Adopt This Simple Mindset to Achieve More in Life
Failing to succeed at first can be a recipe for success
I bet you’re probably thinking — life just isn’t so simple. Surely, nothing on its own can guarantee success.
Right. There are no guarantees whatsoever in life. However, if you study the most successful individuals in their chosen fields, you will find common patterns.
Success leaves clues.
All of them do this. They are not afraid of going through it. They do it often and see through to the other end of it.
What is this one thing?
Failing. Often.
What do I mean by that? Let me explain…
There Is No Success Without Failure
This quote from basketball legend Michael Jordan really embodies this mindset:
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
This works for all endeavours and walks of life. Whether in your career, business, or personal relationships.
The formula goes like this:
- Try, and fail often
- Learn from the failure
- Adjust and adapt
Repeat the process enough times until you succeed and reach your goal. Don’t give up at the first hurdle — failing is part of the process.
There is no success without failure.
Period.
It May Look Easy. But It’s Not
Today’s mainstream and social media outlets make successful people look like they are effortlessly gliding on their path to huge achievements.
When you see Usain Bolt run a 100m dash, and take the Gold, what you see is a result.
The result of years of gruelling training, and yes, failures along the way. The same applies to all successful business leaders and entrepreneurs.
We only see the headlines. But we don't see what has gone on behind the scenes to enable those outcomes.
Therefore, you can’t just look at the end result and think you will get there in the blink of an eye. You have to put in the work, and let time do its thing too.
Persistence is key. As well as keeping your chin up when things don’t go according to plan. Take it from the great Winston Churchill:
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”
So, keep your spirits up!
Failure Gets You Closer to Success
You can think of any setback or failure as a stepping stone towards your goals.
As long as, of course, you make conscious efforts to learn from those experiences. Rather than blindly pushing ahead without reflecting.
Pause and reflect. Ask yourself:
- Why did this happen?
- How could I have handled the situation better?
- What new skills and knowledge do I need to develop, to improve next time around?
This takes an active choice. Proactively decide to learn from the situation. And to get better from it.
By making such a choice, you will strengthen what psychologists have termed your internal locus of control. This often leads to increased levels of personal motivation and drive — and will help you push past the failures.
Final Thoughts
If you really want success in whatever aspect of your life, you cannot fear failure.
The real fear of yours should always be to not have tried hard enough.
And to end up years later looking back on your life, wondering why you didn’t take that shot. Or what could’ve been.
Know the feeling?
“Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.” ― Roy T. Bennett
Successful people try and keep trying until they get there.
Have a look at some of the top mistakes entrepreneurs have made on this Quora thread.
As you can see, everyone makes mistakes. Even the most wildly successful people—it was all part of the process.
Part of the never-ending journey towards greatness. So take the first steps, and build from there.
Don’t let setbacks discourage you. They are your foundation for future success.
Keep moving forward!
