f you go to shoot a bow and arrow, the further you pull the arrow back, the faster it goes forward. The more energy that there is in reverse, the more energy that is created in the response.
And that is how I want you to think about setbacks.
Overcoming Setbacks
All of us deal with failure. We all have setbacks. We all have tragedies. We all have difficult things that happen to us.
And if there’s one thing that I’ve seen consistently to be true amongst ultra-performers, high achievers, and great leaders is it’s not that they’ve had a perfect track record. They’ve had things happen to them in their life. Some that they were responsible for, and some that they weren’t.
But that means for you to become an ultra-performer, to become a multiplier, to be an influencer, to be a leader, to be an achiever, to be a person of value or success or significance, there’s a good chance that you’re going to have to learn also to overcome setbacks.
And a huge part of overcoming setbacks is just our mindset in terms of how we think about setbacks because they happen to everybody, right?
They may look a little bit different, but all of us have experienced some type of setback.
We’ve all not gotten a promotion that we thought we were going to have or maybe we lost a loved one. Or something happened to us, our home, our family, because of a natural disaster or your family had to move. Or there’s some health issue or financial struggle, right?
All of us deal with setbacks. It’s a part of life.
And if that’s true, and then it’s also true that we know that all achievers have had to overcome them.
And we’re working from the premise that how do we think about setbacks? What is the proper way to think about it? What is the constructive way to think about it in a way that’s going to help move us forward?
Setback Quote
And that’s what I wanted to share with you.
This is one of my favorite illustrations.
And I think of this and I’ve heard people describe it this way when experiencing a setback.
Maybe you’re there right now, right?
Maybe you are struggling with something. There’s some goal that you want to have; some dream that you’re pursuing that isn’t happening or you’re not sure if it’s going to happen. And then you’re chasing something and you’re not there yet.
Or perhaps you feel like you’re going backward? I’ve been there.
I’ve been there when I’ve felt like I’ve gone backward.
In fact, I’ve had times in my life where I have had to completely start over. I’ve had times where I’ve said, “Gosh, I’ve spent so much energy in so much time building something.”
And then suddenly, I felt like I was going backward, starting over.
And if that’s you or perhaps there’s someone that you know that is there, here’s a way I want you to think about this.
I want you to think about it like a bow and an arrow.
I know. Rory Vaden is not typically the guy to use outdoor illustrations and very masculine types of illustrations.
And it is true. I’m not a hunter. I prefer to spend most of my free time at the spa, getting massages, manicures and pedicures, and things of that nature.
But I have been hunting once before with a bow. We never actually got anything, but we spent an entire day elk hunting. I did the full experience. I took the scent, elk urine, and put it all over me. I got the whole garb, painted my face, and learned how to shoot the bow and arrow.
And you know, if you go to shoot a bow and arrow, they teach you one simple law.
It’s common sense.
And that is, the further you pull the arrow back, the faster it goes forward.
The further that you pull the arrow back, the faster it goes forward; the more energy that there is in reverse, the more energy that is created in the response.
And that is how I want you to think about setbacks.
Like a bow and arrow, the further your setbacks pull you back the faster you’ll be launched forward.
That’s how I want you to think about when things feel like they’re falling apart, when things feel like they’re not working out, when it feels like you’re running into a barrier after barrier, or maybe you feel like you’re starting over or for whatever reason, your dream just hasn’t come true yet.
It doesn’t mean that it’s not going to; it doesn’t mean that it’s over.
It very well could mean, just like the arrow, that you just happened to be on your way back.
You happened to be being pulled back and maybe you are going backward, but that doesn’t mean that’s the direction that you’re always heading.
Moving Forward
It means that you’re being prepared to go forward.
It means that the power is coming.
It means that the stage is being set. It means that you are being readied. You are being prepared.
The time is being made, right?
The situation, the circumstances are all being orchestrated.
Everything is going to be working for you.
You’re going to be creating that forward motion.
That momentum, that power, that strength, that speed.
But right now, you’re being pulled back, but you’re not going to stay back forever.
You’re going to launch forward.
You’re going to be set free. You’re going to move in the direction of your dreams.
So, don’t be discouraged.
Don’t quit.
Don’t stop.
Just remind yourself that you’re being pulled back because you’re about to be launched forward.
Comment below if you have experienced a setback and you moved forward. I love to know.
