BAD (Begin Again Differently). Claudette Yarbrough

how to utilize that change and whether you do or don’t want a do-over.

      You may or may not have already done a post-mortem on your failure. A post-mortem, I learned through going to a business workshop, is where you look at a project after it’s all over and decide what could have been done differently, what could have worked better, or what the results could have been had you changed some aspect of your program. If you have done a post-mortem, then you may be acutely aware of what happened to cause your loss, and you may be already charting a new course for a new business or a do-over of your current business. If you have not yet looked at what caused the failure, it may be important for you to stop once you can be objective and complete a review of what led to your loss.

      While I think that it is definitely important at some point in the process of beginning again to know what led to the loss, I don’t believe you have to figure out all of the nuances associated with what caused the loss if the information is not readily reviewable by you. Yes, it is important to know what happened as you do not ever want the loss to happen again; however, I am confident that you will want to reflect on some other aspects of beginning again as well.

      This is what I now know about failing and losing. We all do it in some ways, hours, days, weeks, months, and years of our lives, and we rarely die from failing and losing. Failure is not fatal, nor is it final. We get to decide how we will deal with succeeding after failing because it is possible to come out on the other side better than you were before. It is a choice that you can make.

      This book includes three parts. Part One includes three chapters that focus on examples of losses. Chapter 2 is my personal loss story, and Chapter 3 is an overview of how to begin again after a loss.

      Part Two includes the seven chapters on the 7 Smart Process I learned to use after my loss to begin again differently. I believe these smart processes will work for anyone who wants to begin again to win again. At the end of each chapter, there is a BAD: Begin Again Differently thought or activity which will help illustrate some possible next steps in your journey towards winning again.

      Part Three includes Chapter 11, with a focus on overcoming any obstacles that you believe may hinder you from continuing your work toward winning after a loss. And Chapter 12 is the obvious conclusion to the book, but not to your story, as you will make a decision to continue working toward a win.

      Begin Again Differently (BAD) Thought Chapter #1:

      Did you answer the question posed by this chapter? Write down your thoughts as to why this is or is not a description of you.