In my professional career (and throughout my life really), I’ve heard the word “no” more often than anything else. Here are some of the most typical examples:
- No, you did not get the job.
- No, your request was not approved.
- No, you did not get the promotion.
- No, you will not be getting a raise this year.
- No, you were not selected for this [INSERT SOMETHING I REALLY WISHED].
Sometimes “they” try to be polite to you, or precede the “No” with a “sorry” or “unfortunately”, but the reality is that whatever it was that I was wishing for at the moment, I would not be getting.
So after I curse, cry, roll my eyes, crawl into a hole for a minute, or whatever it takes me to get over the initial rejection, I ask myself some follow up questions:
- Is it worth putting up a fight for it?
- Can I achieve the intended results elsewhere?
- Are there alternative outcomes?
- Can we somehow meet in the middle?
Regardless of the answers on the above questions, it pretty much does not matter how much effort you initially put into it, and you just need to keep pushing (or swimming). The trick is knowing how and where to push. Sometimes you just gotta try again, and try harder. Some other times you just gotta ignore the rejection and persist with your belief. And some other times, you just got to evaluate if what you were aiming to get is even what you wanted to begin with!
No matter what path you choose, just make sure not to be in denial, because that can be really unhealthy for you and everyone around you. Start looking at the big picture and think of what else you can do to change your perception of negativity. If you did not get the one thing you were hoping for, gather your thoughts on what you learned from this experience and push harder on the next opportunity.
This is also a good opportunity to step back and look at the big picture because you may not ofter be seeing something that is really blatantly in front of you. To my point, remember the famous Bugs Bunny meme? What If I told you he was never saying no? Here is the actual proof:
So wait – that never meant to be a “no”. And that is my point with this post. You are so focused on one particular result, you never stopped to appreciate what got you there and what you learned along the way. And trust me, there is always so much to be grateful for. So many people, new friends, new experiences, and those are yours to take with you.
As for the job, the promotion, or whatever else? You collect all you learned, and you move onto the next opportunity and you continue to move forward. After all, it’s all about the journey, not the destination. And if Microsoft’s own CEO, Satya Nadella himself has used the quote in the past, why can’t I?
Unsuck Microsoft365 