Since this blog is aimed at helping campus grassroots activists, it seems wise to discuss a topic that many of you will face all too often in political life: disappointment. It’s one of the many on-the-job hazards of activism (in addition to paper cuts, carpel tunnel, and alcohol poisoning).

The beauty of American democracy is that it is, for the most part, based on the will of the majority. Unfortunately, this also means that there has to be a minority that “loses.” Many times you will come to the end of a campaign, find yourself sitting alone in your office surrounded by the remnants of all the fast food you consumed while pulling late-nighters, and wonder how it all could have ended with just one vote.

The important thing to remember in this moment is that there are always other battles to be fought, and you WILL win many of them. It is incredibly easy to judge failure and success in politics by your win/loss record. However, what is often overlooked is the amount of people you were able to reach and how many new activists you signed up that will be ready to take up arms the moment you call them about the next big fight.

The plain truth is that politics is, in many ways, a game. Learn from the “failures” of the battles you lose and carry those lessons into the next campaign. Also, learn from what went right. Good activists take risks, and those risks often pay off and evolve into strategies that can be implemented in the future.

Losing is inevitable in the world of political activism. However, if you stick with it and refuse to get discouraged, then I can guarantee that you will rack up an impressive set of wins. And there’s nothing like the feeling of that first victory party.