How do you feel when you expect to triumph, but fail to get the desired results?

It comes as a surprise, even a shock.

You believe you have done a good job, maybe even an excellent job.

You may have busted your chops.

Gone the extra mile.

Put some extra special touches.

Stretched yourself.

To no good effect.

Your efforts failed to get the desired response.

Worse, they got a negative response.

If it’s an exam, test, or assignment, you got a grade or score lower than what you assumed you would get.

Maybe even way lower than what you assumed you would get.

Take heart.

This happens.

Value is subjective.

What you think is fine or great or perfect, may not be fine or great or perfect by someone else's standards.

The sooner you learn this economic lesson (and life lesson), the better.

Value is subjective.

What I mean by that, is your audience decides whether your ability, or your performance, or your experience, or what you have to offer is mediocre, good, or great.

A boss, a professor, or someone who is used to high standards, or works in a high standards environment, may be hard to please.

A boss, a professor, or someone who is used to more reasonable standards, or works in an environment of modest standards, may be easy to please.

So there are plus and minus sides to variations in quality.

Just as some of the “excellent” things you do will sometimes fail to make an impact, some of the very “ordinary” things you do, might have a surprisingly good impact.

It just depends on the audience, and the environment. And also the factors impacting the audience at that particular time.

So when disappointment happens, just say to yourself, “Oh well. It was a tougher audience and environment than I expected. You can’t please everybody. And you can’t expect surefire results all the time. I know I gave it my best shot. It just didn't work in this particular scenario.”

One last word.

When you fail to make an impact, get curious.

Failure to make an impact should always stir your curiosity.

“Why did my efforts fail to get the desired results?”

Search for this answer.

It may lead to a sudden insight that will stop you in your tracks.

Don't you love it when that happens!