Answering this question honestly is can lead to the development of a success consciousness. Most times in life, things simply do not go as we planned them to. Too often people behave in ways that conflict with our desires. Life has a way of unfavorable circumstances our way. How we handle these situations is what catapults one into the success realm.

Are you one of those who allow unenviable situations to get you down? Do you fall into depression when you don’t get your way? Get angry? Feel like crying? Well, it is time to grow up. If you are one who continually allows these circumstances to take hold of you, I can guarantee that you are destined for a life of failure. Instead of getting down, the successful get motivated.

Here is a great secret of life: Everyone gets knocked around from time-to-time. No one gets everything they want all the time. Let me repeat that. No one gets everything they want all the time. Disappointment is shared among each person on the planet. The difference is how we respond to that disappointment. In fact, how we react in any situation is truly the only thing that we have full control over.

There was a salesman that I was working with who had a situation that arose that cost him a fair amount of money. He wrote enough business to qualify for his bonus. Due to a business owner being out of town, he was not able to get all the paperwork done by the close of billing. However, he talked with several managers who assured him the deal would be billed, thus preserving his bonus. Well, someone failed to bill the deal and the salesman lost his bonus. This was the latest in a long line of struggles within this company.

Initially, the salesman thought of quitting and going to another company. He knew that he had the ability to land a job with any of a number of competitors in his field. However, due to our working together, he was able to reason it through. Instead of letting this get him dejected, he decided to use this to motivate him. He went on to have one of his biggest months with the company far surpassing the money that he lost the previous month. This is an example of turning a “losing” situation into a winning one.

Too often, we will not do things until we are at the point of complete frustration. If you are presently experiencing some major disappointment in any area of your life, then get excited. This typically is a sign that a substantial breakthrough is about to occur However, this is true only if one is taking the action necessary to move forward. Focused action in the “down” times is usually a proven method for turning things around.

Another factor worth mentioning is the time lag that often occurs. When one begins to take action towards a desired outcome, there will be a lag between when the action was taken and the planned results. Perseverance is vital at this point. A strong mental outlook will carry you through until the results begin to appear.

Think of the successful athlete. Often, they suffered a setback somewhere in their careers. Perhaps they were cut from a team or they suffered an injury. These situations were used as motivation to put in the effort to make themselves better. Ultimately, they overcame the circumstances. Implement this strategy in your life when things seem to be going against you.

Get motivated and take focused action in the direction of the goals that you most desire.