So let me set the scene. It’s March 2024. I’d had a LinkedIn account for some time (since about...
Why you should fail more...and more often
Failure is misunderstood. You should be failing more and more often. Failure is defined as the lack of success, but it can also be defined as the neglect of expected or required action. One can be empowering, the other hindering. We're conditioned to believe that failure is something to be ashamed of, a sign of incompetence or inadequacy. However, what if I told you that failure is not the end but a stepping stone towards success?
Failure can be leveraged as a tool to hurl you closer to goals. If you can fail faster, you will learn, more quickly. Dealing with failure is tougher than actually failing in itself though. So use these 3 steps to re-enforce and strengthen your relationship with setbacks.
1. Learn to Overcome
Failure is an incredible teacher. It's in the moments of failure that we gain some of the most valuable insights and lessons. When we fall short or things don't go as planned, we're forced to analyze what went wrong. This analysis often leads to a deeper understanding of the situation, allowing us to learn from our mistakes and make better choices in the future.
2. Build Resilience
Each time we fail and pick ourselves back up, we build resilience. We learn to cope with setbacks, face adversity, and keep moving forward. This resilience is a crucial trait in achieving success. Moreover, failing repeatedly but persistently shows determination and grit, qualities that are often found in individuals who eventually reach their goals.
I believe there are two main types of people. Those categories are people that:
- Need to Achieve
- Need to Avoid Failure
To use an example, think about the gym. Most people go to the gym these days, but they don't train hard, therefore they never see results. Which ends in them giving up and not achieving their goals they made during the New Year in Januarary or beyond.
The reason they give up is because they don't push themselves hard enough, so they never fail. Ask yourself, when was the last time you failed a set or rep in the gym?
If you can't remember, maybe you aren't working hard enough. This is because you are working to avoid failure. You don't truly push yourself to your limit therefore you never fail. In this case it results in you not training hard enough so you don't build muscle but the same applies to anything.
So now shift your focus and think about this concept in your business, life, relationships, or whatever other areas you are focused on. Look at how you can achieve your goal faster. The more you fail, the better. Because ultimately you will learn more from setbacks than success.
3. Redefine your Perception of Success
Success isn't a destination; it's a journey marked by numerous failures and setbacks. Embracing failure alters our perception of success, understanding that it's not about avoiding failure altogether but about how we respond to it. Success becomes the culmination of our experiences, failures, and the lessons we've learned along the way.
Conclusion
Failing more often might seem counterintuitive in a society that glorifies success and shuns failure. However, it's through failure that we grow, learn, and ultimately succeed. It's about reframing our relationship with failure, seeing it not as a setback but as a stepping stone towards progress.
So, don't be afraid to fail. Embrace it, learn from it, and let it propel you forward on your journey towards success.
Since I can remember, I have always been told to work hard.
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