Everyone Fails – Yes, Even You

Do you see failure as a negative? A reason to pack it in and give up what you’re doing because maybe this just isn’t for you? It’s time to change your mindset. If you want success in any area of your life, you can’t let yourself think of failure as a setback.

The truth is that everyone fails, and they fail more often than you think. Ask any successful person what they remember most about their career and you might be surprised to hear them talk about all the times they’ve failed. In fact, the most successful people have often failed the most. The difference? They’re comfortable with it and keep going!

Anything worth having takes risk
The reason why those who have achieved success are often more candid about their failures is because they recognize the risk that’s inherent in worthwhile ventures. There’s a risk to everything big or small, whether it’s a new startup business, a new relationship, or even a simple new year’s resolution to get healthier.

Accepting this risk means accepting that you may fail but also knowing that the failure is worth it. When I started my coaching biz, I took a huge risk. I walked away from a company that I had built where I had invested all my time, energy and money. I lost it all. I also took on judgement. That one was harder for me than the time and money lost. Was it going to be worth it? and what helped me overcome those fears and risks? The vision I had for my future and the knowing in my soul that has never steered me wrong.

Everyone Fails
That wealthy CEO you idolize, that person at the gym who is always giving it 100%, that friend who seems to have the perfect relationship? They have all failed, sometimes dramatically. Perfection is not what got them where they are. What got them there is an acceptance of their failures and a determination to not let anything stop them. I know for me, I have actually hit very FEW goals I’ve set for myself. I always set my bar high enough so that if I fall short, I‘ll be happy with where I land. Which goal would you rather fall short of – earning $100,000 or $1,000,000?

Not All Who Wander Are Lost
Try viewing failure as a blessing on the road to success. Sometimes these detours are necessary. Sometimes the road is blocked and you have to find another way around even if the road is bumpier and the view isn’t as pretty. And the icing on the cake? You learn more. You build more grit. More inner strength. You become the person that knows how to navigate the roadblocks instead of quitting because of them. You become unstoppable.

In fact, the best, most insightful experiences come from straying off the beaten path. When viewed in that light, failure is nothing to be afraid of. It’s simply another adventure.

Learn From Your Failures, Both Big and Small
You can’t always prevent failure, some things are well and truly out of your hands, but you can always learn from it. Maybe you learn who in your life can be trusted or maybe you learn where your weaknesses lie.

Sometimes your failures are big and sometimes they’re small, but every failure is useful when you learn from it.

Failure is a blessing
In order to truly learn from your failures, you must change how you think about them. Buying into the negative stigma surrounding failure will keep you stuck exactly where you are. Detach yourself emotionally and look at it from a logical perspective. Ask yourself why this so-called failure happened and what, if anything, you could have done differently.

Remember, the fact that you fail is not what’s holding you back. It’s your reaction to it. The one thing that unites successful people in every field is a healthy attitude towards failure. Just keep moving, keep your head up, and never stop learning. Let’s go fail our way forward!