How do you handle failure?

"I refuse to accept it," you say. "That word has no place in my vocabulary!"

Then you'll have to call it something else.

For failure is common to all. Especially most successful of us!

Look at life-stories of great and famous, and you will find that each one faced tremendous discouragements and setbacks, yet overcame them.

And that's secret -- Learn to Handle Failure.

1. Affirm your worth. 2. Review situation. 3. Go at it again with all your worth.

"That's too simplistic!" you snort.

If you know of a better way, please let me know!

1. Affrim Your Worth.

The first step is to realise that failure - making a mistake - does not mean you are useless. Any more than falling off a bicycle means you cannot ride. You get up, learn from your mistake, and try again.

"What does this have to do with affirming?" you ask.

We are, most often, our own worst enemies.

"I blew it -- I'm useless -- "I should be doing something else . . . "

"You've been reading my mail," you mutter.

This is where you need a mentor - a really good friend (I've got one!) - with whom you can chat, and share your heart-ache!

You certainly don't want to talk to those who will say "I told you so - I told you you were wasting your time" !!

Because your friend has been through mill, suffered same (or similar) setbacks, they will be able to reassure you that what you are facing is nothing new.

And just as they came through it (by hard work, good planning and application) so, too, will you be able to rise above this, and become a success.

2. Review Situation.

This is a critical part of exercise.

Are you "raising Cain" with yourself or others regarding your clutter or are you taking necessary steps and actions to overcome your clutter situation?

You can choose to do one of two things when your clutter conditions become overwhelming - you can fight clutter or you can overcome your clutter problems.

To overcome your clutter successfully you must leave behind and release your old ways of thinking and how you do things now. You must release your fears about your stuff, your doubts of what to get rid of, your attitudes towards your clutter and stuff, your resentments, prejudices, negativity, and those old tapes in your head.

If what you did yesterday didn't help towards getting organized or if you didn't like how your day went then you must NOT do same things you did yesterday in order for a change to start taking place in your life.

To change your life or circumstances, to rise above your problems or situations you might have to disassociate yourself from friends or family members that bring you down or that are in same boat as you. You need to STOP commiserating with others like you, whether in person, phone, or cyberspace that continue to complain or whine about their situations BUT take no action towards changing if you REALLY want to change.

You can lift yourself up and choose to associate with people and others of a lifestyle that you secretly dream of by identifying your dream robbers, planning, and seeking out others that can help you.

Identifying Your Dream Robbers:

You become like those around you. You take on their personalities, their attitudes, and their problems. Like magnets you are attracted to and attract mirror images of yourself - everyday, all day! Your thoughts and your environment become like those around you. This happens to EVERYONE ... if they let it....

==>Make a list of your family, friends, co-workers, associates, acquaintances, and how they act around you. Are they sad or happy, healthy or depressed, violent or kind, controlling or abusive?

==>How do they effect you, your thoughts, and your habits?

==>What are they talking about? Bills, debt, clutter, time, soap operas - real life and television.

==>What are their attitudes? Negative or positive?

==>What might you say or do when they start "acting" in a negative or inappropriate fashion? Please be kind, walk away or completely disassociate.

==>What's in their world? Clutter, chaos, drama, or organized, calm, and peace?

Planning:

=>Find a quiet place and time when you won't be interrupted

=>Get a notebook or journal and write down how you'd like to see your life or environment, and answer following questions:

=>What would be an ideal day for you?

=>How would you like your day to unfold?