How to get back on your feet after a major setback

Whether it's losing a major client at work or watching a relationship deteriorate, everyone has experienced failure at some point.

And while it's difficult to wade through when it happens, once you've picked yourself back up, past failures can motivate you to do an even better job next time.

"Failure is the inevitable price of trying to do something," writes Karl Smith, founder of Business Networking South Africa. "It forces you to be more creative."

But finding inspiration from failure is easier said than done. For anyone trying to get back on their feet after a setback, here are three steps to becoming stronger than ever:

Own up to it

Perseverance is necessary to push through rough patches, but it can also be your downfall if you refuse to admit failure. Learn to recognise and accept when something isn't working, Smith advises.

"Being able to recognise a failure just means that you'll be able to recast it into something more likely to succeed," he adds.

Remember past success

Yes, you failed this time. But it is just a piece of the bigger picture. "Failing doesn't mean that you're worthless," Smith explains.

Instead of dwelling on where you went wrong, remember all the times when things went right. Find a way to learn from this mistake just like the other ones in the past.

Take action

Once you've accepted your failure, it's important to make decisions about what you'll do next. Forget about the past and think about the future, Smith suggests.

"You can't change it so you may as well stop worrying about it," he says. "Take stock of what you have learned. Repackage your knowledge, experience, skills and move on to accomplish your purpose.".