If young people think school is tough, then wait until they get into the real world. Only then will they realize that life after school is daunting. Depending on how one thinks, it either becomes harder year after year, or it gets easier.
One of the things the new graduates have to deal with is rejection. In the first part of their life spent in school, life seems routine. The biggest change might be going off to college. But the pressure of the real world begins the moment they have to think of life after school.
For sure, there is the sense of achievement in graduating, and the thrill of the unknown. These young people set out to seek jobs that they love, that they feel they deserve. And then reality starts to bite.
For someone, even with an understanding that seeking a job is not easy, it is not until they start that the realization sinks in. To go far, that means they have to live on their own, away from their comfort zone. Stay within the comfort zone, then the job they love may not be available.
Regardless, one thing they need to do is to send in job applications. It is not like they have a choice, right?
Getting an interview is much like a numbers game. Send enough applications, and you’re bound to get a certain number of interviews. Get enough interviews and you’re bound to get a job.
The one thing that should not stop any person is the fear of rejection.
Get Used to Rejection
In personal development, coaches and speakers tell us to ignore rejection. Some suggest that we should look at rejection as a learning experience. Even better is that we should use rejection as further motivation to continue learning and persevering.
On a recent interview, Jack Ma revealed how he got used to rejection. When KFC first opened in Hangzhou, his home city, 24 people applied for a job, including him. Unfortunately, at that time, he was the only one who was not accepted.
It was not the first time, nor was it the last time he got rejected. It was not even the only time when he was the only candidate not accepted while all others were. But it became a process in which he embraced and accepted rejection.
To be clear, there are people who assume they would be rejected. With that mindset, they lose their motivation and confidence. In other words, they stop.
Certainly, that is not the intent of getting used to rejection. Instead, it is about understanding that rejection is a part of the process. After a rejection, move on and keep moving on.
It is the numbers game, again and again.
Succeeding in Business
It is great to see successful people living the life they live. For many others, there is the dream of achieving the same success. And with that comes the dream of having their own business.
So much has been written about starting a business, possessing which mindset, and learning the traits of successful entrepreneurs. So, let us add one more perspective here.
In thinking about starting a business, it is good to be sure that it can be profitable. It begins with due diligence, feasibility study, and learning the ins and outs. Perhaps even more important, during the early stages, is creating or connecting with the market.
But any business you get into comes with a risk. We understand that, and in fact, among the most common advice is to think only of the positives. In most instances, this is good advice. But the flip side of focusing only on the positives is that when trouble comes, a young entrepreneur may not be prepared to handle the negativities.
Succeeding in business means having the mindset to deal with negativities and that includes rejections.
Getting Rid of Toxic Thoughts of Rejection
It is rare to find a successful business person who did not suffer setbacks early on. If that is the case, then what makes an entrepreneur think that their first venture is a guaranteed success? But that is not to say that new businesses or first-time entrepreneurs are bound to fail.
Instead of solely thinking of the positives, you must think of all the things that could go wrong. You can’t be afraid of rejection and failure. It is by doing this that an entrepreneur could think through contingencies. Furthermore, better strategies and plan of action could be thought of and implemented to avoid potential causes of trouble.
In business, there are far more rejections than otherwise. Except for a few industries such as utilities, a vast majority of businesses which are doing great do not have the majority of the market captured.
Take for instance the largest web hosting companies in the world. The top 10 largest hosting companies are hosting around 30 million domains. But we know there are over a hundred million websites in the world, excluding those in the deep and dark web.
As an entrepreneur, any potential customer who is not a customer is a rejection. The question is, how does the entrepreneur rectify that?
If rejection is common, then the fear of rejection becomes illogical.
Conclusion
It is hard to be productive when you are immersed in a negative and toxic environment. There is a reason why motivational coaches preach the importance of focusing on the positive. And that is for people to be productive and not to stop seeking greener pastures trying new things.
There is no contrasting view in as far as thinking of the negatives. And one of the worse traits that guarantee failure is succumbing to the fear of rejection.
There is a line dividing such negativity from thinking of negatives in order to anticipate, plan, and acting on the plan.
To succeed, then embrace rejection and in time, let loose of the fear.
