Disappointment is something we have all dealt with as entrepreneurs — leaders and stewards of growing companies.

Personally, I remember when I had a fantastic opportunity come my way (entirely out of the blue) only for it not to result in the outcome I had envisioned. What made the mental anguish so raw is the fact that I had run so far down the (long) path to “getting what I wanted” only to fall at the last step. I was totally crushed and yet I knew I had to get my act together otherwise I would let “disappointment” get me seriously off track.

Here are three ways to bounce back from disappointment in business and become a stronger, savvier and more determined entrepreneur:

1. Embrace your disappointment.

When we are disappointed, I mean really disappointed, it shows. It is actually a positive sign, because it signals to you that you are on the right track to building a life and business that is going to make you tick!

So rather than ignore your feelings, ask yourself the following questions:

a. Why did the outcome disappoint me?

b. What “specifically” will I miss by not achieving my desired outcome?

Your answer to (b) is the very thing you deeply want; it is the what you need to continue to aim for in business. By understanding the root of your disappointment you can learn new insights into what is really important to you. This in itself is vital to shaping a more fulfilling life and business.

2. Go gratitude crazy.

Once you have spent some quality time getting “down and dirty” with your disappointment, it is time to let it go.

The best way to let go of disappointment is to refocus on everything you already have in business that you are truly grateful for– the successes you have achieved, your qualities and strengths that make you feel good about yourself and the people and things you value in your life.

A shift from “outcome-orientation” to gratitude-centered thinking can instantly lift your energy and rekindle your inner fire. I also recommend that you buy a gratitude journal and write in it daily. Trust me, you will be addicted to keeping a journal and it is a lot healthier than that “feel good glass of vino.”