Entrepreneurs tend to have common personality types. Entrepreneurs are known for their go-get-em attitude, for looking before they leap, and for taking risks!  With big risks come big successes, but also major failures. 

So what happens after we fall? How do we keep our entrepreneurial drive intact and take another swing at a potential home run? Let's face it, failing is hard, and it's even harder when what failed was something that matters to you. We all know our businesses are our babies! 

So yes, any career setback is like taking a punch to the gut. Whether it is a small project that didn't do as well as we'd projected, a new office remaining in a weakened state, or an entire business tanking, it qualifies as a hit – and one we won't want to take quietly. 

So here is a list of ideas to help you stay positive, keep that fire in your belly, and stay motivated to try again. 

Don't beat yourself up 

First, don't beat yourself up. Now is not the time to feel ashamed, resentful, or even regretful. Now is the time to focus, analyze the situation, get the right people in place to help you, and turn things around. The reality is, we've all been there. 

When no matter how hard you try, and how many paths you seek out, you just fall short of success. Life, and business, are a series of peaks and valleys, of wins and losses. If you had never tried, you wouldn't have failed - that may be true. However, I can guarantee that you would also have never moved forward. 

The simple fact is you can't be good at everything. You need practice. You need trial and error. You need to fail to grow. So instead of thinking of it as an embarrassing situation, think of it as an invaluable lesson that you would never have learned otherwise.  

Keep it in perspective 

Look at the big picture here, even if this failure affects your entire career, keep it in the category it belongs in. Contrary to most entrepreneurs' beliefs, work is not life. There is an opportunity here to highlight, flag, and memorize this fact. 

This failure does not define you. In fact, it may just be the kick you need to get yourself to the next level. Tough times are part of the deal. This is a journey in which the most valuable lessons are hard-earned. And this allows you to...

Celebrate the good moments. Draw on the feeling of when you first started this adventure of entrepreneurship. Does this disappointment take away all of the small victories? Savor those feelings for when you fail again because let's be honest, none of us have only had one setback. 

Get back on track

So what's next? What are you going to do to not let this happen again? Where do you see yourself at this time next year? Allow the time to grieve, to examine the details, to allow questions to bubble up, and then once you have a sense of closure, it's time to get back on track. 

Here is the part where you pick yourself up and dust yourself off. Even if all you can plan is one step at a time, you need to move in the right direction. Take this as the opportunity it is. Maybe you need to merge onto a different highway right about now. 

Perhaps it's time to invest in yourself and find a mentor, take a course, or learn a new skill. Who knows when the next idea will strike and you will be on the road to your own entrepreneurial success story. Make space for that idea to flourish and then do what we do best, go for it!

Inc