19 Apr Five Keys To Making Failure Successful
We like to think of failure as the foundation or rung in the ladder to success. We celebrate failure because it gives us an opportunity to learn how we can better ourselves and improve on our ideas, innovations, and projects. The key to making failure successful is all in how you look at your failures. If you try to keep them in the closet, you might be doomed to repeat past mistakes. If you examine what went wrong, you set yourself up for the possibility of something incredible.
Here are few tips on making your failures part of your future success stories:
1. Keep a healthy dose of perspective in your back pocket.
One of the most important things any successful entrepreneur, innovator, or creative type can do is keep perspective in mind. Sure, you’re latest project may not have taken off like you wanted it to, but that doesn’t mean you’ve failed in the long term. Instead, think of it as a learning opportunity. What really went wrong? How can you fix it? Is there a learning opportunity here?
2. Have the courage to climb back up on the horse even if it bucked you off and kicked you while you were down.
Here’s the thing about horses: they come in many different colors. Climbing back up on the horse doesn’t mean you have to keep trying to ride the same horse. It means you have to pick yourself up and try again. So, your last project didn’t work out the way you intended it to. That doesn’t mean you completely give up. Come at it from a new angle or dust yourself off and start on your next project.
3. Leave the excuses in the trash can.
It’s impossible. This is going to work. I can’t do this. This isn’t part of the plan. I’m not sure what went wrong. Excuses won’t get you anywhere. There could be a million different reasons your project didn’t pan out. Don’t let those things weigh you down. Instead, throw them out the window. Close the trash can lid on them and dig in. Examine what went wrong and fix it. Discover what you can do better next time.
4. Have a plan for the ifs and the whens.
No one likes to talk about or even think about the possibility of failure. It might seem counterintuitive to being successful, but having a plan makes bouncing back from failure easier. Understanding and knowing what might or could go wrong with your project will help develop a plan for recovering and preventing those ifs and whens.
5. Own your failure. Don’t hide from it.
At some point in our lives, we all fail. Whether it was on a spelling test in the fourth grade or your latest business project, failure is simply part of life. By embracing that failure, you open the door to possibilities. Own your failure like a badge of honor because when you embrace and accept those failures, you lay the foundation for future success.
Want to learn how other entrepreneurs, innovators, and creatives turned their failures into success stories? Check out the upcoming Fail Fest celebrations and join us in our celebration of turning failure into success.