Changing your perception of failure

I felt like the biggest failure! I did a webinar and no one showed up. Not a single person. Changing my perception of failure I later realised two things. This was in part due to the clocks changing and me giving the wrong time. So if anyone had signed up they would have joined when I wasn’t there.

But I didn’t let this feeling hold me back for long, choosing to change my perception of failure! Instead, I shifted my perspective before the?negative self-talk ?crept in. I saw it as an opportunity and an experience I could learn from. So what if no-one showed up, it could only get better next time.

It also helped me realise what I’d like to add and take out of my presentation. How I could make it more interesting, informative and engaging for my audience. Instead of seeing this experience through the lens of failure I shifted my mindset and perspective. I choose to see it through the lens of optimism and hope as I explored new opportunities.

In this blog, I’ll be covering three main topics…

• Overcoming the ‘what if’ paradox
• Overcoming failure with perception vs reality
• Failure is feedback in the right direction

Overcoming the ‘what if’ paradox

Failure is constant in our everyday lives and perhaps more so for those of us who are running a business. Because let’s face it, no one ever said it was going to be easy. No one likes that looming feeling of failure weighing down on them. Yet our subconscious mind is on a constant mission to keep us safe from the unknown and uncertainty. As a result it feeds us negative self-talk to stop us taking action.

That’s where the ‘what if’ paradox comes in. I’m sure you’ve found yourself saying things like...

• What if it’s a complete flop?
• What if no one buys?
• What if no one turns up!

When we get stuck in an analysis paralysis of ‘what if’ statements and negative self-talk we don’t take action. Result? Our life and business doesn't move forward. We let the fear of the unknown and uncertainty keep us stuck. Our subconscious mind uses the ‘what if’ statement as a form of self-protection. So we don’t have to feel or experience failure.

By changing your perception of failure you can spend a bit more time balancing out what you focus on. You get to focus on the best case scenario rather than any perceived failures. Then you can create optimism and hope for yourself...

• What if it's a massive success?
• What if lots of people buy?
• What if loads of people show up?

Perception vs reality

The lens through which we look at our life influences how we react to the experiences we have. It’s so easy to get caught up in a story of what we think is going to happen i.e. I’m going to fail at this so I won’t even try. But the reality might be very different. It’s a case of paying attention to what our mind perceives to be true and the actual reality of the situation.

Make sure to grab your FREE ultimate checklist for overcoming negative self-talk to change the internal story and give yourself more conscious control over your destiny.

Our mind is always trying to spin us a story to keep us safe but that’s where we have to get vigilant and look at the facts. You’re only a failure if you believe that you are, if you create that perception in your mind. The reality is failure is just another way of learning how to do things differently and for better results.

So the next time you find yourself perceiving a situation and your part in it as a failure, take a moment to look at the reality of the situation. What can you learn from the experience? What does failure really mean to you and what can you do with it? The reality is you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be and every opportunity, failure or success is an opportunity to grow, learn and expand into your next level of consciousness. Don’t let negative self-talk hold you back.

Failure is redirection

Let’s look at failure through a different lens and see it as redirection. Failure shows you where you shouldn’t be and the things you shouldn’t be doing. This is really powerful as it allows you to learn from it. In doing so it gives you optimism and hope as you step towards more joy and happiness in your life. It's an opportunity to redirect yourself, and your negative self-talk , and seek out better opportunities.

You may feel sometimes that success is eluding you. But it’s the failures that will help you reach your goals. The key is changing your perception of reality, not dwelling on the failure and redirecting your thoughts. Ask insightful questions from each experience of failure. Give yourself permission to find joy, happiness and opportunity in these experiences…

Questions such as…

• What can I learn from this experience?
• Is there anything I could do differently next time?
• Do I need to enquire or improve skills?
• What positives can I take from this failure?

In conclusion, changing perception of failure can be a transformative experience. Want more support and experience a deep transformation that will help you transcend beyond the feeling of failure? Book a FREE discovery call with me today and let’s explore how to get you unstuck.

We’ll look at how I can support you so that you can reach your income goals with confidence and self-belief. Without being held back by a sense of failure and negative self-talk . The world needs what you have to offer, it’s your job to show up so your clients can find you!