Happy June! We know it’s been awhile since we’ve published a blog post, and that’s because we were laser-focused on our training for the Blackpool Dance Festival! Well, now that the festival is over and we’re in Bulgaria for a bit of R&R, we have a little more time to publish a post. Unfortunately, our results at the Blackpool Dance Festival were far less than satisfactory. So we thought, what better time to write about how to overcome bad results when we are fresh out of the Disappointment Factory and busy trying to overcome bad results ourselves?
It’s a fact of a #dancerslife… bad results happen to everyone. No one is immune to disappointment. Sometimes the disappointment of a bad result can be the result of setting one’s expectations too high. Other times it can be completely out of your control, resulting from bad luck in the draw of your heat, or even *GASP* nefarious politics. Either way, it happens, to each and every one of us.
In one of our recent articles, we published a post giving advice on how to prepare for competitions. However, even with the best preparation, sometimes things don’t turn out how we’d like them to. So, when our lives are based on the heat of competition, how do we overcome bad results? After 20 years of competing, we’ve come up with some pretty good techniques.
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Tips on how to overcome bad results.
If bad results are inevitable, then building a few good habits to help you overcome bad results are a must. We think that with these tips, you’ll start to approach your bad results with a new appreciation.
1. Feel as you must.
The number one tip we have to is to allow yourself to feel the way you do. Don’t try to stifle the feelings or forget about it. Be angry! Be sad! Go ahead and cry in the shower. We’ve done that before. It’s ok to feel angry, or sad, about your bad results. But stifling your feelings will just make it worse. Maybe you need a day or two away from the dance studio. That’s ok, too. Listen to yourself, and you will soften the blow of that bad result.
2. Progress, not failure.
It’s easy to think of your bad results as failure. However, when it comes to competitive dancing, fashioning another way of thinking about it will help you much more. After all, we control very little of our results. No matter how hard you train, how fantastic your costumes, and how much better your dancing, your results still come down to the opinions of those people holding the judging pads.
So instead of viewing your results as a failure, try to learn from it as much as you can. This minor setback might just be the missing piece you needed to spur your dancing to new heights. It’s ok to feel frustrated, but seeing your setbacks as progress will help you to overcome bad results no matter how bad they are.
3. Take time to gain perspective.
During your time away from the studio, try to reframe your perspective. To give you a personal example, we were really upset after our results from this year’s Blackpool Dance Festival. But as we talked through it together, we reminded each other of how lucky we both are. While we feel depressed about our results, there are many competitors out there who feel excited just to dance at the Winter Gardens at all! In fact, having the past results and successes at Blackpool to give us a reason to feel disappointed is a blessing in and of itself, since the very act of dancing once on the Winter Gardens floor is the realization of a dream for so many.
The more easily you succeed, the more easily you take little things for granted. Having a bad result allows you to step back and reframe your previous successes, little or big they may be.
Though this is an integral part of how to overcome bad results, it may take time. Give yourself that time, as much as you need. You will come out a stronger person because of it.
4. Regain Control
When you receive a bad result, that feeling of a loss of control can be the worse part. Regain it. We suggest having two important chats: one with your partner, and one with your coaches together with your partner. You must be on the same page.
During these chats, take time to analyze the situation. Can you brush off this bad result as one that doesn’t really matter? Sometimes, the result – good or bad – won’t make a difference to your ultimate goals. Other times, the result calls for some drastic decisions.
Though your partner will be an integral part for you to overcome bad results, your coach will be just as important. Remember that your coach has probably been through this before. They understand what you’re going through. But they also have a different perspective than you, and can help bring up issues and details you hadn’t thought of.
After those chats, sit down with your partner and make a new plan. Even if the new plan is “keep doing what we’re doing”, it’s still worth it to go through this process together. That way, you can make sure you’re both on the same page together.
5. Move on.
Easier said than done, we know! But you can’t overcome bad results if you can’t move on from them. There is an important quote you should remember: “Never let success go to your head, nor failure go to your heart.” In our earlier tips, we mentioned taking as much time as you need in order to wrap your head around your bad results. Allow yourself to feel all of the anger and sadness you need. But the idea is to eventually move on. There are more opportunities ahead of you. Don’t forget that the only true failure is never trying again.
In a recent article published about Blackpool Champion Victor Fung, Victor was quoted as saying: “A champion understands what it means to lose and fail. It’s not about the failure, it’s about learning from the failure and growing in the process.” (Read the full article here.) And when at last you do succeed, remember to thank and congratulate your competitors. They’re on the same road as you; they’re battling the same battles as you. We are all in this together.
Overcome Bad Results: a Recap
o Feel as you must
o Progress, not failure
o Take time to gain perspective
o Regain control
o Move on
We hope you found this helpful! If you liked this article, please remember to subscribe to our newsletter. And if you have anything to add, let us know in the comments below. Have you ever had a bad result that you found difficult to overcome? What helped you overcome this obstacle? We’d love to hear about it!
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