Failing Forward: The Art of Turning Failure into Success

One of my favorite mantras I repeat to myself daily is, “Fail Forward”.

If you pick yourself up and move forward you really aren’t failing, but for most of us even a minor setback is a “failure” in the story we tell ourselves.

Visualize a baby who is learning to walk.?

I can remember my son pulling himself up to a wobbly standing position using the ottoman on our oversized loveseat and doing his very best impression of a drunk Captain Jack Sparrow, arms spread out wide, as he took a few jerky steps in no particular direction.??

Then he fell on his diapered cushioned bum.? Tears of frustration ensued.??

Would you say he failed??

When your child or niece or nephew dropped to their bums while learning to walk, did they fail??

Would you call them failures?

No!??

Why??

Because they will try again.?

They don’t just say in their baby minds, “I’m giving up, time to throw in the towel, I keep trying and falling on my bum, I’ll just be stuck crawling forever, I am a failure”.??

They get up and try again. ? It may not be immediately, but they will try again.

Oh, I’m not saying there isn’t frustration, tears, and tantrums, but they don’t give up.??

They try again. They move forward. Their only focus is the next step (literally).

This is the concept of failing forward, and it can be a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.

Failing forward means accepting failures as opportunities for growth, learning, and improvement.?

Instead of dwelling on failures and becoming discouraged (or throwing in the towel), you look at what you can learn from the experience and how you can use it to your advantage in the future.?

This mindset shift can be a game-changer for anyone looking to improve themselves and achieve their goals.

Here are a few tips for failing forward:

1. Embrace failure: Accept that failure is a natural part of the process, and don't be afraid to take risks and try new things. You aren’t growing if you aren’t trying.
2. Learn from failure: Reflect on what went wrong and what you can do differently next time. This will help you avoid making the same mistake again.
3. Be resilient: Don't let failure discourage you. Instead, use it as motivation to keep trying and working towards your goals. Just get back up and try again. You have FAILED if you continue to do NOTHING.
4. Take action: Turn your learning into action by making changes and trying again. This will help you turn failure into a positive experience. I try to focus ONLY on the very next step, not all the steps, just the next decision, step, and action.? That’s what matters, what you do next.
5. Celebrate small victories: Celebrate small victories along the way, as they will help keep you motivated and on track.

By failing forward, you can turn failure into a powerful tool for growth and success. Embrace failure, learn from it, narrow your focus to ONLY the next step (not the whole shebang), use it to your advantage, and you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals and reaching new heights.

Here’s to failing forward!

Kimi Brown

The Joyful Contrarian