Breaking Through the Fog of Failure

Have you ever been in a position where the fog of work is so heavy that you can't seem to see the end in sight? Over my career there have been many times where it feels failure is inevitable and I just want to be done with a project and am tempted to either give up or cut corners to get there. I recently heard a story that resonated with me about the importance of breaking through this fog and finishing strong and with excellence. 

The year was 1952, and Florence Chadwick was determined to become the first woman to swim the 26 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Catalina Island to the California coast. The overall conditions for this monumental feat were less than favorable. There was a heavy fog covering the water, it was bitter cold, and there was an ever-present danger of sharks in the ocean. At times during her swim, Florence could hardly see her mother through the dense fog in the accompanying safety boat. She swam for more than 15 hours straight, but became weary, tired and didn’t feel she could continue to swim any further. When she didn’t feel she had anything left, she begged to be taken out of the water. They pulled Florence into the boat and made their way through the dense fog and discovered she had swum 25 and-a-half miles out of the 26 miles and were less than a half-mile from the shore.

One-half mile from her goal of the California coast, Florence had given up. Ouch! That had to sting when she found out how close she was after swimming 15 hours. It's said that at the press conference the next day when asked about it, she said that all she could think about was the pain, cold, and how tired she was. She stated that all she could see was the fog in front of her and if she could have seen the coast she probably could have made it.

Isn't that similar to seasons of work that we all go through in our career at some point? We all have big projects and goals we are trying to accomplish. Sure we have great moments of accomplishment...but we also have plenty of times where we are fighting to see through the fog where we want to throw in the towel. We have the moments of self-doubt and despair, trying to find the end in sight. You probably even have colleagues who are like the sharks that Florence faced, lurking around and letting you know about their presence and ready to take a “bite” out of your career if you mis-step. You want to give up. Instead of finishing with excellence, you might feel tempted give up right before finishing it well, or take a short cut and bail out.

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”

Don't allow failure to win. The temptation to quit short of our goal is a common one when you don’t have the clear vision of what you are trying to accomplish. We can’t allow the dense fog of ambiguity and past failures to deter us from what you know is the right way to do a job. We have to keep focused on our end goal and persevere to accomplish the task with integrity and excellence. Dale Carnegie, the world renowned author and speaker said it well, “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” Some of the most satisfying times in my career have come from finishing a job when everything feels like it has been stacked against me. It always feels bad when we are in the proverbial fog of work with sharks bumping into us. But those moments when we’re able to break through the fog and finish are always the most amazing.

Florence didn’t take the initial defeat and let it rule her life. The next year Florence swam the same place. The conditions were not any better and actually were noted as being worse. There was still a thick and heavy fog hovering over the water. It was still bitterly cold, and the sharks were still lurking around. But this time Florence made history by finishing and swimming the whole 26 miles to the California coast. When asked what the difference was, she said that this time she just kept the thought of finishing and the mental picture of the walking up onto she shore in her mind. She finished strong.

“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”

When the situation around you doesn’t look good, use your network of trusted friends and colleagues to give you sound advice. Sometimes just sharing your struggles, fears and thoughts with someone can provide the clarity you need. Carnegie said, “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” Great employees and leaders are known for how they handled adversity and even failure and how they overcame it. If you have a bad day, don’t let that stop you from self-correcting and reaching your goal. Cheers.