We all want to succeed.
We may have different definitions of success, but we all want to achieve it in some form or another. The problem with our obsession with success is that we rarely give ourselves the chance. We are afraid of, and even avoid, the most important ingredient for success…
Failure.
We avoid failure like the plague. We have this misconception that failure is poisonous or toxic and if we are exposed to too much of it, we’ll melt or burst into flames or something.
The truth is, the avoidance of failure is a far more dangerous than failure itself.
Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a prerequisite. Failure comes before success. Anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed, delusional, or simply a liar.
It is through our failures and mistakes that we learn our most valuable lessons. No one inherently knows all the answers or gets it exactly right the first time. Success is a game of trial and error, in which you continually adjust your strategy and refine your craft.
Failure offers us the necessary feedback that says, “Hey, there’s a better way to do this.”
It brings to light deficiencies and weaknesses in your strategy or skillset. This could be viewed as a negative, but in reality, it is a vital byproduct of failing. It creates a brand new opportunity to take stock of your strengths and weaknesses, tweak your game plan, and launch your next pursuit.
If we understand failure, we should embrace it for the privilege that it is. Any time you fail, that means you were given the opportunity to succeed. Those opportunities are not guaranteed, and they are not to be taken for granted.
The opportunities that lead to failure are the same exact ones that lead to success. The more frequently you find yourself in situations where you could fail, the closer you are to success. And the greater the odds of failure, the more satisfying the reward of success.
You will never know what you are truly capable of unless you show up and face failure over and over and over again. It is a privilege to find yourself in a position where failure (and success) is a possible outcome.
Finally, and most importantly, failure is an event, not an identity. This is key so let’s read that again.
Failure is an event, not an identity.
The only way failure becomes your identity is if you choose to allow it. You could fail 1,000 times and never be a failure. On the flip side, you could fail once, quit trying, and determine you must be a failure.
This is a choice, not a reality. Failure is something that happens, not who you are. Failure does not define you, how you respond does.
If you fail, decide it’s too hard, and quit, you are allowing that one failure event to define you.
If, instead, you understand that failure is a prerequisite and a privilege, you should treat that event as the gift that it is. A new opportunity to review your strategy, make an adjustment, and get after it again – restarting the pursuit of the next opportunity (to fail or succeed).
The lessons you learn from your failures are what teach you the most. Maybe you pushed a little too hard, you didn’t have the necessary knowledge or skill, or someone was just better than you that day.
Pushing past what you are currently able to do is the only way to learn what you are truly capable of.
If you stay where it is comfortable, familiar, and easy, only doing what you know you can handle, you’ll never scratch the surface of your potential. Playing it safe and avoiding the risk of failure is the greatest hinderance to anyone’s dreams of success.
Don’t waste your days clinging to comfort, ease, and certainty. If you have a dream, pursue it. Put yourself in positions to fail. Push your limits, show up, and give it your very best. Who knows, you may just surprise yourself and succeed when you least expect it!
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