Take a moment and reflect over the past 6 months…what are you thinking about? Are you thinking about your failures or your triumphs? It is easier to think about those times when you were successful over the times you have failed. Why do we look at these failures and only feel regret, angry, or unhappiness. Our society does not reward failure. Instead failure is merely a low point that is a flaw in life. But, is this the best way to look at failures?
Should you forget about the chances you took, the hard work you did or pride you felt when you were doing what felt right? The answer is quite simple: no. Failure teaches us things that success could never teach us. When we fail we open up new paths and ideas that we could never see before. However, the stigma around failure is so terrifying, that many people don’t even try because the idea of success is over shadowed by the idea of failure. It is common to think, is the risk worth it? Or have I hit my ceiling. We fear the idea that we will be remembered by our failures instead of our success. However, if no one tries, what will there be to remember? Failure is inevitable and that is a good thing. The more failure a person faces, the sweeter the success will be.
What would happen all people didn’t reach for success because they were afraid of failure? If Thomas Edison were afraid of failure, we wouldn’t have the light bulb. He failed 1,000 times before achieving success. Instead of calling these failures, he called them steps to success. Failing creates the steps to reach our success. It is important to use our mistakes, and resources to learn and grow, instead of giving up. Recognizing your failures is the only way to continue to grow. Sara Blakely has been recognizing her failures since she was a little girl. The now billionaire, was asked every week what did she fail at this week? She would tell her dad what she failed at and he would applaud her and praise her because she tried. If she had nothing to say, he would be disappointed. This pushed her to try everything and go outside of her comfort zone. She created the billion-dollar company Spanx.
During an interview on “Hack the Entrepreneur” podcast the host Jon Nastor asked Dalia Asterbadi, “Can you tell me how to be wrong?” Dalia is inspiring entrepreneur who has been reaching for success since the age of eight. She answered his question by saying “don’t anticipate being wrong, just understand when you are and move on.” She has achieved great success, including launching her own business with her sisters. She enjoys making mistakes because it leads to insight. It is important to use these mistakes and implement a plan to ensure to fix them instead of making them again.
There are countess success stories that started with failure, but now the next step is to reflect on your own failures and figure out how you could turn them into success. How do you turn failure into steps to reach success?
1. Talk about your failures– Don’t be afraid to talk about your failures. This can help you understand why you failed and it may lead to feedback that can help you achieve success.
2. Listen to positive podcasts, videos, etc.– Surrounding yourself with positive vibes can help you stay motivated and focused instead of defeated.
3. Network– Never stop networking. It is impossible to know if someone you know knows someone that can help you open a new door to success.
4. Self Reflection– Just like Sara Blakely, ask yourself, “what did I fail at this week?” Celebrate those failures, reflect on them and think about what your next step is.
Braathe Enterprises (BE) offers many services that can help you or your business regroup or restructure in order to reach success. BE is another way to network and help build your steps to success. Remember, failure makes you stronger and the success so much sweeter.
Feel free to contact BE @ info@braatheenterprises.com
References:
Alexandra, Loy. “6 Reasons It’s Okay To Fail.” Lifehack. N.p., n.d. Web.
DiSalvo, David. “The 10 Reasons Why We Fail.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 22 Oct.
2012. Web.
Eestrem, Pauline. “Why Failure Is Good for Success.” SUCCESS. N.p., 25 Aug. 2016.
Web.
Elkins, Kathleen. “The surprising dinner table question that got billionaire Sara Blakely
to where she is today.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 03 Apr. 2015. Web.
Nastor, Jon. “Build Your Own Inner Circle.” RainMaker.FM, 31 Jan. 2017. Podcast.