Aiming for excellence in business and life necessarily requires cooperating with others. As the African proverb goes,

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

(Un)fortunately we're all human.

This means we have expectations of others and sometimes we end up being disappointed in them.

We make mistakes too. We fall short in the eyes of others, and - crucially - we disappoint ourselves too.

These three steps are incredibly helpful to deal with the disappointment, resentment, anger, frustration, and all other emotions that arise from everyday life.

Step 1 - Let the Emotion Out

Find a responsible way to let our your energy.

Scream into a pillow, cry, run, lift, spin, dance... whatever does it for you.

As long as you inflict no damage to property, self, or others, it's pretty much A-OK.

Let the emotions out.

Step 2 - Take 100% Responsibility

Dr. David Wolf, counseling psychologist and author of Relationships that Work, describes three levels to consider here:

1. Practical - what did you say, not say, do, not do that set up this failure?
   E.g. you avoided an uncomfortable conversation for 6 months.
   

2. Emotional - how do you use emotions to unproductively manipulate your way to get what you want?
   E.g. child throws temper tantrum to get attention.
   E.g. adult "gets tired" when there's something they don't feel like doing.
   

3. Spiritual - in what way did you conspire with the universe to bring about this experience so you could gain a critical lesson so you can fulfill your destiny and make your greatest contribution in this lifetime?

Step 3 - Make it Complete

Based on what you discover from taking 100% Responsibility (above), take action to address the tools, systems, strategies that need to be added / edited / deleted.

Where you need to have conversations, do so. Apologize where needed - to others and / or yourself. Hire, fire, train, people if you lead others.

One way or another, make this situation complete so it no longer has power over you.

Use these three steps, in this order, and you'll find your upsets will happen much more quickly and you'll return to being happy and focused much sooner.

Truth and Mastery,

Tim :)