Do you feel like a failure?

My definition of failure is a bit different to many people. A lot of people think if you do not get your desired outcome (e.g. a certain mark or goal) then you have, by definition, failed.

Being so outcome focused can often mean people give up at the first sign of ‘failure’…after all, they failed, so why would they want to try again? It sucks, it can feel disappointing and embarrassing. For some, it’s easier not try.

Your world ends up shrinking to the few things you feel competent at.

Where did you learn this story that failure is something to be feared?

I believe real success is about persistence. When you don’t achieve a desired outcome, it’s seeing this as a hurdle to overcome on your journey, not a brick wall that proves you should never have tried in the first place.

Think of two people wanting a new job. Person A sees any rejection as a personal confirmation that they are a failure. Shame comes up. They don’t want to keep trying.

Person B sees rejection as disappointing, but not the end of the world. They realize it’s just a matter of putting in consistent effort and applying for more jobs before they get one.

The only way to become successful in any area of life is to be prepared to make mistakes and fail again and again. Success is built on the shoulders of repeated failure. It’s what you do with failure that counts.

My definition of failure is not trying. If you never try you never have the option to grow, and that is real failure. So will you see failure as mountain or a molehill?

Photo by Julian Dutton on Unsplash