Problem: Article: What happened to throw your goal off track? Could it have been prevented? Think about possible solutions you could have put into action, and what their consequences would have been. Were your initial expectations unrealistic? Try discussing your expectations with loved ones and teammates to measure their realism.  If you failed to get an expected promotion at work, ask for a meeting with your supervisor to discuss where you got off track. Wait until you have moved past the first, most emotional stages of disappointment. Come in with some idea of where you may have failed, and with questions for future improvement. If you have failed to find the sort of job you had hoped to find, try reading the online profiles of people who have that job. Do they have a different educational background than you have? More years of experience? Did they enter the workforce at a different time? If you were disappointed in love, ask yourself if you were putting unusual pressure or expectations on your romantic partner. Did you understand how they were feeling throughout the relationship? Did you support their projects and friendships? Once you have worked through the causes of your past disappointment, work on setting a more realistic goal for the future. What would you like to see happen next? What sorts of actions on your part could make success likelier? Check with people you trust to measure the realism of your new goal.  For instance, if you just ran your first half marathon and had hoped to run 7-minute miles, you were probably overly ambitious. Try setting a goal for the next race that is just a little faster than your last time. If you run 10-minute miles, try running 9.7-minute miles. Train toward that time. If your previous goal had been to publish a novel by the end of the year, make your new goal more moderate. Your new goal might be to get feedback on your draft. Sign up for some novel-editing workshops, or hire a freelance editor or writing coach. Strike a balance between optimistic thinking and realistic planning by practicing mental contrasting. First, imagine your desired goal working out beautifully. Let yourself envision a total success for a few minutes. Next, switch gears and imagine all the obstacles that might arise. Envisioning the obstacles toward achieving reasonable goals can make you feel energized and more capable of tackling said issues. If the goal is unreasonable, however, this exercise is likely to allow you to let go of that wish and instead focus on something more achievable. Recognizing the obstacles between you and your goals should not be considered negative or unhealthy thinking. The exercise of mental contrasting will help you learn not to cling to unobtainable goals or to dwell on what cannot be done. Brainstorm ideas and select the one that seems sturdiest. Use mental contrasting to test the solution out in your head. Ask yourself if you have the resources to put your new plan into place. What new problems are likely to come up? How will you solve them? What needs to be in place before you begin?  Avoid repeating the same mistakes. Your new approach should not include any of the strategies that may have caused your last approach to fail. Create a plan B. Even well-executed approaches can fail due to unforeseen complications. Make sure you re-enter the fray with a solid back-up plan. With your new goal set, and your new plan solidified, set out to achieve your goal. Take the time to reflect on your progress as your steps take effect. Feel free to change your approach. You are learning as you go, and a natural part of this process is to adjust and tweak your approach. Whether you achieve your goal or have to try again, you will have achieved a higher level of resiliency.
Summary: Address the cause of the failure. Set realistic goals. Practice mental contrasting. Change your approach. Try again.

Problem: Article: Before you can begin the process of becoming a real estate agent in Virginia, understand each state has different requirements for who is eligible. In Virginia, in order become a real estate agent you must:  Be at least 18 years of age. Have a high school diploma or its equivalent, like a GED. Pass both the state and national PSI exams, the Virginia real estate board's testing service. Have successfully completed 60 hours of course work, approved by Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, on the principles of real estate. Have completed an application and paid the appropriate fee. Before you can take the real estate exam, and before you have a chance at passing, 60 hours of specific coursework are required.  Make sure the course you enroll in is approved by the DPOR, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. If it isn't, the 60 hours you complete won't qualify you to take the PSI exam. The course should advertise itself as DPOR approved and you can search the DPOR website to find a list of approved coursework. If you are unsure, phone the DPOR during office hours and ask them about the course you're considering. The courses you take will provide a basic overview of real estate practices, laws, and policies in addition to the basics of sales, negotiations, and closings. You also learn real estate vocabulary and math. You can either take courses online or in-person, depending on your preference. Online courses can save time and money, but require more self motivation than in-person courses. In-person courses are often more expensive and more cumbersome to get to, but many find face-to-face interactions ideal to a learning environment. While you're taking the proper courses, which can take a long period of time, try getting some experience in the field. This will give you a glimpse into the industry to make sure it's right for you before you launch your career.  Get an internship or office job at a real estate firm. This way, you can make a connection in your field - which can lead to jobs down the line - and get a feel for the world of real estate. Ask a real estate agent if you can shadow them for a day or a week. This can provide invaluable on-the-field information on your career path. Even after you complete your training, you might still feel under-prepared for your exam. The exam is comprehensive and follows a specific format, and knowing the format can be as vital to successfully passing as knowing the information itself.  Online, many sites allow you to take practice exams for free. Taking a series of practice exams in the weeks leading to the test can be a great way to prep as you'll know what to expect and where you weak areas are during the exam.  Books are available for purchase online or from Amazon that contain valuable information on vocabulary and exam questions and also have practice tests you can take at home.  Kaplan University and other outlets offer online test prep courses and products for the Virginia real estate exam. These can be a bit pricey, however. At Kaplan, for example, it's $99 to take a test prep course but it might be worth it if you prefer a more structured environment for studying.
Summary:
Know the requirements. Find and enroll in approved courses. Get experience in the field. Engage in test preparation.