setback | Kaira Rouda

Believe in yourself, as there is always another option.

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-07T02:13:34+00:00November 5, 2008|career, entrepreneur, ImprovEdge, Karen Hough, setback|Comments Off on Believe in yourself, as there is always another option.

Perhaps you’re experiencing a setback in your career, or maybe you’re faced with a new challenge, either personally or professionally. It could be that you’re bored with your current situation and you need something new and inspiring to set things in motion once again. Don’t panic. There are options. You just need to uncover them. Begin by reflecting on a similar situation in your life. Then use the memory of that experience to help you plan for the future. At the same time, identify your most resilient attributes. Are you flexible, determined and/or confident? Once you’ve identified some key attributes, combine them with what you’ve learned from past experiences, and move forward—all the while looking for new options. Karen Hough, founder of ImprovEdge LLC, knows what it means to be flexible. She has taken her background in improvisational acting and applied it to the business [...]

When the unexpected happens, don’t panic.

Every setback is an opportunity to open another door, discover another path. Think about a major setback in your life, either personally or professionally. Now, what did you learn from this experience? Did it push you in another direction? Did it make you stronger? Reflect. What can you take away from the past? Perhaps no one better typifies this tip than Rachel Carson. Although she loved both writing and nature, she made the decision to major in biology upon entering college. After graduation, she pursued a job with the government but was told that they didn’t hire women biologists. So, she fell back on her love of writing, and in 1962 her book, Silent Spring, exposed the dangers of pesticides. Although there were doubters, President Kennedy established a commission to investigate her claims—which eventually led to the banning of DDT. Today, she is considered the [...]