It's not what you think, I promise. Failure is not only necessary, but expedient. The only thing standing between where you are and where you want to be is experience. It's the best teacher, and it just so happens that you learn a lot more from the bad then from the good.
Related: On Friday, I Quit Google – Here’s Why
Look at the light bulb. It took Thomas Edison more than 1,000 tries to get it right. He said it better than I ever could, "the most certain way to succeed is to always try just one more time."
The mistake we make is stopping and standing by for success. Too afraid to make moves, we wait. What we all fear is failure, and that fear becomes a prison. It holds us hostage, and we rather stay still then shoot for the stars.
7 Habits Of Highly Effective Failures
I get it. It took me four years to
quit my job at Google and start
my blog. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but success can only follow failure. Let me explain.
1. Focus On The Future
Don’t dwell. The focus on yesterday is taking up too much of your today. The only people that live in the past are disappointed in the present and afraid of the future. Get over what happened, and remember what you have left to do.
You have a finite amount of time and energy to offer the world, and it can never be brought back. There’s no rewind buttons or do overs - you get a single shot and you might miss. Let it go. Never live in the past - learn from it.
2. Silence The Skeptics
Despite your best efforts, some people may never believe you. They will need to see your success, and you might not have anything to show (yet). Take your time and do the work. Who decides when you’re ready and if you’re good enough? You do - don’t leave your happiness in someone else’s hands.
Accept applause, but don’t expect it. That’s when you get disappointed. If you depend on the approval of others then you’re open to their opinions. What you do is based on their reactions, and you respond for all the wrong reasons. People will always have something to say - turn down the noise and listen in.
3. Look Away & Lean In
Dig in. All the way in. The only way to deal with distractions is to give yourself some distance. Take five, ten or as many feet as you need and put some space between you and the problem. Be your solution.
Dedication requires separation, and in your separation you’ll find a revelation. Step back from the crowd rather than fight to fit in. Commit to one thing and turn a blind eye to everything and everyone else. Even at the cost of order and convenience.
4. Keep Out Of Your Comfort Zone
The enemy of progress is peace of mind. Sometimes you have to step up and ship out. Say goodbye to complacency in the name of creating something better than what you had before. It’s the reason
why I quit Google - I was tired of settling for good enough. It was time to make room for great.
To be the best, you must be willing to go above and beyond. That extra mile is the hardest, and it’s the reason the road ahead is usually empty. To many, the unknown is unnecessary but its the only way to go. And the only way to grow is when you go against the grain.
5. Make Many Mistakes
You will mess up. You’ll get it wrong more times than you get it right. Everyone around you will be waiting and wondering what comes next, and you won’t have a clue. If you’re fortunate enough to have supportive friends and family, they will want to help, but even they can’t save you. No one knows the answer, including you.
It’s incredibly freeing when you realize there’s no right or wrong. The pressure comes off. You’re able to experiment without expectations. When you work outside your comfort zone you stretch yourself. Growth requires trying new things.
6. Change Course, Constantly
Some stuff won’t work out - get it all out of the way.The longer it takes to fall down, the less time you have on your feet. Be like a baby and crawl before you walk, but go into everything knowing you’ll start by stumbling along the way.
Learn the lesson and move on. When something works, wash and repeat. It will take time to figure out what’s right so don’t hold on to what you think you know. Plan, but act in the present.
7. Practice Patience & Persistence
According to Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers,” it takes 10,000 hours of practice to be your best. Do it on your own terms. Set your sights on success and go get it. The road will be rocky, but don’t let that stop you. Stumble, trip, and fall, but get up. Get up and keep going. The key to success is not being afraid to fail fast, fail forward, and fail frequently.
This guest post by Michael Peggs was originally published on an earlier date.Related Posts
4 Steps To Beating Your Fear Of FailureCareer Failure: Take The Hit And Keep PlayingHow To Learn From Failure
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