How to deal with Failure in a Productive and Encouraging Way, Part 2

I use this process to analyze my failures:

1. Is this goal something that  God wants me to pursue?
This should always be the first  question. Goals and change should always be pursued following the leadership  of Christ. Otherwise, we could end up pursuing the wrong thing, and find  ourselves further away from God, and in deep trouble.
Your failure may very well be God  telling you that a change of goals is needed. What does the bible say about  your goal? Have you prayed about it?

2. Did I invest 100% of my efforts  and resources into it?
If the answer is "Yes,"  then there is a lack of knowledge and/or skill, so the next step would  be to ask someone for feedback and instruction. Maybe I am missing  a detail and need someone to show me what it is. Maybe I need more practice  at the specific thing and need to continue persevering and improving little  by little.

If the answer is "No"  then you have found the reason for the failure and now you have the chance  to try again, giving your 100%.

3. Is this a reasonable goal?
Goals need to be challenging and  force us to grow, but they also need to be humanly possible. A lot of people,  myself included, have unreasonable expectations of themselves. This is  very unhealthy. If you find yourself wanting to perform perfectly, or to  master a skill in an unreasonable amount of time, then the goal needs to  be modified.

If you wanted to become a concert  pianist, a lot of time and practice would be needed. This cannot be achieved  overnight. The same is true with any other skill. Instead of setting the  goal to "master" the skill or trait, set a goal to "improve" your performance by a specific amount.

4. Review the progress that  was made.
Look at how far you have come,  how much you have grown, what you have learned. Even though you might have  come short from the expected result, you still DID something, you LEARNED  something and, as you continue trying, it will become easier and easier,  until you finally achieve your goal.

If anything, at least you would  have discovered one way that does not work, so you'll know to avoid that  in the future.

5. Finally, it is important  to understand that regardless of the goals we set or the progress we make  either morally or physically, it will not help us achieve salvation. Salvation  only comes through Faith in Christ, nothing else. Earning salvation is  impossible. So, if you are saved, relax, take a deep breath, your eternity  is secure.