Failing is an important and difficult step for success
Admitting that you got it wrong can be an experience that feels unsettling and embarrassing. Putting our ego and self-importance ahead of acknowledging our mistakes can do us more harm than good.
The journey of acquiring knowledge requires honesty and being open-minded as it involves amending or unlearning information that we may have assumed as true.
Examples of pieces of information that some people hold but are unwilling to change with evidence to prove otherwise:
- The belief that cracking knuckles causes arthritis
- A belief that climate change is a hoax
- that vaccines cause autism
- Drinking alcohol warms you up
- Shaving your hair makes it grow thicker
There are plentiful facts that we have heard from close circle or our peer groups and consider them to be true. However, when debunked you often find individuals who are unwilling to change their thoughts regarding their opinion.
Learning opportunity
Reshaping our mindset and perspective of failures as an opportunity to grow is imperative for learning.
Not recognizing our weaknesses and mistakes can be our demise for success. As it will make us more vulnerable to repeating the same mistake and action again.
From every failed mistake, there is an opportunity to grow. It doesn’t matter what happens in life, but how you respond to it.
Being reflective on our actions and setting an appropriate action plan to manage these erroneous mistakes is imperative to be the best version of yourself.
Examples of Case studies
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison
One example is Thomas Edison’s journey in the invention of the light bulb. This quote illustrates continuous perseverance, refinement and reflection on his previous failures in creating the light bulb to reach his goal. In the unsuccessful attempts, Edison developed a greater understanding of what element contributed to a good light bulb.
Another example is J.K Rowling when writing Harry Potter, she wanted to get it published but got rejected by many publishers. This experience allowed her to develop resilience, perseverance and determination. This failure, ultimately lead her to learn from this experience which contributed to her becoming one of the best-selling authors.
Overcoming the Fear of Failure
Being feared for being judged for showing weakness and observed as someone worthless. This can be extremely challenging to combat however an individual should recognize that humans are vulnerable to making mistakes and errors, it is a natural process of learning.
Creating a network and environment of people who are not fearful to make mistakes such as asking a question in front of the class that might seem easy. However, that provides a learning opportunity for that individual to grow from.
It is important to recognize that a mistake is just a stepping stone to success. Recognizing the milestones that you achieved through reflecting back on them, even if you initially thought you were a failure. Can make you realize that you have achieved things that you never thought were possible. It makes you appreciate how far you have come and how much you learn along the journey.
Final Thoughts
Making a mistake in front of friends can be an embarrassing situation, but it‘s’ a learning experience that people often overlook. You shouldn’t shy away from sharpening your knowledge even though you may experience moments of failure.
It is extremely difficult to build a blueprint off the cuff and have 0 failures along the way But from those mistakes, we do gain valuable experience and knowledge that will prepare us for the future to make better decisions.
