Overcome failure in 5 easy steps.
Oxford tested, Harvard approved, MIT's go to tactics. You've got to try it.
What do we do when we fail? What are we supposed to do when we do fail? Or better still, what should we do in the face of failure?
These questions tend to be unanswerable to most of us until we do encounter failure at some point. To some as well, though they've encountered failure to some degree, the answer to some of these dire questions elude them, and sometimes, it eludes them forever.
To us who still don't know what to do. To us who do not know what we're supposed to do. To us who do not know what to do when failure stares at us dead in the eye. Remember it isn't the end of the road though it might seem like it, condition your mind to remember this, "IT IS NOT THE END".
Did I say it's not the end, pardon me, IT IS THE END. It is the end of failure, failure at what ever it is that you've embarked upon. It is the end of that failed routine, it is the end of that failed recipe, it is the end of that failed studio session, it is the end of the failed record, it is the end of that carry-over course, it is the end of that failed business, in fact, it is the end of that failed experiment - Albert Einstein recognized that it is actually the end of the failed first experiment, the end of the second, third, forth and even the fifth and believe me, he believed it was the end of a whole lot of failed experiments but he conditioned his mind already to know that in essence it is not the end.
It's a double edge sword. It is the end and also not the end. How you react to failure determines what side of the sword edge you are.
A double edge sword, the left side is blunt, the right side is sharp. Those who find themselves on the right side of the sword take its sharpness to their advantage and breathtaking exploits. They cut through failure and get to success as seamless as a silk worm makes silk. Those on the left side are those who take their first swing and relax for effect of producing the opposite result produced by those on the right.
Expectation. The place of expectation with respect to either success or failure is so underplayed that a lot do not recognize its profound effect. Here we go:
We all have an expectation about every situation, scenario, incident or whatever it may be that occurs in out lives. Is it trying out a new routine, a new recipe, a studio session, a new record, a new course, a new business or a new experiment like Einstein did amongst others, we all have expectations. Amongst two expectations, one plays out, not both and can never be both, either we succeed or we fail, only one happens and not both.
Here's the meat of the gist. We never expect failure, true, you'll be insane to even thinking about failing when doing something. We always expect success but bear in mind, failure might occur in the place of success.
Now the juicy part, yes. Those who land on the right side of the sword are those who although expected success but encountered failure, accepts the failure and decided IT IS THE END but still tries out again, taking cognizance of the failure already encountered, learn from it and then use it lessons to better the next trial so as to achieve the true expected outcome, success. If the encounter failure again, they repeat the same process:
1. Accepts failure as the outcome gotten.
2. Decides that's the end of failure.
3. Acknowledges failure.
4. Learns from it.
5. Improves the next trial using lesson already learnt.
And if they fail again, they still repeat the process until SUCCESS, the true expectation is finally achieved, then they rest. These are the people producing results. Check them out from history, Einstein, Galileo, Wright brothers, Jobs, Gates, Buffet, Ronaldo, Zukerberg, and many others who kept on trying out despite the not expected outcome until what they set out to do was achieved. Even Josh2Funny tried out the AGT three times, though it seemed he didn't get our expected result, trust me, he got his expected result.
Now let's mix up this part with a little bit more sweetener to make it more juicy, yes. To my special and adored category are those who find themselves, not consciously nor willingly, on the left hand side of that particular sword. Here's why:
We spoke of expectations right? You agree that we all expect success right? You'll also agree that even though we expect success, we might get failure right? To the why, the people on the left do not have the same process in handling failure like those on the right thereby, hindering themselves from actually not attaining success. Let me explain:
1. They don't accepts failure as the outcome gotten: For the sole fact that they already expected success, failure seems to be the outright work of the enemy or the devil maybe. They devote time, energy and resources into denying failure other that to accept it and move on to the next and bigger things. Before they accept the outcome and strive for what they expected, some are unlucky that time wasted as its being said, can't be regained as such, they wallow in despair.
2. They decide that not the end of failure: Unlike people on the right, these amazing people decide it's not the end of failure but their own end. I'm contrast, instead of saying this particular situation, scenario, event or whatever it might be has failed, they believe they have failed as such, they give up. The person on the right puts and end to the situation but still believes he/she can still attain success but those on the left believe they as a person has failed and would not be able to attain success.
3. They do not acknowledges failure: When you acknowledge failure, only then would you take responsibility and work towards success. Just like success is acknowledged, so do failure also. You can accept failure, yes it has happened but you also need to acknowledge that failure is also there and not success, only then would you work to change what is there, failure, into what should be there, success. We readily acknowledge success but not failure.
4. They don't Learns from it: Since they can acknowledge failure, they can't even see the lesson that comes with it. There's nothing they can do as such, even the next step is already a failure.
5. They do not improve: No acknowledging of failure, no learning from failure, no improvement away from failure. They remain right where they were, believing he/she as a person or they as peoples are absolute and total failures.
It is not the end of the road, in fact, it is only getting started.
To you who think you're a failure, who is always on the left side of situations, I'm rooting for you. Remember, you're not a failure and you can get to the right side again.
To you who is always coming out of situations on the right, I'm rooting for you. Remember, hello those on the left so they can live a life full of richness.
I merely share my thoughts with you with the hope and believe that there'll be cross pollination and cross fertilization. This particular piece of writing is as a result of so many failed ones and would be amongst many failed ones paving a path for better and greater ones ahead.
To you who think the piece has failed, share your thoughts in the comment section with me.
To you who think this piece is a success, share your thoughts with me as well in the comments.
Above all, As you continue to strive for a better life, like and share this. This post is one share away from someone else who need to hear this.
You Good Though Advocate,
Writscriber.