9 ways you can learn from failure and emerge as a winner

Ok, let me break this to you if life hasn't already. You are bound to fail, at least once if you're lucky. Some of us will fail multiple times while there are others who have failed so many times that they are probably thinking of themselves as big losers by now.

But that's exactly the wrong approach and let me tell you why you deserve better.

Failure is inevitable, it's universal. However, what you do after failing is what shapes your destiny. Thankfully, dealing with failure is nothing new to me because as an athlete, you fail day-in, day-out. So much so that you learn to get on with it and make it work in your favor. In this article, I want to share some of my learnings over the years in the hope that you will emerge as a winner when you suffer a failure next time.

Here is what Michael Jordan (basketball legend) says about his failures -

I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

-Michael Jordan

Before we go forward, I'd suggest you read this quote again (out loud) Done? Great. Now, let's find out how failure can help you -

1. Failure can widen your perspective - Quite naturally, when you're immersed in the pursuit of a particular goal, you tend to sacrifice other equally important things. However, at that moment, nothing else seems as important as the goal you're pursuing. For instance, you decide to quit your job and become a freelancer in the hope that it will give you more freedom to enjoy your life. But as you go deeper, you realize that not only is it taking more time than your job, you're also earning significantly less. That's probably a good sign to call it a bad move and reorganize your thoughts. When you do that, you give yourself the opportunity to learn from this experience and broaden your understanding of all the other things that you missed out on but are really important to you.
2. Failure can teach you to be humble - One of the best learnings you can take home from your failure is the art of being humble. Some of the most successful people on earth are also the most humble individuals. Very often, when the winds are flowing in your direction, you can find your head in the skies. But then a failure hits and you come crashing down. Harsh, but true. Evidently, failure can teach you that success is not guaranteed. This helps you remain grounded in the future and shapes your personality for good.
3. Failure can be a great source of motivation - The romantics will tell you how much inspiration they have drawn from their failed relationships (haha. been there, felt that) Daniel Pink talks about intrinsic motivation in his book 'Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us' which perfectly explains my point here. Many people have used their failures as an internal source of energy to fuel themselves for success. So go ahead and let it drive you forward again. Just don't forget point number 2.
4. Failure can prepare you for change - When you pass through a failure, you normally find yourself surrounded by hints that point out your shortcomings. For instance, if you fail to win back-to-back tennis games, you should probably pick up the clue that your approach is not working. It's arrogant to insist otherwise. Instead, you should spend some time with your coach and change your approach for better results. The same goes for Work, Relationships, Marriage, etc. Speaking of which, you should listen to what Jay Shetty has to share about this. His advice is gold.
5. Failure can help you become self-aware - You know what surprises me? So many of us spend our lives trying to keep up with the Kardashians that we forget to spend time with ourselves. Ok, I'm not going to continue my rant but here's the key lesson. When you suffer a failure, rather than demeaning yourself, you can use this as an opportunity to learn about yourself. Become aware of your senses, your limitations, your spiritual power, and your purpose. You'd come out a different person, believe me.
6. Failure can help you re-design your life - When we are chasing a shiny object, we tend to mess up our priorities. Failure, then, can act as a great source for making you understand what really matters. You can use this time to re-arrange your priorities before you venture out to do something else. This way, you will better know what's worth the sacrifice and what's non-negotiable.
7. Failure can improve your creativity - We often think that there is only one way of getting somewhere or to something, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. There are many routes that can take you to your end goal, provided you give yourself time to think out of the box. Dr. Edward de Bono talks about this concept in his book 'Parallel Thinking' which is an interesting read to open your creative thinking process. In addition, I personally love this quote from Thomas A. Edison, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work". Maybe you can learn a thing or two from it too.
8. Failure can open new doors for you - This is, by far, my favorite learning, and let me explain why. When I was na?ve, I used to have a stubborn mindset - This or nothing (God, how could I be so blind) Because I was so rigid on accomplishing my goal, even if it wasn't helping, many opportunities flew past me. But as I grew wiser, I understood the importance of dipping, quitting, and moving on to something better. Many times, when something isn't working, it could simply mean that you're destined for something better in life. Accept it, rather than fighting it. You never know where the new door might lead you. (Word of caution: Don't use this as an excuse to quit when things get hard. Just be wise enough to put it use the right way and see it turn your life around)
9. Failure can improve your outlook towards life - If there is one thing you'd take away from this article, go with this. Believe it or not. Failure can give you a new pair of glasses and your world will never be the same after that. Use your failure to remind yourself of your strength, the people who matter and care for you, your blessings, and your past wins. With this new outlook, go out there and do something you're proud of.

Conclusion -

By now, I hope you have started to trust yourself more and are taking a moment to reflect on your failures. While most people suggest reflecting on your wins, I believe that reflecting on your failures is equally important because it sets the base for your next victories. An alternative way to think about your failures can help you become an eternal winner.

Bottom line: Just because you failed at something, doesn't mean you are a failure. It just means you failed at something and whatever that thing is, you can improve.

(Inspired by my mentor, Seth Godin)

If you found my article useful, please like it and share it with someone who needs to read this. You never know what it can do for that person. Thank you.