failing forward
The only way to avoid failure is to change your perception of it because you will experience times in your life when you come up a little short of a goal or something does not pan out the way you expected–you cannot avoid this.
By society’s definition, not reaching your goal or not achieving your desired outcome is a failure, and for most people, “failure” is a negative experience and is often accompanied by shame, embarrassment, and a loss of self-confidence. It can also become a trauma that keeps you from pursuing other goals because you expect to fail once again.
There is no such thing as “failure.”
When you don’t reach a goal or achieve a desired outcome, it does not mean you failed; it just means that some part of the equation was wrong or incomplete, and there is an opportunity to learn from the experience. If you can avoid viewing your experience as a failure and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, then not only will you avoid the negative emotions associated with “failure,” but you will learn something new that will help you move closer to your goal, or even head toward another goal that is actually the one you are meant to be pursuing.
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” - Thomas A. Edison
Experience is one of the greatest teachers, and sometimes an experience where you do not “succeed” brings you lessons no person could ever teach–lessons you could have only learned by not reaching your goal.
Your perspective on your experience of not reaching your goal determines whether or not you truly “failed” and missed the important lessons you were meant to learn or if it is merely a small detour meant to help you grow.
“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” - Denis Waitley
In this week’s episode of LifeDesign+, I am joined by my friend Tyrone Ross Jr. to discuss the importance of perseverance and what he has learned from his life experiences that have helped him persevere through many trying times.
In the episode, Tyrone shares the idea of “failing forward,” which I loved as soon as it hit y ears—even though it includes the word “fail,” it’s still a positive approach to handling those moments in life when things don’t go your way.
Tap in to hear more from Tyrone.
