When things go wrong, do you get hot under the collar? That’s baking.

When things go wrong, do you try to figure out how to do it better or prevent it the next time? That’s basking.

When you bake, it just gets hotter. Basking is defined as “Derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in” (WordWeb Online)

How can you take pleasure in things going wrong? (notice I haven’t used the F word – fail) By figuring out  how to do it better. Sitting down and looking for improvement areas. I’m not talking about the type of “I got a rejection letter. My writing sucks!” type of self-evaluation. I’m talking about the type where you say, “That rejection was only a form letter. One reason publishers send those out is that the submission doesn’t meet their guidelines. I’ll try using a checklist so I know I met all their guidelines.”

In other words, don’t focus on the problem. Focus on the solution.

Here are a few great quotes to keep in mind regarding how to react to performance that is less than … ahem … your best.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
~ Thomas Alva Edison

“All my successes have been built on my failures.”
~ Benjamin Disraeli

 ”Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”
~ Sir Winston Churchill

My favorite…

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
~ Michael Jordan

It is not whether you will fail, it’s whether you will come back. Will you bake? Or bask?