Defeat is part of life. No one made it to the top of any industry by not failing. In fact, they failed the most.

I want you to reframe “failing” and start looking at it as a stepping stone, to getting whatever you want in life. The dream car, the big mansion, the 6-pack … whatever it is.

Once you start looking at defeat as a necessary evil to becoming successful, it’ll give you the permission to make more progress than you ever have before.

It’s hard to remember but sometimes when you’re down and defeated, it’s only temporary. Everything comes and goes, nothing is permanent, especially defeat.

Here are three strategies I’ve used to overcome fear and defeat to keep breaking through plateaus in life..

How to Overcome Defeat

1. Silence Your Inner Critic | Overcome Defeat

Don’t you hate those negative voices that seem to kill your ambition and drive to succeed? The ones that seem to kick you when you’re down?

If you think you’re the only person that has them, don’t, everyone does. Even millionaires and billionaire CEO’s. Negative voices are part of the hard wiring of our brain, its the ancient technology of your mind trying to protect you.

These voices are worrying doubts that will not help you succeed. If you don’t learn how to monitor and control the voices and negative thoughts, you’ll never succeed.

Counteract the negativity by surrounding yourself with positivity. Listen to motivational speeches, read affirmations to yourself, be proud of your wins, and listen when they get loud.

Use techniques like meditation to become more self-aware and realize that you don’t have to attach yourself to each though. Simply learn to let it go by and focus on winning.

2. Find A Support System | Overcome Defeat

I’ve failed at so many things in so many areas of life I can’t even count them all if I tried. But what I used to do is a struggle in silence. I was so scared to share my failures with others because I thought they’d think I was a failure.

Confidence is a funny thing, it’s something you want to protect. But hiding your failures from others is a mistake.

Instead, you need to find others who have “failed” so you can learn from them. Plus, your stories of struggle, defeat and eventual success might be the inspiration for others to keep going as well.

Find a support system so you can bounce ideas off of like-minded people and get the encouragement you need to keep going.

 3. Remember Why You Started  | Overcome Defeat

Each time you feel defeated, it’s on you to go deep within yourself and find the passion to keep going. You have to focus on why you started whatever it is in the first place. Why did you start this, was it:

• To give your family a better life?
• To help inspire the world?
• Or to finally live up to the endless potential that lives within all of us?

There is a reason behind everything you’re doing and you will discover it at the right time. While it might hurt when you’re down, remember to keep going. There is a reason the saying is “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

Every obstacle is a reminder to go back and reignite that spark when you first began your journey. Keep your why the top of mind so you can stay focused and keep pushing forward!

Remember as Thomas Edison said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try just one more time.” Keep going, keep believing and make 2019 the year you get everything you ever wanted.