When things don’t go your way do you beat yourself up over it? Most people do.

Maybe you didn’t get the job or win the project. Maybe your big idea didn't take off. It’s all your fault. Or is it? Ask yourself:

Was the decision in your control?
If you’re not in control of the decisions, you’re not in control of the outcomes. You can’t make someone hire you. For all you know they might be making a terrible mistake.

Did you have perfect information?
A trick question, because nobody has perfect information. And if you don’t have perfect information you can’t make perfect judgements. You probably know less than half of the factors at work.

Did you know then what you know now?
We can always look back on things and explain what we did wrong. But if you didn’t have that information at the time, you couldn’t have used it.

Did you give it your best shot?
If you tried your best there is no shame whatsoever in not succeeding. You either win or you learn.

Here’s the reality: good decisions do not always equate to favorable outcomes. We can do our best and not succeed, and sometimes make poor decisions and still luck out. Don't suffer unnecessarily over events beyond your control. Go easy on yourself!

See this post on LinkedIn