The Importance of Failing Forward

When is the last time you failed at something? Rather than being a sign that you’re moving further away from success, failure can often be an indicator that we’re pushing our limits, challenging ourselves, and stepping out of our comfort zones. The good news is that if you fail at reaching an ambitious goal or testing out an innovative idea, you have the potential to fail forward. What does this mean? It means that you have the opportunity to take an instance of failure and use it to move you closer to reaching your goals. It’s up to us to take control and make sure that, when we encounter occasional failure, we know how to harness it’s potential to push us forward. Here’s why:

Our Mindset

Understanding our mindset when encountering failure is crucial. Our beliefs about what failure means play a major role in the way that it impacts us. For instance, if you believe that successful people don’t fail, you might strive to avoid failure at all costs. Not only is that incredibly limiting, but then if you do fail, it will likely sabotage your motivation and confidence. We don’t need to give failure that much power. Now, if you view failure as just a point on the path to success, you free yourself up to experiment with new ideas and push yourself with challenging goals because you’re willing to accept the risk of failing. None of us want to fail, but with the right mindset, we’ll be much more likely to pick ourselves up and keep moving. The right mindset helps us stay in control.

Our Response

You decide if an instance of failure can help move you forward or not. It’s all in how you respond to it. Professionals who are committed to learning from failure are the ones who manage to walk away having gained something. Even though failure can be frustrating and disappointing, it doesn’t have to be a major setback. Finding the lessons is the key here. Take time to explore failures without getting bogged down in negativity. Remember that your goal is to gain insights, not criticize yourself. Take the time to reflect and ask yourself the questions that will help you learn what went wrong and how you might be able to do better in the future.

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Our Ability to Recharge

There’s no doubt that failure is unpleasant. And most of the time, it does slow us down for a time; but how can you use that slow down, reset, and recharge? Rather than letting failure drain motivation, press pause to take stock. Reassess your goals, apply what you’ve learned, and get moving again. Giving yourself time after experiencing failure can help you pull everything useful from it.

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Do successful people fail? Of course they do. So, what separates them from those who have been defeated by failure? In many cases, the power is in their response. From your mindset to your reaction, to the way you view your next steps, you can take control of the narrative and turn your failure into a force that moves you forward.

If you’d like to talk more about failing forward, or if there’s something else I can be of assistance with, please reach out to me. I’m always happy to block off some time to connect.