We’ve all had those moments in life where things don’t go as planned. The difference between someone who achieves their goals, and someone who doesn’t, is how many times that person is prepared to fail.
Have you ever stopped to consider how many times you are willing to fail? We’re always set on succeeding and achieving, but for many, when failure strikes, we can be deterred and stop chasing that dream.
From my own experience and watching the paths of other entrepreneurs, I believe that failure is a good thing; it provides a lesson, and it shows us how something can’t be done, setting us up for a wiser path moving forward.
Treating failure as a stepping stone to something bigger
What would happen if we learned to embrace failure? What if we saw failure as a positive, kept going and simply refused to give up? What could we achieve? The possibilities are endless.
We’ve all heard stories of famous failures: Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, he went home, locked himself in his room, and cried. Oprah Winfrey was demoted from her job as a news anchor because she ‘wasn’t fit for television’. The list goes on: Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, The Beatles and Albert Einstein. It’s safe to say that failure leads to success, as long as you treat it as a lesson and learn to fail fast.
Failure is a stepping-stone that leads you to what you truly desire. I’ve experience my own challenges and repeat failures, but the way I treated each failure was as a lesson, not a hindrance.
A story of personal failure that led to success
Before founding my own company, I left my government job to pursue a job in a company I truly believed in. I was so ambitious and dedicated to getting the role, yet after my interview, I was turned down. Most people in my position would accept and move on, but I called the company and explained why I was passionate about the position, and why I believed I was perfect for it. I continued to interview for this role, and after 3 failed interviews, I was given the position the 4th time. I set my sights to what I wanted, and made it happen.
Set your sights on what you want and achieve it
When life hits you with a doozy and you get a great big ‘no’ to something you are striving towards, take a step back and treat it as a lesson. Ask yourself, what’s the next best move?
If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost at all. Our greatest successes often come from our biggest disappointments. Nothing beats the success of achieving a goal after a few set backs, so refuse to give up and refuse to listen to those who say it cannot be done. And remember: a failure is not a failure, it is a lesson, so learn from it and keep moving forward.
