We all go through it—rough patches, bumps on the road, times when nothing works as we’d like it to. Your business is failing, a deal falls through, and a key partnership doesn’t work out, you lose sight of the end goal and overspend on a key initiative. It happens. Sometimes we dig a hole we can’t seem to get out of and keep digging!

When you’re in a hole, stop digging. Ok, and how do you get out of a hole once you stop digging?

We all deal with setbacks, rough patches, and bumps on the road differently. Some people stress out, others worry, and others just move on as if nothing happened.

Many years ago I tended to beat myself up whenever I had a setback; even when it wasn’t my fault. I spent lots of energy and mental focus on beating myself up. Many years ago, I decided to stop it and put my energy and mental focus to better use. Now, whenever I’m in a hole, I focus on solving problems. I tell myself to “Be useful, add value”. It immediately puts me in the right state of mind, instead of beating myself up.

Plus, I get excited because I love finding and solving problems!

It’s not the end of the world is one way to look at it. But more importantly, as long as people have problems, they will be on the hunt for solutions. People will always look for better, faster, and smarter ways to accomplish everyday tasks. There’s lots of room for improvement in existing products and services.

One key point when you’re in a hole, in a rough patch, is to avoid looking at what others are doing. Instead, dig deeper, and go wider. Obsess about a painful problem, and take the time to understand it. Develop your own point of view; only look at what others are doing to understand what not to do.

Bottom line: Failure, setbacks, and rough patches are common in business and life. Focus on solving problems instead of wasting energy and mental focus by stressing, worrying, and beating yourself up.