Embracing Failure: A Journey Towards Success and Growth
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Chapter 1: The Frustration of Progress
Recently, I found myself facing some challenging weeks. It wasn't anything catastrophic, but rather that familiar moment when you're diligently working towards your objectives, and suddenly, progress feels as though it's come to a halt. This can be incredibly disheartening!
Perhaps I'm just being overly dramatic! However, if you've ever pursued significant goals for a while, you likely understand this sentiment.
It's tempting to give up and abandon the hard work you've already put in. Instead, I decided to find a more constructive way to motivate myself through this rough patch. Sometimes, you just have to pull yourself up and keep going.
I've also recently taken an interest in tracking my outcomes. I've realized that persistence is key, and anything worthwhile demands effort and an openness to fail.
In my reflections, I remembered the story of Thomas Edison, who is said to have failed 10,000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb. Instead of viewing each setback as a failure, he perceived them as 9,999 ways that didn’t work, each step bringing him closer to success.
The legend of the 10,000th attempt serves as a metaphor for perseverance.
What’s important is the willingness to navigate through difficulties to reach your desired outcome. In writing, this stage is often referred to as the "messy middle"—a point where the path forward seems unclear, and you have to keep moving until clarity emerges.
In business, it’s the time when initial excitement fades, and maintaining momentum feels increasingly challenging, even when you’re still doing well.
When you’re deep into your project, whether it’s a book or a business, the light-heartedness of experimentation gives way to pressure and expectation. This shift can lead to frustration and a desire to quit.
How to Cultivate a Mindset Open to Failure
Finding myself lost in this "messy middle," I decided to conduct a personal experiment—one that involved intentionally embracing failure.
I committed to trying something I was likely to fail at every single day. The objective was to create a high probability of failure and reward myself for the effort, since success tends to be self-rewarding.
Most of us struggle with the concept of failure, often going to great lengths to avoid it. The fear of disappointing others or feeling embarrassed can hold us back from taking risks.
Even when I attempt tasks, I often take on the mindset of a "high achiever," making everything feel overly serious and exhausting.
So, after life threw me a curveball, I resolved to embrace failure as a part of my journey.
The Rules of My Failure Experiment
- Feel free to try anything—make a list and think big.
- Ensure the risk of failure is significant.
- When you fail, celebrate it! You can either move on or try again tomorrow—no pressure.
- No self-criticism allowed.
- Reward yourself for taking the leap.
- For added challenge, aim to fail multiple times in one day.
- Keep track of your attempts, failures, and the insights gained from them.
I’m also compiling a rewards list. Typically, these will be small indulgences, but major failures from high risks deserve significant rewards.
The most surprising aspect of this experiment? With the barriers lowered, new possibilities began to emerge, prompting me to consider various activities:
- Trying my hand at painting for fun.
- Making cold calls to promote my training business.
- Reconnecting with former clients I haven’t spoken to in a while.
- Pitching my ideas to podcasts and magazines.
- Exploring opportunities to teach at universities.
- Seeking out location scouts for our old property.
- Auditioning with acting agencies.
- Trying stand-up comedy for a potential epic fail.
- Experimenting with social media to build a following.
- Making soufflés and macarons—even if they flop, they’ll still taste good!
Since none of these endeavors carry significant financial risk, why not give them a shot? If I fail, at least I can reward myself with a treat.
By embracing the prospect of failure, you may find you have a multitude of options available to you. The key is to engage in the process without fear of the outcome.
What would you attempt if you knew you could fail spectacularly but still be rewarded for your efforts? I’m eager to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Kristin Austin, the creator of a revenue-building game for businesses, is also penning an e-book for easier distribution. Thank you for reading! If you enjoy articles like this, consider supporting my writing on Medium for access to more insightful content.
Chapter 2: The Lessons Learned from Failure
The first video, "The Failed Experiment" | Episode 1 | How We Got Here, delves into how embracing failure can lead to unexpected insights and growth.
The second video, "The Failed Experiment" Will Make You Question Everything You Know About Medicine, challenges conventional wisdom and encourages viewers to reconsider their understanding of success and failure.