Approaching Failure with AWE

We all fail at one time or another, and when it involves something important to us it can be a painful experience, particularly if we don't know how to move on from the failure. I've been thinking about the approach I take when I deal with failure, and it can be summarised by the acronym AWE.

My first step is to ACCEPT that failure has happened and remind myself that everyone experiences failure. This can be particularly useful if you have a tendency to wallow in the negative emotions that accompany failure. Accepting that failure has happened and there is nothing you can do to change it also helps switch to a solution finding mindset. (And the more you practice accepting failure the easier it becomes).

Asking myself "WHAT do I do now that will improve the situation?" is the next step. Once you have accepted the particular failure that has derailed your plans, you can now explore all the options to get your plans back on track. If you have failed an assessment are there any alternative assessments? What can you learn from the feedback to help you pass the next assessment? What resources are available to help you do better? Consider all your options and work out a plan to move towards success.

Once you have a plan, the next step is to EXECUTE it. This may sound obvious but putting a plan into action comes with challenges. If we try to change too much, too quickly we can lose motivation, e.g., "I'm going to study six hours a day from now on." Some ways to help us change to more successful behaviours include:

• Making progressive changes (e.g., aiming to study an extra hour a day for a week then increasing as you experience more success)
• Writing out your plan. Writing things down helps us commit to them. For success in study this could include scheduling particular times for study and keeping to them.
• Reward your successes. For example, a cup of coffee or favourite tv episode after a successful study session.
• Revisit and revise your plan if necessary. Things can change and it is better for the plan to change accordingly rather than just giving up.

Another useful approach is to change your mindset in how you think about success. Rather than calling something a failure, describing it as a temporary setback or challenge can be more productive or you could be like Mickey Rooney and recognise for most things of value "you always pass failure on your way to success."