Finding Value in Setbacks
FINDING VALUE IN SETBACKS
THE QUIET POWER OF THE IMPERFECT YEAR
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A few days ago, I was doing something I imagine many of us do at this time of year. I was looking back through my business plans from the start of the year, mentally noting all the things that hadn't quite gone as expected. The launches that took unexpected turns, the projects that evolved into something completely different, and the timelines that needed some creative reinterpretation.
What struck me most powerfully was how the moments I'd initially labelled as 'not quite right' or 'off course' had actually led to significant clarity. And I've noticed this pattern appearing again and again in conversations - this tendency to view our unexpected turns and challenging moments as somehow falling short, when often they're actually leading us exactly where we need to go.
The Myth of the Perfect Path
There's this persistent myth in business that successful ventures follow some sort of straight, predictable path. That if we're doing it 'right', everything should unfold exactly as we've planned it.
I remember when I first started my business, I held onto this belief quite tightly. I thought that every successful business owner had some secret manual of perfect steps to follow. But what I've discovered, both through my own experience and through working with creative business owners, is that this linear path simply doesn't exist. And more importantly, trying to force our businesses to follow one often leads us away from our natural strengths.
“Those unexpected turns and challenging moments aren’t signs that you’re doing something wrong - they’re often showing you exactly what you need to know about building a business that truly works for you.”
Learning from What Doesn't Go to Plan
Let's look at two common scenarios that we often label as failures, but that actually indicate something quite different is happening.
First, there's the project that didn't land or the offering that didn't sell as expected. For instance, I recently looked back at a project of my own that I'd spent several weeks over the summer working on, and despite all the work, it's not something I will now be using. But when I examined it more closely, I realised that I learnt so much from this, and the parts that didn't work were the ones where I'd followed traditional advice rather than trusting my instincts about what my clients truly needed and focussing on offerings that I most loved creating and delivering.
The second scenario is the strategy that needed changing - when you've mapped everything out perfectly, but halfway through, you realise it's just not working. I see this particularly with marketing approaches. You might have carefully planned out a social media strategy because that's what everyone says you 'should' do, only to find yourself dreading every post. What if that resistance isn't actually a failure, but your business telling you something important about how you naturally connect with your clients?
The Hidden Value in Challenges
What makes these moments foundational rather than fatal is how they guide us toward better alignment. They're not endpoints; they're redirections. Each one reveals something valuable about our natural way of working, if we're willing to look a bit closer.
A few years ago, I had what I initially saw as a significant failure - a course module that I'd invested considerable time in developing, but at the end, I just knew it wasn't going to resonate with my audience, so I never included it within the course. The parts specifically that I knew would fall flat were the ones where I'd tried to follow a conventional format, while the other modules, the ones that I included, were the very ones where I'd trusted my natural approach to teaching and became hugely helpful for all our students.
“When we’re working in alignment with our natural strengths, everything flows more easily. We spend less time forcing ourselves to follow prescribed paths and more time creating genuine value in ways that feel natural to us.”
A Practical Approach: The "This Is What Works" Audit
I'd like to share a practical tool that can help you uncover the value in your own business experiences. It's called the "This Is What Works" audit, and here's how to use it:
Start by listing what you see as your perceived failures or setbacks from the past year. These might be projects that didn't go as planned, offerings that didn't land quite right, or strategies that needed to change.
For each situation, ask yourself, "What unexpected benefits emerged from this?" Perhaps a project that didn't work led you to a better understanding of what your clients actually need. Maybe an offering that didn't sell helped you clarify your natural strengths.
Look for patterns in what actually worked. Often, hidden within our perceived failures are consistent threads of success - they just might not be the ones we were originally looking for. You might notice that your best results came when you followed your instincts rather than conventional advice, or that certain types of work consistently energised you while others drained you.
Use these insights to make more aligned decisions going forward. Instead of forcing yourself to follow conventional business advice, lean into what you now know works naturally for you.
Moving Forward
Remember, those unexpected turns and challenging moments aren't signs that you're doing something wrong - they're often showing you exactly what you need to know about building a business that truly works for you.
I'd love to hear what insights this sparks for you. What patterns have you noticed in your own business journey? What 'setbacks' might actually be pointing you toward greater alignment? Share your thoughts with me over on Instagram - I read and try to respond to every message.