Throughout our lives we are going to fail and fail and just when you thought that you couldn’t possibly fail one more time, you will fail again.
The problem with failure in today’s society is that is it looked down upon by those that think that success is the only thing to celebrate.
Those who have never failed, have never pushed themselves outside their comfort zone or taken a risk worthwhile.
The fear factor associated with failure is directly related to what’s at stake. When big risks are taken there can be a lot to lose depending on the scenario that risk is taken in. For example if it was a risk taken in the business world there is often risk associated with financial loss, job loss, job security, broken relationships, letting employees/employers down but those risks are changed if you are taking a risk in an extreme sport setting those risks could involve server injury, injury of others and in the worst case scenario even death.
Fear is a psychological state of mind where one is anticipating an unfavourable outcome.
Many of the most successful people in this world became successful because they were willing to take risks where other people weren’t regardless of whether they failed or not. They were willing to work harder than anyone else and sacrifice what needed to be sacrificed in order to succeed. When they failed, they didn’t give up they kept perusing their goals.
What lesson can we take from our failures?
1. Learning From Your Mistakes
The only time you ever truly fail is when you don’t even try to give yourself the chance to fail.
One of the biggest mistakes I made in a business sense was when I was getting my first website built and it cost me thousands of dollars and at the time was a lot of money for a student paying his way through college. I didn’t read the fine print and when I went to move away from this company I didn’t own the website or anything on it. I had to cut my losses and get away from that toxic environment.
Fast forward today from that one mistake I made it my mission to learn a lot about websites, how they are built what platforms to use and now I help others get started on their own websites and work on what I love doing in SEO optimization and PPC Campaigns.
I never would have got to this point if I didn’t dive in the deep end and learn the hard way. Would I have done things differently had I have known what I know now? Absolutely but that is the beauty of hindsight and you only get to that point by making some mistakes along the way.
2. Regretting the Chances You Never Took
When you take the time to reflect on your past you aren’t going to remember all the times you slept for 14 hours or the times you spent lying on the couch ‘relaxing’. Some people are more than content to cruise through life with no real ambition at all, and that is fine but this article isn’t for them. This article is for those who are aren’t pursing their dreams through pure procrastination.
My challenge to you as soon as you have finished this article is to put the things in place to take a risk, whether it be as simple as emailing someone you would like work experience with and following up with a phone call, making that purchase of equipment you need to start pursuing your dreams eg a new camera, dj turntables, website hosting and domains. Jump in take the risk and fast track your learning!
Do you due diligence in research but don’t let it consume you. Over learning as I like to call it is the biggest form of procrastination, being so scared to take that first step because everything isn’t perfect. Learn the basic and get to work and let your learning curve start there.
3. Failure Is Only Bad If You Learn Nothing From Your Mistakes
If you have taken a risk, firstly I congratulate you on taking the first step. If it succeeds even better, however if it fails you need to reflect on what you have done and learn from what you could have done better or what decision you made that ultimately lead to your goals demise.
If you do not learn anything from the mistake you made that is when you truly have failed. I love the saying “fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”. It rings so true. If you have not taken anything out of your previous failed project then you are set to fail on the next project in the exact same way. Take risks, if they work out fantastic, if they fail, learn from those failures and come back more knowledgeable and well equipped for your next challenge
Thomas Edison is the prime example of this, when a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
4. Be Vigilant and Avoid Making Major Mistakes That Are Right In Front Of Your Eyes.
Avoiding the mistakes that are right in front of you, sometimes you get so caught up in the emotion and pace in which things are happening you forget to read the fine print or incorporate the most basic things. People often believe in making quick decisions but there is a huge difference between making quick decisions in situations you are familiar with and making quick decisions in areas where you are well out of your comfort zone.
Take your time to get all the facts you need and make sure you understand everything you are signing up for. Don’t make the same mistake I made as mentioned previously and overseeing the fine print which ultimately led to me losing everything I had worked hard on for 8 months.
Remember Those Who Supported You When You Failed.
Often these people are a dime a dozen and hard to find, everyone wants to be around for the good times and the successful times but not to many people want to pick you up after you’ve hit rock bottom. The people that are around when you need them most don’t ever take that for granted. When you start reaching your new heights you will encounter many people with self-serving interests, be smart enough to know the difference
You can achieve great heights by yourself, there is always someone who helped you along the way, who taught you a valuable lesson or who was a mentor to you at some point. You would be surprised just how many people forget about the people that helped them most. I for one never will and I am always extremely grateful for anyone who has given up their time to support me in one way or another.
What have you learnt from your failures?
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