The failure myth (and how to unlearn it)
Trying and failing
Everyone makes mistakes.
Everyone will fail at something.
Well, we have we got news for you.
In our world, there is no such thing as failure. There is no such thing as mistakes. When you attempt to do something, you will always get a result. It might not be the result that you want – but it’s still a result, it’s not a failure. Think about it.
If Nick Faldo hit a few balls off the golf course, would he have walked off the green, never to play again?
Would Arnold Schwarzenegger have got on the next plane home to Austria after the first bad audition?
Would J.K. Rowling have thrown her book in the fire after the first rejection?
Would Thomas Edison have given up after the thousandth attempt at inventing a lightbulb?
Of course not.
They just adjust their game, try new tactics, and learn from what wasn’t successful. Trying and failing is an integral part of success.
You may have always been afraid of taking the plunge. Maybe you were the child who sat shivering at the side of the swimming pool. But why should you stay in a job you hate instead of doing something you enjoy? Why should you stay in a soulless marriage instead of being with someone who makes you feel valued? If you hate being overweight, stop the suffering NOW. Why should you carry on hating yourself for not having the guts to change the situation? If you are constantly worried about failing, you are condemning yourself to a future of inertia and dissatisfaction.
Constantly beating yourself up about things that have gone wrong is another thing that people are good at.
We meet so many intelligent, kind and talented individuals who walk round obsessing about some opportunity they missed or something they did that ended disappointing. Failing does not make you a loser. Yet some people will still stick this invisible label on their forehead and wonder why everything keeps going wrong for them. What happens is that everyone starts to treat them like a loser…and then the cycle is complete.
We do not believe in labels. Inside every single one of us there is a person with unique depth and talent. It’s time to start believing in your abilities. When you want something, think of the outcome, then just go for it. If you don’t get what you want first time then instead of asking yourself what you haven’t achieved, ask yourself what YOU HAVE achieved.
What have you learnt?
How can you do better next time?
IF WHAT YOU ARE DOING ISN’T WORKING, TRY A DIFFERENT APPROACH… GO IN A NEW DIRECTION.
KEEP TAKING ACTION, UNTIL YOU GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT!
Lastly, remember that the definition of perfectionism is continuing to work on something well past the point where your effort is adding meaningful value. Perfectionism steals your time and energy. You don’t have to get it right – you just have to get it going!
