Never end the day on a bad jump.
It sounds like a superstition, but it's actually sound advice. I used it with my one fail, level 4, passing well immediately after. I used it a year ago today, after my level 6, my worst ever jump. My first ever solo exit, without an anyone holding on to keep me stable. Simon, my instructor, told me if I went unstable he'd stay clear until we got dangerously low or I sorted myself out. "I'll just watch you and p*ss myself laughing." were his exact words. I gave him a lot to laugh about.
I didn't fail it, surprisingly. Despite spending most of the jump unstable, after both the exit and the back-loop, I managed to get a track done just before I hit my pull altitude. Simon passed me, with the warning that the level 7 was much more complicated and time-consuming and if I didn't improve dramatically I had no chance of finishing before I ran out of sky. This gave me nothing but determination, and I made sure I was on the next lift. The results speak for themselves.
I was finished with 1000' to spare, and just sat there (laid there? fell?) enjoying the grand majesty of the view, the sensation, and my success. All the frustrations of the last jump were forgotten.
Every landing is a joyful moment, my heart pumping and an immovable grin on my face, but this one was something special. Not only had I gone from my worst jump to my best, but I had finished my training. From here I just had to prove the skills I had learnt and I would be a fully licenced skydiver. That night, instead of going to sleep ruing my mistake, my thoughts were of my success and the future.
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