Hey Reader,
You know that feeling of being unstoppable when you win.
But when we lose, we tend to question everything.
Most people stay too long in the high of victory.
And some get stuck trying to recover from the sting of failure.
In today’s issue, we’ll uncover how to snap out of our emotions faster for a mentally healthier and fulfilling life.
💭 The comeback mindset
Let’s talk about Thomas Edison.
He was behind some of the most transformative inventions in modern history: light bulbs, phonographs, and motion pictures.
In December 1914, a massive explosion destroyed Thomas Edison’s factory in New Jersey.
Years of prototypes, notes, and equipment all gone in flames.
He was 67 years old at the time. At that age, most people would’ve been crushed.
But when his son ran to find him, Edison was calmly watching the fire.
He reportedly said, “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again.”
The next morning, he called his team together and said, “We’re rebuilding. Start tomorrow.”
Within three weeks, the factory was back up and running.
And within a year, Edison released some of his most profitable inventions.
He didn’t get consumed by the pain of that moment.
He saw the loss, acknowledged it, and returned to creation.
That’s emotional discipline at its finest.
🧠 The emotional rollercoaster of results
It’s easy to get caught up in your own results.
When you win, the high kicks in, and you spend so much time savoring the excitement.
Then something goes sideways.
A plan fails, or someone pulls out of a contract.
And just like that, you find yourself questioning things that made perfect sense.
You probably end up canceling meetings because your energy’s off.
But the more you entertain those small saboteur voices, the worse everything appears.
Days pass. Maybe weeks, or even months, and the failure can sting so much that you feel too weak to try again, or get back to the work itself.
You start to feel you’re no longer performing at your highest.
And it’s not that you don’t know how to handle pressure. You do.
But if you tie too many emotions to the validations of success or the impostor feeling of failure, you’ll spend too long at the top celebrating, and too long at the bottom overthinking, while the work is still waiting.
It’s kryptonite for sustaining high performance.
❤️ The work keeps you sane
Getting back to work has a special way of putting both success and failure in their respective places.
It pulls you straight into the present and resets your focus.
It keeps your head clear and helps you manage the highs and lows of your emotions.
You reconnect with the part of you that loves the craft itself, not just the results.
It stops your head from replaying what went wrong or obsessing over what went right, because the work demands your attention now.
So even when your plan blows up in your face, you still show up for the next.
You’ll feel the pain, no doubt, but you know the more you wait, the more time the work has to wait.
And the harder it’ll get to start.
That action builds the momentum to continue.
You are reminded of why you started in the first place.
You’re not hesitant to try again if you have to.
And you feel the peace that comes from knowing you’re still moving.
You realize results are just triggers of emotions.
And it’s in your best interest to control these emotions.
Else, they become detrimental to your progress.
🤲 The 48-hour rule that keeps you going
It’s okay to pause and celebrate wins, or examine lessons from failure.
But too much delay is dangerous.
You may not realize how much time can pass if nothing puts your feelings in check.
These 3 simple steps will help you snap back fast and get you moving:
- Feel it fully, but not for long. Give yourself 48 hours to feel your emotions. Savor the happiness from the win, or feel the sadness from the defeat. Whatever you need. But once that window closes, it’s time to ask the right questions.
- What’s in it for you? Ask yourself: “What’s this failure teaching me?” or “What better part of me did I discover in this win?” or “What did this moment show me?” Pick out the lessons from failure or moments of epiphany in the win. You’ll find strengths worth repeating in the wins, and systems worth fixing in the losses. Nothing else matters.
- Let your mind recalibrate. Reflect on your findings, get clear on the next steps. Re-strategize where needed. That’s all you need.
- Get back to work. Take the lessons or moments of epiphany along for the next ride. The work is a win too. It’s the best recovery. That action cleans up everything that thinking complicates.
And that’s it, you’re back to work.
🎯 Get back to the vision
What really drives you? The outcome or the craft?
When the result lands, good or bad, how fast do you return to the work?
If that plan failed, would you still know the worth of your work?
The emotional rollercoaster of wins and losses will eventually fade.
But your big, vivid vision is still waiting to become a reality.
As Kobe Bryant once said, “You take it in. You learn from it. You move on.”
So strive to find your way back to your craft.
With appreciation,
Huw.
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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