Image: FlickrNot always does life run as smoothly as we wish it would and we face obstacles, some bigger than others. During these testing times, some will succumb to failure whilst others will face adversity and use it to propel them towards success. In this article, The Great British Entrepreneur Awards looks to shed light on the strengths developed through setbacks.
Take the Rio Olympics for example. These Games have been stricken with injuries, including the botched landing of gymnast Samir Ait Said. The video of Samir spectacularly breaking his leg in two places has been plaguing the internet and news of his stretcher being dropped by the paramedics has made headlines on numerous news sites. However, Samir has taken this in his stride and has not only been pictured walking with a Zimmer frame just days after the injury, he already has his sights set on Tokyo 2020.
“All in all, everything went well, I’m happy,” he says. “Actually, I still can return to the venue to cheer on my friends because the competition isn’t over. I still put myself in the ambiance with the blue, white and red cast. Allez la France!
“The Tokyo 2020 adventure is still alive. As soon as I’m recovered, believe me, we’ll go back to training and we’ll go after those Olympics.”
And he’s not the only one, British gymnast Ellie Downie landed on her neck during a somersault floor routine, had a quick check over from her coaches and returned to the floor moments later to complete the vault, landing it safely and well. And you can’t forget about Venus Williams who played a whole match whilst struggling to regulate breathing thanks to a virus she’d picked up at the WTA Tournament in Montreal.
These setbacks happen through all courses of life, whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a small business owner. It is the desire to succeed and a positive mental attitude that allows individuals to move past the negative to drive towards a greater goal.
Business tycoon Richard Branson says that, “In Britain, people who try things and then fail are actually well-respected. People like the underdog. If you go back to my adventure times, generally speaking, we failed on most of my adventures the first time.
“If you are frustrated with how things are done, go and try something different, get fantastic people around you who share your beliefs and passion, and do it better.”
How you deal with life’s obstacles will define the success or failure of your business. The old saying, ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,’ rings true in regard to this. Successful entrepreneurs have failed in some aspects but have used their mistakes as a learning curve, to build a flourishing business. Learn from the mistakes you make, so that you are able to adopt alternative strategies to ensure that you are building your business on solid foundations, with scope for success.
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards celebrates successful entrepreneurs who have shown resilience and continued on the face of adversity. Our awards are held on 22 November 2016 in London and if you have overcome the odds in starting your business we want to hear from you!
