Failure as a GOOD thing

[HotHolly]

OK, I had a couple of people mention this lately, so maybe somethings going around. Here is my whack idea: Failure is a GOOD thing.

Now, dont get me wrong. Its not that I personally like to fail at anything, however failure is a part of the life of a successful person. My favorite failure of all time is Scott Adams. He's a hoot. He failed at over 30 different business attempts. I think something like 3 stuck, one of which was Dilbert.

Anyway, back to this unhealthy attitude we have about failure. I think we need to address the way we look at failure in general. Failure isn't personal. It doesnt personally despise you, tell you that you suck, and spit in your face (although it can feel like that). Failure is more a silent teacher. When something you try to do fails, it means that there was a glitch in your system. Remove the glitch and that failure can turn you into a success.

Failure also doesnt mean that you give up. Many people do give up when they fail. They dont fix it and they dont try again. Thats the difference b/t someone who is successful and someone who is not - its how they handle the failure, not the failure itself.

Does that mean you go into a venture assuming you'll fail? Yeah, I think it does. B/C failure doesnt mean you give up. It means you expect to have problems that can be fixed. And when you run into one of these failure doors and it knocks you on your ass; you fix the friggin doorknob and get through it.

Anyway, I was writing to a couple of newBs about this topic and its in one of our studio ventures that Ive been working on. This is kinda the drive by version, but you get the idea. So, if you failed at something this week, you're in good company. Now fix it.

[janetg]

i like that holly...

[Sweet Caroline]

This is what I teach preschoolers every day! I also work with gifted kids, many of whom have perfectionism issues, so I try to instill this principal in them. You are not perfect, get over it. You will fail at least some of the time if you are trying to do something worthwhile and challenging.

Caroline

[gardener]

I was always taught that if you never fail, you never tried very hard at anything to succeed.

[SCone]

Success is learned through failure... don't confuse "learning" with "failure"

[Steelsun]

One of the consultants we do business with has a saying "You learn alot starting a successful business, you learn ten times as much starting a failure"

[celticmama36]

I think this is a wonderful attitude to have. One of my all-time favorite motivational speakers is Zig Ziglar. These are quotes from him:

"Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street."

"If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost."

"Remember that failure is an event, not a person."

"Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful."

He's one smart cookie, that Zig.

[Lexie]

Holly, I like your whack idea!! "When you run into one of these failure doors and it knocks you on your ass; you fix the friggin doorknob and get through it." This is my new motto! LOL

[ggeen]

A favored quote of mine.

A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for. -William Shedd

[Cajungaltx]

+1 to Zig...

[Arnor]

Hi Holly,

I completely agree. We learn by trial and error. As infants and kids we try out an awful lot of things that don't work out - i.e. we fail. Our society tends to imprint on us that failing is wrong and IMO it is absolutely wrong. Without failing we would never learn anything. But we are taught that failing is bad and this results in people being afraid of failing and when they do fail in something big they are paralized by it. Instead of taking it in as a healty dose of learning experience we get depressed about how much of a failure we are. I'm one of those people with a perfection complex and I tend to fail several ways every day before lunch so I have learned that it's really not all that bad<g> Don't have to like it, but you have to be able to learn from it and move on:)

Best regards,

[danchez]

here is my analogy. I grew up in Colorado and used to snow ski a lot. Well, everyone knows that the first few times you try anything, you aren't going to do very well. Anyway, the first time I ever went snow skiing I was lucky enough to hear someone say a very wise thing. "If you don't fall down, you aren't trying hard enough." It was very appropriate when I was learning to ski and I find it very appropriate in every day life. Hopes that helps the masses.

[hbwise]

A lesson about failure and finding the edge from racing - If you aren't crashing you aren't going fast enough!!

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by Arnor

I'm one of those people with a perfection complex.

Same here. And it can be crippling or drive you nuts if you let it. I just keep thinking Van Gogh cut off his ear b/c he couldnt let something go. Thats a nice benchmark to judge how nuts you are.

btw Stary Night is waaaaay too small. he musta been low on paint and canvas. lol.

PS - I love quotes! Thanks for adding them!!!

I like this one - Walt Disney - If you can dream it, you can do it. He just left out the middle part of getting knocked on your derriere a lot, and then getting back up again.

[mooshu2]

failure drives you to be better. Beside, if you don't have failure, how do you measure success!