Are you someone who avoids failures at all costs? If so, you are not alone. The majority of people view failure as negative. In fact, our society teaches us that failure can lead to thoughts and feelings of low self-esteem or low self- worth. You may think that if you fail then it means you aren’t good enough, or smart enough, or good looking enough. I would have to disagree with this type of mentality, especially when it comes to failing in the business world. Reactions to failure are different for everyone, and your attitude is everything. It is not about what happens to you, it is more about how you react to what happens to you.
If you find yourself with the majority of society and steer away from anything new because you fear failure, I strongly urge you to revaluate this thought process. Try to embrace failure as a learning experience. Understand that successful entrepreneurs fail often and aren’t afraid of it. In reality, successful entrepreneurs say they learn just as much if not more from their failures as they do their successes. In the business world, you may hear the term “fail forward,” which means the faster you fail, the faster you achieve your goals. This is opposite of what you are taught at almost any job. Your employer wants you to be perfect and never make a mistake because every time you make a mistake it costs them money.
Here is a question to consider: Is there a way to make any negative situation into a positive one? You often have little to no control over a specific situation, yet you do have all control of how you react to it. You could either get down on yourself after you fail or you can learn from your mistakes and make your failure work for your benefit. The more positive your outlook is, the more positive results you will achieve.
What does failure mean to you?
Failure is often associated with losers rather than winners, and is mostly looked down upon. Many people try to avoid failure at all costs due to being afraid of what people might think of them. Failure can often makes us feel stupid and depressed.
Failure does not reflect who you are as a person. It offers you an opportunity to learn and grow. If you’re not failing, you’re not risking enough. Persevering through failure and making the most from it, is what is going to make you a better, more successful person.
Failure is a part of life. You have to crawl before you can walk, and you have to walk before you can run. No entrepreneur has ever succeeded without some sort of failure. It’s apart of the game.
People have a tendency to try something once in an attempt to see if they can or can’t. If what they tried didn’t turn out the way they perceived it turning out then they immediately decide it simply wasn’t for them. They quit and in turn fail.
Instead of quickly quitting, try a different approach. Do some research or seek the council of someone who has found success in the area you are pursuing. Continue to try different methods to see what will work or what won’t. Learn from your mistakes and take action. This is the difference between a successful entrepreneur and a failure.
Examples of people who have failed before success:
- Oprah Winfrey – Fired from a newscaster due to being too emotionally involved in her stories. Now she is work over 2 billion dollars.
- Walt Disney – Got turned down over 300 times for financing Walt Disney World. Now Walt Disney World is worth billions.
- Michael Jordan – Cut from his high school basketball team. Now he is considered the best basketball player ever and received the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award five times.
- Abraham Lincoln – Lost 8 elections before he became president and is now known as “The Great Emancipator.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston a Churchill
“Be in the right mindset. When things are in line everything else follows.” – Mark Demetriou
Mindset is everything. Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. If you look at a hurdle you must overcome as impossible, you’re right. You won’t be able to accomplish it. However, if you take that same hurdle and do your best to overcome, you just might.
Limiting beliefs
Limiting beliefs are things we believe that limit our potential. When you say to yourself things such as; “I don’t,” “I can’t,” or “I am not,” your mindset is that of limiting beliefs. These beliefs are toxic to your potential for success in business and even in life. They get in the way of you getting what you really want.
When you able to free yourself from limiting beliefs, your world expands as you begin to think positive about it.
By saying to yourself “I do,” “I can,” or “I am,” you are more likely to take positive steps in the right direction. The more you believe in yourself and your ability to get yourself where you want to be, the more likely you will achieve your goals.
What if you fail?
You are going to fail at something. That is awesome! The reason I say it’s awesome is that you learned something you wouldn’t have if you hadn’t of tried! Now, go try something different. Take what works and trash what doesn’t work. Every failed attempt brings you one step closer to achieving success. Go fail forward!
Lesson from Greg Reid
When you take that step forward, you might not make it and tell yourself, “oh hell…” Add a “Yeah” to the end of that, and instead say to yourself “Oh hell yeah!” That little word will help you change your outlook on what would have been a failure. It takes you out of a negative mindset and turns it into a positive one.
You only fail at your ultimate goal if you quit. Instead, find out what works and what doesn’t work by taking a step and doing something that you believe might work.
Begin with the end in mind
If you start to adjust your mindset, then you undoubtedly begin to learn and grow. By doing so, you will begin to take action steps towards your goals. It does become easier and more natural, and, with time, you will see yourself moving faster and faster and failing more often. Failure makes the small successes even more exciting and motivating. If everything came easy and worked the first time, the small wins would go unnoticed. You would remain the same as you are today.
The journey to success is unlike any other. Embrace the journey, the people you meet, and the things you do. Just think of how far you could go!