Inspiration and Life
Use Risk and Failure to Your Advantage
Get rid of your perfectionism
Who doesn’t love a good quote? I have collected thousands over the years. Early on, I wrote them on scraps of paper, often transferring them to a journal or notebook, of which I now have many. It is fun to go back through the old journals and read some of the quotes that impacted my life. Each time I do this, it’s like being transported to the time they influenced my thinking.
It is much simpler to record quotes in a searchable document today, not to mention the ease of finding quotes online. But I still enjoy the tactile sensation of paging through my journals and notebooks and the memories. Every time I do, I get more ideas for articles.
Besides the raw wisdom packed into so many quotes, I now view many of them as doors of opportunity that give us a larger view of ourselves and the world. What’s not to like about that!
Perfectionism and failing
Quotes from some of the greats in history have significantly impacted my life, especially regarding failing. As a perfectionist, I struggled for years, trying to do everything perfectly. It created enormous stress in my life, which I now realize was unnecessary. One of the earliest quotes that helped me rethink my perfectionistic tendencies was from that great British statesman:
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill (1874–1965)
Churchill’s insight helped me realize that there is more to life than success. This later led me to understand that the most important thing I could do before life ends is live a life of significance.
Living a life of significance requires aiming higher, creating the occasional failure. I realized I had to eliminate the perfectionistic ways that hindered me, creating so much stress in my life.
As I aimed higher, I quickly realized I needed to overcome my fear of failing. An old saying in line with this that I learned as a young man is “You don’t lose until you give up.” So true.
Around the time I discovered the above quote, I found another insight by Churchill that spoke directly to my dilemma.
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill (1874–1965)
This piece of wisdom helped me get over myself! I had never wanted to fail at anything, which held me back, costing me opportunities.
I later discovered a large part of my problem was how I viewed failure. I saw failing as making me a failure instead of seeing it for what it is, the opportunity to grow. Many of us lie to ourselves like that. Not only does failing help us grow, but it makes us human!
Without question, the lessons I learned from my failures Have supported me to create far more success than I could have ever dreamed. I will never forget what an old homebuilder once told me: “I have learned more from my mistakes and the mistakes of others than I ever could have from just looking at what we did right.”
Taking risks
“If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” Jim Rohn (1930–2009)
Jim Rohn was one of the first authors and speakers to make a huge impression on my life. He is known as America’s foremost business philosopher, and I consider him one of my primary mentors. His sayings drip with wisdom and are timeless.
I have had many colleagues and employees so risk-averse that their careers stalled, as had mine for a time. In business and life, you cannot avoid all risks no matter how hard you try unless you are content with a mediocre life. Why not embrace risk and use it to your advantage. Take the attitude of the most prolific inventor to have ever lived:
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas A. Edison (1847–1931)
Most of us fear failing or stumbling far too much. How frequently do these fears come true? Not very often! A Penn State study showed that 91% of things people worry about never happen. Of the remaining 9%, the outcome was better than expected one-third of the time. The study also showed that 25% of the participants had zero percent of their worries come true.
Put another way — the Penn State study shows that we have less than a one in 10 chance of something we worry about happening. If something does happen, there is a good chance the effect will be minimal.
Considering the odds are significantly stacked in our favor, why let fear stop us? Most risks we take each day pose little or no threat to our future. Only our fear of failure holds us back. Most of us know deep inside the things we dread happening in the future rarely occur.
Edison’s wisdom has helped shape the way I see the world. The tremendous number of failures to perfect the light bulb made me realize that anything is possible if I never stop trying. After so many attempts, it is amazing he didn’t give up. But then I realized something kept him going. Some progress. Some result. I find life is like that too. When we learn a little more from each failure, it can empower us to continue forward.
One of the best ways to learn is by doing. When I started learning to play the guitar as a young lad, I made some horrible sounds! But I eventually became a decent guitar player by persisting and pushing through the mistakes. To this day, I can only improve my playing by attempting to do what my fingers can’t do until I learn how. So long as I don’t give up, I will eventually achieve what I am after!
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)
Final thoughts
If you are a perfectionist, do everything possible to break the habit! You can still be good or great without being a perfectionist, which is proven every day in countless lives worldwide. Embrace failing as a wonderful teacher that helps you get better and do more in your life.
You can aim high, but if you never release the arrow, you will never hit anything. Aim high, and take action by pulling the bowstring back and releasing it. You then have a chance at hitting the target. Practice over and over, and you cannot help but improve. Such is life for all of us.
Heed these words of one of the most widely respected writers and philosophists in American history:
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
Don’t let risk and the fear of failure stop you on your road to success. Like riding a roller coaster, take the risk, do what you fear, and the fear will dissipate. When you do, you open up doors of endless opportunities in your future!
And finally, never forget — failing does not make you a failure; it helps you grow and makes you human!
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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION
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