How Do You Get Back Up When You’ve Been Knocked Down?

Getting knocked down is never fun. We all know that feeling. It’s basically like getting punched in your gut, losing all of your breath, and then falling down. While we’re laying there on the floor, trying to get our bearings, figuring out what the heck just happened, we have some decisions to make, don’t we?

We can stay on the floor, we can feel sorry for ourselves, or we can take a deep breath and determine to get back up on our feet again.

Of course, getting back up sounds good, doesn’t it? But we all know how hard that can be sometimes. Especially if you have a big dream in your heart, and you feel like someone has just killed it. 

I’ve been here so many times, you can’t run a business, or put your creative work out there, and not have had this feeling. In fact, you’re probably going to experience this more than all the good “yes, let’s do this” feels. Rejection is part of taking risks. Still, it’s not fun, and if it happens a lot it can actually start to wear on you until you decide you’ve had enough.

Here’s what I do when I’ve had one of these moments.

Assessment Time

First of all, I take a quick assessment - is this going to take me out? Is this setback going to stop me? Is this an irredeemable situation? Most likely it’s not as bad as it feels in the moment. This sucker punch wakes you to a need for course correction, more on that below, but it’s not a death knell. Once you come to terms with this reality, however painful, you can move forward with sitting up.

Time To Breathe

In the sitting position, I take a really big moment to breathe. And I even give myself permission to give it a few days before I return to even thinking about what just happened. I know I need to clear my mind. Why? This helps me see things better, and it helps my wounded heart recover.

Ready To Dream Again

And then, in order to get up from that sitting position, I do usually need a plan. Now, it doesn’t have to be a full-blown, outrageous, new plan. It can simply be a “putting one foot in front of the next” plan, something that will get you walking forward, however slowly. That time you spent “sitting” will give you strategies so that by the time you’re ready to stand you will have a bit more direction. 

This is my process, it’s pretty straightforward. Feel free to use it!